Trends

I lost a nice bit of weight last spring. No secret formula, I just logged everything I ate (using My Fitness Pal) and the awareness alone was enough to keep me in check. I have since gained back 70% of that weight, that’s another discussion…but what I remember most about that productive time was the trend of my weight. It was like the jagged side of a mountain. Not smooth, and not steep. There were ups and downs, but it was definitely sloping downward–a trend. Back away a bit, and the jagged places fade and the trend is more obvious. Focus in too closely on one part of the line, and you may think you are only seeing the up-slope.

My current weight graph can best be described as a zipper on its side. Going nowhere. Look at it up close or back away, it isn’t very inspiring. That is one reason I started this blog. This graph would be ideal, once I am at a healthy weight and lifestyle, but I am not.

What I like about trends is, there is room for grace. Not every mark must be exactly below the one before it. No single mark screams failure or definitive victory. Together, these marks, day in and day out, let me know where I am going and where I came from. No one mark is too burdensome for the day.

This morning perceive that I am currently mucking around on a plateau…but am I? Or is this the first day of my trend? It could be! Do you have a goal that is easily measurable? Drinking water, exercising, reading daily, performing secret acts of kindness–I’d love to see positive trends in all these areas of my life. And isn’t that a lot less daunting then to think “tomorrow I begin doing X every day!”? Are you measuring your steps, or do the daily or weekly marks send you into a tailspin? Are you looking at the graph too closely? Step back and see your trend. Are you also a sideways zipper? Then check back in another week! Let your marks motivate you to start your own trend.

Photo by Andras Toth on Unsplash