While scrolling through Facebook, there it was. A post from a high school friend about a 30 day squat challenge she was doing again. This was her 3rd time doing it and she was recruiting friends to join her. Ironically enough, I had just pinned a 30 day squat challenge on Pinterest, so I figured, what do I have to lose!
The very next day (because why start that day) I knocked out the 50 squats my challenge called for. Over the last 2 weeks I’ve gradually increase my number to 140 as of yesterday. I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t been a struggle, and my legs haven’t been on fire. Oh, the burn!! It’s day 30 that I’m currently terrified of. 250 squats! Steph and I have chatted about the challenge a few times, and each time I tell her how sore I am she laughs. I don’t really blame her though…
Before you ask, yes, I do break them up throughout the day, because 250 squats in one sitting is just not happening! But they’ve gotten easier. Which I guess is the point. Well, that and to give you that JLo/Kardashian rump. Pretty sure it’s going to take a few more months of me doing the squat challenge before I’m anywhere near that caliber.
I decided for entertainment purposes to add up the number of squats that it calls for over the 30 day period and was impressed and yet slightly terrified at the end number: 3,300! In 30 days! If I pull this off, it will rank up there with completing my first 5K!
Prior to starting this challenge, someone asked me if I knew how much I’d lost because they “could see changes.” I’m not very good about actually weighing myself, which is a positive and negative. That night I jumped on the scale to see, and ended up sobbing hysterically on my bed after seeing the number. Nope, not good tears, tears of self hate, anger, and sadness. I weighed in 3 times not believing the number, even changed the batteries thinking that might make a difference, but no matter what I did, it kept telling me I GAINED 10 pounds! I chucked the scale under the bed yelling “You’re staying there until you recognize and correct that number!“, and began wondering why I was killing myself with eating better and going to the gym if I was only going to GAIN.
To make matters worse, my friend that has been doing this journey with me had recently announced she was down 8 pounds and here I was, gaining. UGH!! Let me pause and say I’m super happy for her, but hearing her success and then seeing my “failure” hurt. Bad.
After 2 weeks of squats, I decided to weigh in again. One of the guys at “the other job” told me he thought I was down about 10 pounds, I laughed. Last night right before I climbed in bed, I pulled my scale out again and had a nice long talk with it. (Because, apparently talking to your scale helps it give you a lower number! Ha!) Sure enough, I stepped on and braced myself for no change, or even worse, another LARGER number. Only, he was right. Down 10 pounds! I’ll take it!
I guess the point I’m trying to make is, don’t get caught up on the number on a scale. It would have been so easy for me to just throw in the towel and say “I quit!” Instead, I took a risk, and just kept swimming… or I guess in this case, squatting along.
Now I’m wondering what 30 day challenge I’ll start after this one is done!
-Sarah
