I once helped someone get on track with their eating plan and one day when she and I were visiting with each other she said, “I’ve got something to show you.” I said, “Okay.”
She got out of her chair and walked down her hallway. She turned the corner and walked into her hall bathroom. She turned around and looked at me and said, “Well?” I must have looked confused because she laughed and said, “I walked into the bathroom without having to turn to the side.” I immediately clapped and did a little happy dance for her. She was so excited that even though she hadn’t lose enough weight for other people to notice, she was noticing how her body was changing. I’ve never forgotten the look on her face when she shared that with me. And I’ve never forgotten some of the small victories I noticed along my own weight loss journey.
One non-scale victory I found very satisfying was the appearance of: COLLARBONES
Now, I knew that I had always had collarbones, but it had been many years since I had seen them. I couldn’t even really feel them very well so I had kinda forgotten about them. But then, surprise, one day I was looking at myself in the mirror and there they were. (I had probably lost 100 pounds at that point.)
I stood there and touched them. Sure enough – collarbones. All day long, every time I passed a mirror I stopped to admire my collarbones. Its a good thing John didn’t see me and ask what in the world I was doing looking at myself in the mirror so often. I probably would have made something up.
I’d encourage you to never stop looking for those little things that help you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are on the right track. It doesn’t have to be a physical attribute, but rather it can be a difference in your activity level or just feeling more positive about yourself. Write those non-scale victories down so you can remember them for years and years. Those memories will help you stay in maintenance because if you are like me, you will not want to have to rediscover your collarbones time and time again!
What’s the latest thing positive thing you’ve noticed about yourself? Diane
I went to my cousins’ dance recital at a high school and when I sat down in the seat, I not only didn’t have to uncomfortably wedge myself into the seat, my thighs didn’t touch either side of the seat! That was just absolutely amazing to me!
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Oh Diane..How fitting for today! My shadow of a doubt knowing is I am becoming less afraid. Today, my post is Bombshell Revealed…and a BIG thank you to you!!!!
.-= Jules – Big Girl Bombshell´s last blog ..Gaining Strength- Saturday Slice of Life =-.
I’ve been doing strength training three times a week for awhile now, and lately I’ve been noticing how muscular and defined my shoulders look. I like it!
.-= Desert Agave´s last blog ..A Week of Scary Things =-.
I got new work out clothes and it makes my shoulders look sexy. I love LOVE my collarbones.
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Such a cool post Diane! NSV’s are so important! I have been trying new & challenging moves for an old broad so to me, that is always a victory! Plus I had a young 20 year old in the gym tell me how great a shape I was in this morn!!!! That will hold me for a bit!
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Rewriting History Some Personal Thoughts =-.
I wore a swimsuit this weekend and felt better about that than I had in years!
.-= Karen@WaistingTime´s last blog ..The Great Blog Post that Almost Was =-.
I’ve been doing weight training for two months and have stopped “listing” to the left and am standing up straight again. Yeah for stronger backs and shoulders.
Oh, finding the collarbones again was a HUGE deal for me, too! I was so excited, and I still get happy sometimes when I notice them.
.-= erin´s last blog ..Trying to Keep My Cool =-.
I’ve been really enjoying seeing my arms get more defined with the weight training I’ve been doing!
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Weekend Recap =-.
This post made me smile! I love things like this and remember when I saw mine again too – it was like I didn’t even notice they were gone until they came back! I’ve been seeing this random definition around my knees. odd, I know, I think it’s the running and I think I like it!
Great post Diane!
One day I’ve noticed that my legs were very strong. When I touched them, my hand didn’t bounce back but stayed there. My legs were had suddenly became muscled legs. Till today I love to feel the muscles in my legs, makes me realize again why I’m doing this and how great it feels.
I can’t wait to see collarbones again
I keep standing in the mirror shrugging my shoulders waiting for them to appear! LOL
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I’ve noticed that my shoulders have been looking awesome lately with all my lifting. I will admit to flexing in the mirror LOL!
