Today I got an email from a dear friend of mine saying that she has been working out lately, but that when she weighed herself, she actually gained weight. She was a bit upset and said that she will just ‘press on.’ Those damn scales. I’ve seen a lot of this and it can really take a toll on our self esteem especially when we are trying to be mindful and healthy about our bodies. But do the pounds really matter?

I believe it is far more important to know our own bodies, nourish them, exercise them, and practice mindful eating. I don’t own a scale and haven’t since I left for college because I have always weighed more than people my height/size. So big deal. I was an athlete! I didn’t need numbers on a little dialey thing to freak me out and make it seem that I was unhealthy. Wrong-o.

And it’s not only women either. A male friend of mine came to me at one point when he thought he was too skinny. He was considering taking supplements and I talked him out of it - at least I hope I did! Thing is, let’s work with what we’re given and do the best we can for ourselves. Unless there is a serious medical issue, leave the bmi formula, charts and scales behind. Let’s go with what FEELS right in our own skin.

When you really ask yourself, you KNOW when you don’t feel right (whether too heavy or too light), so just listen to that inner voice and make the changes accordingly.

Below is what I wrote to my friend. If you have comments, I welcome them. This is an important topic and I have been asked MANY times about the ol’ scale, so please share your thoughts if you have them.

Ok honey, gym stuff. Women fluctuate about 5 lbs. per month. So, take that into consideration. Another thing is that if you are gaining muscle, we do that before we lose the fat…and muscle is heavier. Hence, weight gain.

When I did bootcamp, the ladies would train for 4 weeks and then got weighed in for evaluations afterwards. Many would weigh more – there were sometimes tears actually. But once they got their measurements and did the body fat stuff, they turned out to be smaller, just more dense. It usually took until the 2nd bootcamp that they saw weight loss.

PRESS on. Don’t quit. It will probably take 6-8 weeks of working out before you see movement on the scale because you are building muscle.

The other thing is, if you work out too hard, your body will be extra hungry. People who train for marathons and triathalons can actually gain weight because they eat so much to fuel their bodies. So, note that and make sure when you exercise, you are at a comfortable and happy level.

So, keep going!! There are many reasons why you gained weight - or maybe that sassy scale is off. Overall though, pay attention to how you FEEL, how your clothes fit, if you’re sleeping well, if you can concentrate better, if you are less stressed, etc., Exercise has many health benefits besides losing weight and sadly we tend to overlook that in this country.

Many of us have those pesky computer jobs where we are hunching over our key boards and mousin’ around with our right hands for 8+ hours a day. This can cause lots of undo tension in the upper traps because the chest (pecs) muscles become shortened while the upper back (traps) muscles are over stretched. Over time, your chest muscles are trained to stay short and your traps stay over extended resulting in hunchy posture and tight, crunchy shoulders. Although I’m not hunchy I totally have crunchy shoulders. And while I’m not judging, it’s definitely something we can all work on

To help relieve some of the stress on the upper back and to open the chest, you can simply remember: Up, Back and Down.

What it means:
1. Scrunch your shoulders up to your ears
2. Pull them back aiming for the wall behind you
3. And then drop your shoulders straight down so the rest below your ears

Feel that? Huge difference, right?

So now, you have opened your chest and engaged the muscles in your back so they continue to work to hold you up straight. In yoga, we always lead with our hearts and keep an open heart. Doing this simple posture correction several times a day will strengthen your core and back while keeping your chest and heart open - for all possibilites and for all new choices you can make today.

Dude. Let me tell you how much Sports Basement rocks. I called to see if I could get the Flyers a discount on merchandise…they not only gave us a discount, but they are throwing us a party, coming out to a Feet on the Fly class to do a gait analysis for everyone AND they are helping us grow! I was amazed at the help and support they are giving us. Holy schnykees. Info on the party below:

The party is on Thursday, May 22nd from 6-8 pm
FREE BEER, FREE FOOD and 15% off anything in the store
Sports Basement on 1590 Bryant Street (between 15th & 16th)
If you have not been to the store yet, Sports Basement is a close-out sporting goods store that offers gear and apparel for snowboarding, hiking, biking, swimming and running at 30%-60% below retail. Brands include The North Face, Burton, Salomon, Asics, Adidas, Hind and many more. www.sportsbasement.com

In addition, on Wednedsay May 14th, Jim (from “the SB”) will be coming out to do a gait analysis of the flyers come to the 6:15 pm class. This means that he will watch how you run and make sure that the shoes you are wearing are the right ones for your bod. And if they’re not, he will happily make recommendations based on his analysis of YOU. Yeah…we like that.

The Pilots and Flyers thank you Sports Basement!!!