Weight gain..... say what?! This sounds more scary to me than actually climbing Mount Everest! I know this may sound silly to some people, my past with food, body image and being underweight as a teen has cause some fear to set in. I need to gain weight so that I have more body fat to keep me warm at 29,032 ft! Wow, how wild is that!?
I AM SO EXCITED that I finally get to go to Everest this year. It has been a long time coming and I am grateful to share and take you along on this journey of mine.
I know the next few months (leaving mid April) are going to be challenging and when I shift my mindset to believing that gaining this weight is the right thing for me to do, I am able to adjust my focus and realize that this will give me the best shot on getting to the top of the tallest mountain in the world!
I was able to turn my eating disorder into a passion for nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, yet that doesn't mean that some of those insecurities from the past don't come back.
It's not uncommon to feel that way or to have an unhealthy relationship with food. We have all punished ourselves one way or another after indulging on the weekend. So what can you do to change that? Check out my podcast on How To Build A Healthy Relationship With Food to learn more about if food can actually be "bad" and how to listen to your body.
You have to start somewhere...
My starting weight is 108.8 lbs (49.3kg) and I am 5'2.5" (159cm). The most I have ever weighed is 112 lbs (50.8kg). Right now I am working towards getting to 115 lbs. I have never been that weight before so instead of working towards a "goal weight" that is the weight I am working towards first. I'd like to get there and then see where I am at and how I feel.
I have always said the number on the scale doesn't matter, it's more about how you feel in your clothes. I know my clothes are going to be feeling a little snug coming up, and no problem! It's all good. Lot's of people are intimidated by the scale. So should you even weigh yourself? Let's take a look...
There isn’t an exact yes or no answer for if you should weigh yourself. Some people may have an exact numerical goal of where they want to be, and seeing digits will help solidify their progress. Others don’t care what the scale says as long as they feel and look great. Decide for yourself and think about some pros and cons!
Pros To Weighing Yourself: You have now set a tangible goal for yourself, for example, losing 20 pounds in 4 months. Stepping on a scale can motivate you to stick with an exercise and diet plan that produces results in the form of a number that you can see and work towards. There are some scales that analyze total weight, body fat, bone density, and other physical components which help you think about the ways your body is changing.
Cons To Weighing Yourself: Fixating on a number can prevent you from seeing other kinds of progress that come with a healthy lifestyle. For example, decreased bloating doesn’t necessarily equate to many pounds lost, though it can have a substantial impact when it comes to the way your clothes fit.
Also, muscle weighs as much fat, so if you’re working out regularly then you’re probably gaining muscle while losing fat, which means you might not notice a change in numbers unless you use a scale which breaks down total weight vs percentage of body fat. And don’t forget about the non-weight related aspects of a healthy lifestyle. Increased energy & confidence and improved mood cannot be measured on a scale!
It’s important to keep up a positive mindset and be considerate about the fact that your body takes time to progress. With proper nutrition and a consistent workout routine, you will see results even if it takes a bit longer than you intend - after all, you’re not going to feel bad about doing the best you can for that body!
That last sentence pretty much sums up me weight gain for Everest. I cannot feel bad for doing what's best for my body!! Right now, that means gain weight so I can be successful at conquering Mount Everest!
What am I eating?
To start my weight gain I am focusing on eating more throughout the day. Easier said than done for me! I have found it difficult to pull myself away from my computer and work to eat more.
I am trying and starting to slowly get the hang of it. In the mornings I am bulking up my shakes with a banana, oats, peanut butter and even yogurt! I am basically stacking that up and adding more calories. I have added more carbs into my daily routine as well. Smoked salmon sandwich with butter, avocado and even cheese.
I definitely am adding in more food and nutrients the healthy way, and I'd be lying if I said I haven't also been indulging in foods I wouldn't normally eat. I have enjoyed some pizza, French fries and even some yummy cheese and bread. Since I don't eat this way normally, I did get a tummy ache and felt blah afterwards. The battle in my mind of stop eating that vs you need the calories is a real thing!
