Measured Progress

I'm at that point in my journey where I hear people saying "you don't need to lose any more weight." The thing is, I've been here before and what I've learned is that this decision lies within me with supervision and advice from the person I call Doctor. My objectives are to improve:

my Health • preventable diseases are nothing to play with. I know for a fact that by having a normal BMI I will lower my risk of acquiring diseases that are preventable. I'm a believer of having regular doctor check ups and I've seen my numbers vastly improve as I continue to focus on my health.
my Quality of Life • every time I hear a compliment on my weight loss my answer is often "I feel good." Having a healthy life means that my husband has a healthy wife and my kids have a healthy mother. The quality of life I enjoy now compared to 7 years ago is like night and day. Jesus died to give me an abundant life on the cross but it has been up to me to enjoy it. Once I decided to take on this journey towards a healthier life, my quality of life has improved and I am able to enjoy the abundance that Jesus died to give me.
my Ability as a Runner • it is no secret that the leaner I am the easier it is to run. I enjoy running more as the extra weight does not put unnecessary pressure on my joints. The weeks I focus on drinking plenty water and getting the nutrition I need, I notice my body easily runs faster. I am not an elite runner but I am en elite wife and mother who enjoys the sport. I believe that a normal BMI will allow me to increase my ability to reach lower finishing times in my future marathons. It is my goal to run for life. I believe that I can achieve that and I am already working on this goal.

One of the greatest challenges I face is that number blinking on the scale. The trick is not be so focused on it that I forget all the benefits along the way. Numbers are not complete facts, they are just one out of many measurements of progress. Let's talk about measures of progress and how we can rely on them instead of a sole number on a scale.

Good Food Decisions Board, something new in my journey

I believe in getting used to having several Measures of Progress instead of just the scale. Here's how I choose to measure my progress:
• Annual Doctor's Visit - my blood work will show me how I progressed in the past year. I've seen a great improvement over these past 2 years, thanks be to God!
• Water Intake - being dehydrated is no joke. I make sure I journal my water intake for accountability. The benefits of water intake are immediate and they actually will help you in your health journey.
• Rest - I've learned it the hard way but resting is a must if you want to live a healthy life. It helps your muscles to recover, it aids in stress management and there are many other benefits. You must rest if you want to life a healthy life. You can't put this stuff in a pill, it just must be done. I measure my progress by noticing how much rest I get at night as well as how much stress management I practiced during the day.
• Speed • my running has improved the more weight I've dropped. I know that speed and endurance can't only be gained one way but I know that my current speed can be a measure of progress in my journey.
• Good Decisions Board - I saw this on Instagram and decided to apply it in my journey. What you do is make a board and mark it every time you make a good food decision. Yesterday I passed on repeating dessert twice (or three times!) so I got a mark. Once I make 80 good decisions I get a Pay Off. My Pay Off is a gift certificate to Hobby Lobby. I have a couple of medals and running memorabilia that need to be nicely displayed in my house.

The goal of the Measured Progress Strategy is to remind you of all the good you are gathering in your journey. Instead of focusing on 5 meals and the number on the scale, you now have 5 different ways to measure your progress.

QUESTION: What are some of the ways you Measure your Progress in your health journey? How do you stay away from the 'scale only' mentality as a measure for success?