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I remember loving my wedding dress because it showed off my collar bones.
My favorite new thing to notice is that I’m actually an hourglass figure. For years I thought I was a circle or a pear but I actually have a waist and it is thinner than my shoulders and hips. I can wear those cute dresses that go in at the waist and feel cute.
.-= Cynthia (It All Changes)´s last blog ..Kidsercise Goals =-.
So nice to see all the happy NSV that all y’all are mentioning!!
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Just last week my wrists looked smaller. Had to ask my hubby what he thought (of course he agreed, wise man! lol!) It is a subtle change, but a nice one to notice!
I’m noticing how much flatter my tummy is getting
.-= KCLAnderson (Karen)´s last blog ..Figuring Out How To Be Angry…And Be Okay =-.
As I recently found out, it is very cool to rediscover one’s bones.
I’m digging the definition in my arms and I also see more definition in my legs.
I was sitting in church last Sunday and noticed that my legs were crossed! It’s been a while . . .
My black pants go further than the thigh. Its still tight but I can wear it. WOW!
The hourglass is back!! Seeing my waist re-appear has been wonderful
.-= Kate´s last blog ..What Im Running Away From =-.
For sure those beautiful collarbones are one of mine as well..then my HIP bones…I love waking up and running my hands over them making sure they still there…LOL
Honestly, I haven’t been paying attention to this, and it might be part of why I’m getting discouraged. In the past it was important to write down the things I was noticing, and then read them in times like this. So, where’s that notebook now?! Thanks for the post!
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This is great! the day I re-discovered by collarbones was awesome. And THEN they started showing up in pictures. The unsung perks of weight loss is the collar bone?
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Collarbones are great! I did not know they were missing.
A beach near us has a flight of steps equiv to 2 or 3 standard flights that go to the bathrooms. The 3 trips (for the kids) that I climbed on Friday were barely noticeable.
My husband keeps commenting on me disappearing when he hugs me.
I remember the point at which my blood pressure normalized. Then I remember the collarbones too–and the cool little notch/hollow in the middle I hadn’t seen since I started gaining weight in my mid-30s. And I now have noticed I go to the chiropractor much less often now–when I do, it’s usually my neck/tension headaches that sends me there–my lower back issues seem mainly to have been due to carrying an extra 25 or 30 pounds, and just seem to have melted away.
I never thought I’d be back at what I weighed twenty, twentyfive years ago. I thought of weight gain as “normal aging.” It’s SO not. Now, there ARE changes to my body midlife, don’t get me wrong… I have less hips and more tummy at the same weight due to the hormonal changes of perimenopause.
And another side effect of slimming down is that I’m much better about taking calcium supplements. You’d think being lactose intolerant, and in my 40s with a mother who’s been on osteoporeosis drugs since her late 60s would do it, but I really wasn’t that good about it until I could see and feel more of my bones. Then I discovered I really liked my bones and wanted to take care of them.
It’s not about lower numbers on the scale, it’s about feeling really good about my body and appreciating how it looks, how it feels, and what it can do! Thanks for all the inspiration you bring me to keep fit and maintain the weight loss on your blog!
yep, when I found my collarbones, it was awesome…I like seeing pictures now where my face is thinned down, and I no longer have three chins. Can’t imagine what the end will look like!
.-= Pam´s last blog ..Recovery Mode =-.
I like to focus on NSV’s too. This is especially important if your weight loss has stalled! I’ve started noticing that making the right food choices is becoming more automatic, I don’t always have that argument going on in my head whether I should eat something or not. Or, if I do eat something that’s not healthy, I don’t make myself feel bad, I just go right back to my healthy eating.
I have a six pack buried somewhere underneath all of this flab. I bet they are just below the collarbones. I can’t wait to be able to discover mine again.
Loving my hip bones. They are still not really defined, but they will. I hit my 40 lb. loss yesterday and am so proud! I really love the way my husband is loving my new body!!!!!
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My hip bones – not all the way there, but more ‘feelable’, if that’s a word!
