Week 8: On Comparison

"Comparison is the thief of joy." -Theodore Roosevelt

This week was a little awful for me, at least health-wise.  I am not sure what exactly happened, but I sort of lost my vision for a bit and ate all sorts of things I really should not have eaten.  Now, I didn't go crazy in the way some of you might be thinking--there were no hamburgers, fries, or ice cream involved! But there might have been half a donut, half a brownie, several cookies, and a couple of falafel sandwiches among other things. 

I more or less kept up with my exercise, but that kind of diet after you have been eating well makes you feel quite sluggish.  And a bit lazy. It does not make you feel like going to the gym, running, or lifting weights. I think that's one of the main reasons fat people stay fat--if you don't eat well, you don't feel well enough to exercise.  If you don't exercise, you don't burn enough calories to lose weight. 

So long story short (actually short story short: I ate too much), I gained weight this week.  I was up 4 pounds earlier this week, but my weigh in only showed a merciful .4 pound increase.  I was grateful it wasn't more, but sad to see regression.

Needless to say, all this bad eating and less enthusiastic exercising and weight gaining made me feel a little down.  I love reading weight loss stories and seeing how many people have totally changed their lives, but sometimes you end up comparing your journey to theirs and you don't feel as good about what you have accomplished.

It was in this mood that I put on an outfit to take a walk on Friday afternoon.  I looked in the mirror and thought to myself, "You've worn this outfit before, and last time, this shirt was TIGHT!" It was a BYU t-shirt, one that I have had for about 7 years (don't ask why I keep t-shirts so long).  I specifically remember a day in high school that I wore it, knowing it was too small, but it was a day that all of my friends were wearing our college shirts so we could take pictures.  Not sure I really wanted to see it, I decided to dig through the deep crevices of Facebook and find the picture.  And when I did, even I was shocked at the difference I saw!

I knew right away that I needed to take a comparison picture, not just for myself, but for all of you.  Many of you who know me now did not know me then, and many who knew me then do not see me often now.  So, here you have it, my very first comparison picture! Same shirt, 6 years later and 50 pounds lighter!

I am really proud of how far I have come! That being said, I still have quite a ways to go before I reach my goal.  But this picture gives me a lot of hope!

The bottom line about comparison is this: comparing yourself to others most often leads to unhappiness, jealously, and  a desire to give up. Comparing yourself to yourself often leads to joy, recognition of your awesome achievements, and desire to keep improving!

Happy healthy week!

Pounds lost: 12

Pounds left to lose: 18

Love,

Candace