One thing that I have struggled with is eating when I'm not necessarily hungry. That is going to be a big focus of mine. I need to consume more calories than normal so incorporating more protein snacks, shakes and larger portions in general are three ways I am going to work on this.
The journey to weight gain for Mount Everest has just began and I will be sharing more and more over the next 8 weeks on my Instagram so be sure to go give me a follow over at @rebeccalouisefitness & rebeccalouisenutrition.
Current Thoughts & Feelings
Being a fitness person there is always a little fear that people with start judging me for weight gain. It is a total mindset shift that needs to take place in order for me to be successful in this.
The other night I put a dress on that barely fit me anymore! I had the realization that the dress probably won't fit me for a while now and that just had be like woah. I am working on reprogramming my brain to not having any limitations.
Your largest fear carries your largest growth. The best part about fear is that the choice to believe in it is ours! We can let it either consume or define us. We have everything inside of us that we need in order to live our best life- fear free! Sometimes we lose sight of our goals as our fears grow stronger and cloud our vision.
Here are my top 7 tips for removing fear from your life so that you can focus on becoming the best version of yourself and reaching your goals, not matter how big or small.
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Mindfulness. Did you know that fear is just a part of your imagination? You have to let go of fearful thoughts—you’re actually just creating it in your own head. It doesn't actually exist! It’s just something that you make up! Next time you feel afraid just remember that it’s all in your head! Fear isn't real, it’s just a figment of your imagination that you have fabricated to become even bigger than you imagined.
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Surround yourself with positive people. People who empower you and share the same goals with you will help you become the best version of yourself! These people will help you face your fear of trying something new and give you the confidence to achieve your dreams. Ask yourself- who are you following and who is your group?
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What is more scary? Not trying and not making it or trying it and not making it? Regardless of the outcome I guarantee, that you will look back on the situation and not regret trying--even if you didn't succeed at first. Be a YES person. It’s better to try than to not try at all. Get out there and say yes!
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Become 1% better every day. This is such an easy tip —think about something that you did yesterday and how you can learn from it. Now take the rest of today to change whatever you decided (from yesterday) that you could put effort into fixing. Now do that everyday. Acknowledging the fact of how you feel and that you want to get better everyday is going to help erase that fear. Progress is everything-it's not about perfection. It's just about progress. Can you get better every single day?
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Look back and reflect on previous experiences that you once feared and how far you've come since then. Don't forget to reflect on how far you've grown by overcoming those previous experiences. Compare those past experiences to a fearful situation that you're dealing with currently and remind yourself that if you've done it before you can do it again! Compare your previous experiences to go forward with new ones.
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Write down how you will feel when you conquer this fear. Don't just get your feet wet, go all the way in! Just do it! Writing down how your going to feel after conquering these fears-is going to give you a lot more motivation to do it! 5,4,3,2,1! Just do it!
- You can never EVER fail- if you just don't quit. The only way you can fail anything and let fear take over, is if you let fear limit you to what you want to achieve. As long as you stay the course and keep on going, its inevitable it's going to work out in your favor.
I am feeling so many emotions about the journey and I AM READY to take on Mount Everest and I will do what it takes to get there. I've GOT GRIT BABY!
I am excited to share my weight gain journey with you. If you have any suggestions on foods to eat and other snacks to incorporate into my day, please leave them in the comments!
Thank you
Love, Rebecca
xxx
Nia
August 17, 2022Hey Rebecca, you are so inspiring and relatable. I love all your workouts on the burn app. I’m learning to accept body changes now too. I used to be underweight due to ED and other mental health issues. During my recovery I gained alot of weight but now I’m learning
to accept that and turn it into muscle as I have lost 1kg already since mid July and have gained muscle.
Thank you for being such a positive force 🤍