That’s one small step for mankind and one giant leap for man. Wait. That’s not how it goes, but it does seem to sum up my seemingly perpetual New Year’s resolution on weight loss and the ups and downs in weight that always come along for the ride. When it comes to weight loss and personal fitness, we can find friends and family who will encourage us but let’s be honest, when put on a balancing scale of “things going on in the world today”, my fitness level is definitely “one small step for mankind”.

But for me…I worked hard for these 7-pounds, and it truly has been a “giant leap.” I’m not even close to my final goal (I’m still a few pounds away from my next “celebration level”), but I can tell this time is different. I spent weeks pushing, pulling, walking, and biking, and I even started jogging again without a budge on the scale. Frustrating, for sure. But I noticed I was feeling better each day. I was more mindful about the food I was eating and my portion sizes, and then, about a week and a half ago, the weight started to come down.

I’ve been here before: the pounds go down and plateau for days on end no matter what I do and then eventually go down again. The cycle repeats and, from experience, I know I will eventually get too frustrated to keep pushing, or “life” will get busy again, or my dog will give me that look when I don’t take her out that says, “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.” But maybe this time is different. Maybe, this time I will successfully reframe my thinking so that I focus on each “giant leap” when a pound (or even a partial pound) comes off the scale. After all, this is a journey, not a day trip.

I had to laugh with someone I was coaching once. They were wearing a T-shirt from the fitness app I use, and so I told her that I did 75 workouts last year using the app. I was pretty proud of myself. I mean, I did get a late start, but still. I immediately saw her body language and said, “I noticed you just got a look that seemed to say, ‘That’s nice. I hit 75 workouts in the first 3 weeks of January.’” We both laughed…because she did. She didn’t share her annual total, but you can do the rough math. Her giant leap is way too much for me…and my giant leap is nothing more than a small step for her… but that’s OK. We’re doing it.

Where are you on your fitness journey now that we’re coming up on 4 months into the new year?  Are you celebrating your giant leaps?  Did “life” hit you, and you’ve let it slide…again? Consider reaching out to the SED Coaching Network to find an accountability partner who will celebrate your giant leaps with you. Reframe your thoughts and celebrate where you are today.  It’s never too late.