Sometimes we focus so much on the number on the scale that we lose sight of the big picture: getting healthy.

Getting healthy is so much more than just shedding pounds. You can be stick thin and not be healthy at all. And I’ll be the first to say that lately, I’ve forgotten what it’s like to remember that my quest for health is so much more than seeing my weight drop on the scale.

My mental and physical improvements should NOT, and CANNOT be measured by a scale alone. At the beginning of January, when I made my little come back, I could not, for the life of me, run a mile without taking walk breaks.

Well today I ran an 11:44 mile. Ok, yeah, compared to 2010 that’s slow because I was cranking out an 8:21 mile but if I temporarily remove my setback and measure my week to week progress, an 11:44 mile is awesome.

Over the past two weeks, I have been training consistently, running two 5Ks, both without any walking breaks. The first 5K last week took me 42:03. This week, I busted out a 40:53.

At the beginning of January, I could only bench 3 sets of the bar. Yesterday, I benched 2 sets of the bar and 2 sets at 55 pounds. The goal this year is to bench 95 pounds. I might not be able to see the physical changes right away, but I can feel it.

And, truthfully, I haven’t been weighing myself. I’ve realized that sometimes, too much of the scale actually has a negative impact on me because I forget my main purpose: to become healthy.

It isn’t about the number on the scale. It’s about how I feel. And I actually feel stronger. I know my skin is clearing up, I have more energy, and there are so many physically fit goals I’m working towards (more on those later).

Maybe I’ll weigh myself this week, as a way to measure more of my progress, but for now, I’m loving my NSVs.

What are your NSVs for the month of January?

Photo courtesy of Madeintaiwan73