And oh, I have to say – my butt bones. LOL! Not being rude, but when I sit in a chair I feel my hiney bones more now.
I’m with Jeanette, I’m loving feeling my hip bones. I remember when I was in High School and considered my protruding hip bones to be a major cosmetic flaw. Sigh – oh to be young again! But today, while shopping for something to wear to my upcoming high school reunion (my 40th – see I am old!), I put on a beautiful (sleeveless) blouse and found myself smiling at my reflection in the mirror. And I realized it’s been decades since I smiled in a store dressing room mirror! But the blouse looked great, it’s hanging upstairs in my closet at this very moment – and I’m really looking forward to that reunion! I’ve only been to a few – one when I was 5 weeks post partum after my second almost 10 pound baby within the two years right before I turned 40. Unsurprisingly I wasn’t very thin – in fact I was wearing the clothes I’d bought to wear when I was pregnant – but I was so much thinner than I’d been right before I had the baby that in my eyes I didn’t look so bad – and I was so aware that having two healthy babies at my age was akin to winning the lottery (at least in my eyes) so I was just so happy despite the toll on my body and nothing else really mattered. For the next reunion I attended, I was at my highest (non-pregnancy) weight ever. So who knew that a blouse (at Marshall’s no less) would bring such pleasure – but despite my (advanced) age I really feel like I’m rocking this weight loss! And the blouse is very beautiful! So I think today was one of the first times I’ve really enjoyed clothes shopping in probably 30 years! And that is my most recent non-scale vicory. I didn’t think shopping for clothes would ever again be a pleasure, but I was wrong.
Oh yes! Collarbones and cheekbones are awesome discoveries. My latest obsession has been my shinbones. I hadn’t really noticed them until this summer.
The lines down the side of my stomach. They are evidence that there are stomach muscles in there somewhere, just waiting for the rest of the protective cushion to leave.
I was noticing my own collar bones the other day.
I think I see somewhat of a womanly figure starting to show through. Yes, there are still plenty of pounds to lose, but the workouts are toning and tightening in areas and when I’m in my pj’s I almost feel like I’m getting a figure (the blouse is kind of snug and shows more than my regular t-shirts I wear)
Woo Hoo!
Great Monday post, Diane. A real spirit lifter!
.-= Leah´s last blog ..Let Freedom Ring- – Day 1 =-.
I haven’t really had any physical changes in a long time, but my activity level is so much higher than it used to be.
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I noticed the past few days that my recently bought size 38 pants are already a bit loose! Guess I should have waited a bit longer before buying new pants. And I’m now able to wear a “large” t-shirt which is just slightly tight but not so tight it pulls out of my pants when I bend over or reach up. These things help when scale is grudgingly moving.
Ooooh – this brings a lovely memory to mind and it didn’t happen all that long ago.
I’m talking ribs here – I didn’t notice their reappearance, but my lovely hubby certainly did. One morning, he prodded them and said “what are these things?”, laughing when I looked puzzled and said “what things?”.
Now, if (OK, when) I get a bit down about my remaining flab he grins and pokes me again, just to remind me how much I’ve changed.
.-= Deniz´s last blog ..Health stuff =-.
My resiliency.
and given the pessimists who raise me
Im so damn proud.
.-= Miz´s last blog ..Intuitive eating new Two Fit Chicks podcast =-.
Oh I remember the collarbone moment. I’ve been struggling to maintain for a while now and I still look to my collarbones as a sign that while I feel desperate, things were once alot worse.
Another NSV I had was seeing my knuckles. Actually I freaked out and made my partner look at them and reassure me it was normal to see bones in my hands at the bottom of my fingers. I stared at them for days not sure if I was totally impressed or totally disgusted by them.
When I first started out with my weight loss, that was one of my FIRST non-scale goals that I had: I wanted to see my collarbones. Now, it’s nice to have wrist bones, hip bones, etc. I could go on forever! Who knew all these bones were under all that fat?