Beyond The Scales Part 6 STOP WAITING UNTIL YOU FEEL GOOD ENOUGH!!!

Beyond The Scales Part 6

The Cost of Waiting Until You Feel Good Enough

This blog has been sitting in my head for a while...

In fact, if I'm completely honest, I've nearly not written it!!!!

Not because I don't believe in the message, but because I still struggle with it myself....and i feel exposed!@

You see, lately I've found myself holding back.

Holding back from videos.

Holding back from photos.

Holding back from showing up fully online.

Why?

Because I'm not entirely happy with how I look right now.

There. I said it.

As someone who works in the health and fitness industry, that can feel like a difficult thing to admit.

People often assume that because I'm a fitness instructor, women's health coach and someone who spends a lot of time talking about confidence and wellbeing, I must feel confident all the time.

I don't.

I'm human.

Just like every woman reading this.

And recently, after watching a video of myself back, I found myself picking apart everything I didn't like.

The extra weight around my middle.

The way my clothes sat.

The angles.

The things I wish looked different.

For a moment, I felt that familiar voice creep in.

"You should wait."

"Wait until you've lost a bit of weight."

"Wait until you're looking better."

"Wait until you feel more confident."

It's a dangerous place to be.

Because before you know it, you're putting your life on hold.

And I know so many women do exactly the same thing.

How many photos are sitting on your phone that you refuse to post?

How many family photos are you missing from because you volunteered to take the picture instead?

How many holidays, social occasions or opportunities have you approached with one thought in your head...

"I'll feel better when I've lost weight."

The problem is that "when" never seems to arrive.

The goalposts keep moving.

The body changes.

Life happens.

And before you know it, months or even years have passed waiting for a version of yourself that doesn't actually exist.

Because here's what I've realised.

While I've been criticising my appearance, I've completely overlooked everything my body has been doing for me.

My body is getting stronger.

I'm back in the gym.

I'm lifting weights.

My energy is improving.

My confidence in what my body can do is growing.

I'm walking daily.

I'm taking care of my health.

I've recently restarted HRT and I'm feeling more like myself than I have in a long time.

Yet somehow one photo or one video can make me forget all of that.

How ridiculous is that?

We can achieve so much, make so much progress, overcome challenges, build healthier habits and become stronger physically and mentally...

Yet still allow one image to dictate how we feel about ourselves.

The truth is, body image is complicated.

Especially in midlife.

Many of us grew up believing our worth was tied to our appearance.

We were taught to chase smaller bodies.

To celebrate weight loss.

To strive for perfection.

And then menopause arrives and changes the rules.

The body changes.

Weight distribution changes.

The things that used to work no longer work.

And suddenly we're trying to navigate a completely new version of ourselves.

I've spent a lot of time over the last few years wishing I could get my old body back.

But recently I've started asking myself a different question.

What if this isn't about getting my old body back?

What if it's about learning to appreciate and respect the body I have now?

The body that has carried me through 53 years of life.

The body that danced.

The body that raised children.

The body that has got me through stress, heartbreak, joy, laughter and everything in between.

The body that still shows up every day and keeps going.

That body deserves kindness.

Not criticism.

And maybe that's what Beyond The Scales is really about.

It's not about pretending we love every part of ourselves every day.

It's not about ignoring our goals or not wanting to improve.

It's about refusing to let how we feel about our appearance stop us from living.

It's about showing up anyway.

Posting the photo anyway.

Recording the video anyway.

Wearing the outfit anyway.

Going to the beach anyway.

Living your life anyway.

Because the reality is that the people who love you aren't looking at the things you obsess over.

They're seeing you.

Your smile.

Your laugh.

Your kindness.

Your energy.

Your presence.

And one day, when you look back through those photos and videos, you won't be thinking about the size of your tummy or whether your arms looked toned.

You'll simply be grateful you were in them.

So this is my promise to myself.

I'm going to stop waiting.

Stop waiting until I look better.

Stop waiting until I'm leaner.

Stop waiting until I feel more confident.

I'm going to keep showing up.

Not because I have it all figured out.

But because I know there are women reading this who feel exactly the same way.

And maybe, just maybe, if we stop waiting for perfect, we can start appreciating where we are right now.

Because life is happening now.

Not five pounds from now.

Not one dress size from now.

Not six months from now.

Now.

💜

Andrea x

Reflection Question

What would you do differently if you stopped waiting until you felt "good enough" and started living your life exactly as you are today?