program? Let me try to explain what I mean......That's when almost every time you see your reflection, you are noticing good things. It's like the Midas Touch - you only see good. It's kind of like when things have finally caught up, all that hard working out is starting to pay off, and now the good things just keep happening. That's also when you can get in trouble. But there's always the waiting for the other shoe to fall. You start slipping up, but still look good, the pants still fit well, scale is hovering around the same 3 pounds but nothing scary, and you go off plan. By the time you notice things not looking or feeling so good, you've been off the wagon for 2 weeks and it's too hard to get back on. That's the danger. That's happened to me a time or two or three!

SO....tonite - in the locker room at the Y where my daughter goes for swim team. Mirrors abound - and usually I avoid them like the plague. We hadn't been there for a couple of weeks with our vacation and the holiday and the difference in my reflection was noteworthy. I was liking what I saw tonite.

I'm assuming that if I keep working out and eating ok, this trend will continue. That now that you've kind of put in your foundation/deposit, you start seeing the change more consistently now. Is this right? Has anyone else experienced this?

Yes, I kinda do understand but I thought it had to do with "getting it all together". You Fran, sound like you've found your groove and are stickin' with it.

I know that a lot of us think we start a programme and do "everything right" from the beginning, but I doubt it. I'm always finding things I misread or misunderstood or thought I could do without ....
OR ... we give up too early
OR ... we're seriously kidding ourselves about how 'on plan' we are
OR ... we're looking for outstanding results waaaay too early

When I have had moments like yours, they usually coincide with having got my act together for a while, honestly (food exercise the whole shebang), sticking with it for an extended period, good record keeping with documented results ... and then the mirror.
An overall sense of having done good work and getting the appropriate results.

Which I guess is pretty much what you said

What strikes me most from Fran's post is that there is a LIFE mixed in. Although she was busy with other things, her programme was always happening in there somewhere. While she was busy with other things, it was still working.

Let me try an analogy at 5:30 in the morning
In the fabric of my life there are continous threads ... my husband, my kids, my faith, home keeping ... There are intermitent threads .... financial struggles, work, extended family obligations... There are short strands ... emergencies, temporary upsets, illness ...
Some threads are thicker and stronger than the rest. Some are of variable importance depending on timing etc. Some are obvious. Some are evenly interwoven.
I look at Meg and Mel (for instance) and see that the thread of fitness in the fabric of their lives is strong, continuous, and evenly interwoven.

I just ran out of brilliance ... sorry ... ya know what I mean? That'd be why Fran had a happy surprise when she looked in the mirror. Good results from a thread that's gently interwoven ... not awkwardly embroidered on top.

Wow, SusanB, that was truly profound. I'm printing that out to look at every day!

Beth

Wow, again WOW!

"In the fabric of my life there are continous threads ... my husband, my kids, my faith, home keeping ... There are intermitent threads .... financial struggles, work, extended family obligations... There are short strands ... emergencies, temporary upsets, illness ...
Some threads are thicker and stronger than the rest. Some are of variable importance depending on timing etc. Some are obvious. Some are evenly interwoven.
I look at Meg and Mel (for instance) and see that the thread of fitness in the fabric of their lives is strong, continuous, and evenly interwoven.

I just ran out of brilliance ... sorry ... ya know what I mean? That'd be why Fran had a happy surprise when she looked in the mirror. Good results from a thread that's gently interwoven ... not awkwardly embroidered on top."

This should be in a "sticky" section!