Patience in a Pound Plateau.

Oh Pound Plateau. For four weeks the plateau had lingered inviting doubt to come and join it.

It is hard to stay motivated when the needle doesn't move. It is during the plateau when the backwards slide can happen so easily. It can be frustrating to not see progress for weeks at a time. You feel like you're running but not going anywhere and it grows tiring to continue with excitement.

In the midst of my plateau I began to notice other things that were happening in my life. They didn't change the scale but when I started to notice these things, I stopped feeling as frustrated with the stubborn scale.

My nails grew. I got to enjoy my cute new clothes from Seattle. I got to feel like a size 18 and even cuter in the size 16. I took a week off from running and could still run when I went at it again. A boy flirted with me! I ate well and felt assured I had made a real change in my habits. Did I say my nails grew?

Maybe plateaus are a smart thing...maybe our body is telling us to stop and smell the roses.

Or....stop, feel your muscles, buy cute clothes, believe you are where you are and then celebrate.
Or...maybe it is a way of forcing balance. Focusing on losing the weight is important but so is getting healthy after a cold, stopping nail biting, having lunch with friends and if all you think about is the weight loss when it is over you will wonder what you do with your life now.
Or...maybe plateaus are a way to prove that you have made changes. If you begin to fear that you won't be able to finish, that you will slip back to old habits and a plateau hits, making it through might be the proof you need to believe in yourself.

I probably would not include patience on a list of traits I carry but I am learning that is not true. I have been patient in working through the plateaus, believing that the next step is being made even when it is a long long one. And while I'm taking that long stride I have time to enjoy the beautiful scenery around me. Then one day, the needle moves, moves fast and I celebrate my patience, determination and go run 4 miles.