This Woman's Photos Prove That Fitness Is About So Much More Than The Number On The Scale

Comments Off on This Woman's Photos Prove That Fitness Is About So Much More Than The Number On The Scale

Instagrammer Cass Hines has an important message to share: Fitness really isn’t about your weight, nor can it be measured by how you look. The 33-year-old mom from Victoria, Australia regularly posts side-by-side photos of herself at various weights and various levels of fitness — saying that what matters most to her is her performance and how she feels in her body, not numbers on the scale or measuring tape.

While there are 3 years separating the first and fourth photo, I've been on this fitness journey for two whole years now. It's made me realise that working out will always be a priority for me no matter what. Over the journey my goals have changed, my strategies have changed, I've chopped and changed the programs I follow more times than I can count, I've tracked macros, I've not tracked macros, I've adopted intuitive eating and I've also dabbled with intermittent fasting. And with all that, it would appear I'm back to square one ? But in all seriousness, my focus these days is to keep my workouts simple so that I actually enjoy them, learning that concept of 'eating to live' a little better (and not the other way around ?) and to love where I'm at no matter how I look ✨

A post shared by Cass (@cass.fit.healthy) on

Hines, who started her fitness journey in earnest just two years ago, is a fan of Kayla Itsines’ programs and follows a healthy meal plan, posting about her food choices. She’s talked about how the #fitspo community on Instagram often focuses on weight or aesthetics, when in fact fitness is much harder to actually measure.

RELATED: Kayla Itsines Shares Her Advice For Working Out On Your Period

“It’s great to have aesthetic goals, but sometimes we place a greater emphasis on them than need be,” she wrote in one caption. “I know it’s not all about the abs, but when they go into hiding or are far less defined than you once remember them to be, it’s very easy to think the worst… failure, unfit, fat, fitness fraud etc are all thoughts that have gone through my head more times than I’d like to admit! It’s these moments when I have to shift the focus to those performance based goals instead.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUQpt0dhysh/

For example, Hines is working on her upper-body strength, so she measures her progress by seeing how many pull-ups she can do rather than just how her arms look in the mirror.

One final message she shares that’s incredibly important: Progress isn’t always linear. Hitting bumps in the road or plateaus doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

RELATED: 3 Lower Abs Exercises To Do In Front Of Your TV 

“The biggest thing I can take from this journey, is that progression, regression and plateaus… it’s called LIFE,” she wrote. “The sooner you realise that expecting to see progress week after week is unrealistic and not sustainable, the happier you will be. Sure, there will be ups and downs like anything else, but the best part is, there’s no finish line because being fit and healthy is a lifestyle, not a quick fix. Live in the now and enjoy the ride… bumps, roadblocks and all.”

Ready for a challenge? Get your fittest body yet in 18 minutes with All in 18, the new program created by Women’s Health international fitness expert Idalis Velazquez. Sign up today!

This article originally appeared on Women’s Health

Source: Read Full Article