{5 Things The Scale Can't Measure}

My journey of clean eating is already coming up on two months. It was on March 21st of this year (2014) that I decided that I was done feeding my body junk and wanted to fuel my body with the proper nutrition by eating foods at its most natural state, being conscious of the ingredients on labels and keeping track of my sugar, sodium and fat intake. In such a short amount of time, I've learned a lot. I've made discoveries of certain ingredients that I no longer consume due to the harmful effects that they impose to my health, and I've learned that my body - that once craved sweets 24/7 and couldn't resist the temptation for a slice of cake - doesn't think twice about turning down sweets. It's pretty empowering.

My ultimate goal is to be healthy and strong. In my head, that means that I'm at a low to zero risk for any type of disease or sickness. Since high school, one of my personal goals has been to run in the New York City Marathon (26.2 miles) and that still holds true today, but I can't accomplish that if my body is not physically and mentally prepared for it. With those factors in mind, I have a high expectation for myself, as well as what my body should look like. 

My husband and I got a membership at the YMCA on April 18th and since then, we've been working out 5 days a week despite our busy schedule (we graduate this Friday, finally!!!!!!!). I've definitely seen improvements in my body's physical appearance, but there's still a few times when I wake up in the morning, look at myself in the mirror and feel like my progress is at a standstill. Anyone else feel like that? I mean, you put in a lot of work and sacrifice, so naturally you want to see the results. When you don't see them, it can be pretty discouraging. This happened to me the other day. I was beating myself up on the lack of results I wasn't seeing in the mirror, so somehow I got to the ridiculous conclusion that weighing myself on the scale would make me feel better. I was about to step on it when I reminded myself that the number on the scale doesn't define me, so why should I consult it?

Instead, I turned to pictures that I've taken of myself through my journey and I came across one that shocked me.

The one on the left was taken in December; the one on the right was taken last week. Even as I look at the two comparisons now, I can't believe how much progress I've made. I have gained so much more respect for my body image as well as a renewed motivation to continue with my journey. If I had stepped on the scale, I doubt I would've gotten the same kind of reaction. There's other, more important aspects of your fitness journey that your scale won't tell you.

5 THINGS THE SCALE CAN'T MEASURE:

1. HOW YOU FEEL. Think about the last workout session you had and remember how you felt after you completed it. If you're anything like me, it varies depending on the workout, but I feel like I'm on beast mode, invincible, strong, happy, etc. Especially after a long and stressful day, working out has been the best stress-reliever hands down. I feel amazing. I feel proud that I'm continually able to find the time to exercise. I love the burn, the relentless dedication I have when I feel like giving up but push myself to go the extra minute, rep or mile, and I love seeing the definition in my arms and legs that are starting to become visible. These are feelings that could never be measured by a scale, don't you agree?

2. STRENGTH. If you lift weights or are beginning to, take note of how much weight you started out with. For bicep curls, perhaps you can only do 2 sets of 10 reps with 7 pounds. As you continue to incorporate weights into your exercise routine, you'll start to notice that you can do 12 reps, then 15 reps, then 3 sets instead 2, and so on and so forth. The scale can't measure the strength you will build up over time. In fact, you may gain weight because of the muscle tissue that you'll be replacing with the fat tissue. That's why weighing yourself during periods of workouts with weights can discourage people because they think they're not making any progress, but in fact, you're toning your body and making it stronger!

3. ENDURANCE. Remember when you could barely run half a mile without feeling like you were going to fall over and die? Or when you were completely out of breath climbing up 3 flights of stairs? Or when you could only do 10 seconds of high knees without stopping? How about when you could only do 20 jumping jacks but can now do 50? Yeah, the scale can't measure the endurance you've built up over the workout you've hated but learned to love. These achievements matter. Don't let the scale or anyone else tell you otherwise.

4. FLUID INTAKE. If you drink tons of water, especially the recommended amount, which is half your weight in fluids, you're going to gain weight. So, if you've ever weighed yourself after chugging two or three bottles of water, it's like you've just set yourself up for failure because your body is full of fluids that haven't been released or absorbed yet. The number on the scale is going to be inaccurate, and water is one of many factors that may fluctuate your weight throughout the day. Another influence that the scale won't pick up on. 

5. YOUR WORTH. I feel like we have a lot of pressure in today's society to fit into a cookie-cutter standard of what we should look like. Unfortunately, much of it targets our physical appearances, which I think is totally unfair. We develop these unrealistic expectations in our heads, then try to match that with a number on the scale. I hate this. Why do we feel the need to have a number determine our self-worth? Whoever is reading this, whether you know this to be true or have never been told these words before: you are worthy. You are more than just a number. You are beautiful. Your human nature, your flaws and imperfections, they're what make you lovely and absolutely divine. Forget the number, forget the scale. Focus on you, what makes you happy and what drives you to be the kind of person that you'll be proud of.

Like I've said in a previous post, it's okay to step on the scale every now and then, but keep in mind that the scale will only show you a number. There's many things that it doesn't consider. The ones I named are only a few but I felt like 5 was enough to get the point across.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls

In one of my recent posts, I mentioned a substitute I found for the popular Nutella spread. I used it one of my most recent posts Choco Peanut Butter & Fruit Bites.

I came across this heavenly spread by accident. It was on sale for $1.98 compared to $3.54 for Nutella, so I thought, what the heck, let's try it out. Not only that, but the Skippy Chocolate spread also contains 60% less sugar than Nutella. 

(Top: Nutella; Bottom: Skippy)

I began to compare the two and did some further research. 

Skippy contains:

- less saturated fat

- less carbs 

- more protein (the picture is cut off, but it has 6g vs Nutella's 2g). 

Skippy is made in the U.S., Nutella is made in Canada. AND look at Nutella's FIRST ingredient. SUGAR. Keep looking at the ingredient list. It also contains VANILLIN: AN ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.

I wasn't sure what that meant, so I looked it up. Needless to say, I will never eat Nutella again. 

"Now call me fussy, but I do not want to be eating something that is a product of petrochemicals. I put petrochemicals in my car, I use plastics made from petrochemicals, I wear materials made from petrochemicals, but I do NOT want to be eating the stuff." (Source)

This is where eating clean has its pros and cons because if there's an ingredient in a particular food that I can't pronounce or don't recognize, I look it up. In many cases, they're synthetic chemicals that are harmful to your body. I no longer consume those kinds of foods and instead, I look for healthier alternatives to eat instead. You have to be careful and aware of the ingredients that are listed on the every day foods you consume because they may actually contain hidden ingredients that are harmful to your health.

On a more positive note, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls are healthy and are also super tasty!

Here's what you'll need for this recipe:

1/2 cup of crispy rice cereal

1/2 cup of old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup of Skippy Natural Peanut Butter Spread with Dark Chocolate*
2-3 tablespoons Honey*
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 tablespoons Dried Cranberries or Chocolate Chips (optional)
2 tablespoons Chopped Nuts (optional)

*Note: You can use your favorite spread, but keep in mind you may have to reduce or increase the honey amount.

In a medium-sized bowl, add honey, spread, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix until all the ingredients become smooth. This is where I would taste your mixture and double-check to see if you need to add more honey, especially if you're using regular peanut butter or a spread that's not as sweet in flavor.

In a food processor, add your choice of nuts and chocolate chips. This part is optional. I used almonds and white chocolate chips. I pulsed the two ingredients until they were finely chopped.

Add the remaining ingredients into the bowl, including what's in the processor. Mix thoroughly until coated well.

Store in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then, roll mixture into 1-inch balls. 

My batch made 15. Feel free to double the batch! I ate them when I was craving something sweet or before a workout.