Recapturing Beauty Challenge, Day 1

The BYU Women's Resouce Center put on a campaign called "Recapturing Beauty" (click here)... and when I read the 10 day challenge that was posted earlier this month, I wasn't ready to commit to it, so I saved it to do the 10 days up until my birthday.

Today was my Day One...

I managed not to weigh... but I have to admit this will be a hard one for me.

I either avoid the scale for months at a time; and then spiral out of control because I lose accountability in taking care of myself and maintaining my weight.

Or I weigh constantly checking and re-checking myself (there is always number I have in my head that I tell myself I just won't go over) so that I myself in check every day; which eventually ends in disappointment and negative self talk because any sane woman knows the number on a scale is not an accurate measure of how healthy you are.

This will be good if I can learn a happy balance between the two extremes during this challenge.

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It will be increasingly challenging for me because I have been weighing weekly since August and been involved in small challenge groups (two different ones) with friends and family and I WANT to know how I am progressing, so I weigh often and record it EVERY WEEK!

But the good news is I have one goal set out for my birth date... and I don't have to weigh between now and then to stay on track. Weighing has nothing to do with the challenge except at the beginning and end; so I really don't need to weigh until it's all over. It will be a much needed break from the pressure and the emotional up's and down's of the scale. And 10 days won't put me too far off the road I need for accountability either.

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I love to people watch and I have noticed that we are all so different. How could Heavenly Father come up with so many different combinations? They just seem endless, and we are different every one of us from the inside out. I have especially noticed people's hands lately. I think because I almost don't recognize my son's hands anymore... they have changed from clean soft young hands, to tough, strong, mature, working hands.

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I am grateful for my body!

I am grateful for my hands, they are still agile and move me around the computer quickly and retain so much muscle memory (I am learning so much about this in my efforts to learn to play the guitar).

I am grateful that my body is able to heal from injuries.

I am grateful my body carried my son, and nurtured him while he developed miraculously inside me (of all the horror pregnancy stories people told me, nobody warned me how much I would miss carrying him after he was delivered... miserable, but a unique experience like NO OTHER to cherish and not wish away).

I am so grateful for a strong body that has carried me, and never given up on me.

I am grateful for a clear (most of the time) mind, that I can think and process rationally and learn and grow and overcome weaknesses.

I am grateful that my body responds when I put demands on it.

I am grateful for a body that responded and accepted a pacemaker when I was 19 years old.

My body is craving my attention, and I hope that I can give it the love it needs to restore back to a healthy vibrant lifestyle.