It’s not just about what you see on the scale…

…despite most weight-loss programs and efforts being measured as such. Sure, being able to say I’ve lost 47 pounds is pretty spectacular.

And it’s not just about the number on the size tag. (Although that 4 on my gray Ann Taylor pants or the 6 on my new coat are pretty sweet.)

It’s so much about how you feel. Both physically and mentally.

Today, I ran 8 miles. I’ve done this a much or more only a few times. Doing it while training for the Army Ten-Miler was pretty rough because of lady problems and eating too close to running. Running the Army Ten-Miler was pretty freaking amazing.

Today, I ran from my apartment in the Financial District through Battery Park, up the West Side Highway (there’s a path, for those of you not familiar with this that thought I was actually running on the highway), across 14th Street (all the way across) and down Avenue C until it turned into Pitt Street. I kept checking my iPhone to see how far I’d run. “Am I there yet?”, I kept thinking.

Not once during my run did I feel that light, I-can-run-forever feeling, the one that we strive for every time we go out running and that keeps us going when we do achieve it. Why is this? Probably because I ate my weight in carbs, sugar and salt this weekend. I have been feeling really bloated all weekend and have had less energy than usual. Sure, it’s fun to eat absolutely decadent food, but you definitely pay for it. For me, I’ve worked so hard at losing weight this year that it’s just not worth it. So I’m going to redouble my efforts during the month of December so that I don’t have that awful feeling I’ve felt this weekend of having absolutely gorged myself.

It’s also about how you feel mentally. I’ve learned so much about myself and how to deal with the things the past 9 months as I’ve been on this journey. For one, I’ve become way more open-minded. This time last year, I wouldn’t have been running 8 miles. I wouldn’t have been eating kale chips.

I’ve also learned how better how to roll with the punches. Some weeks, I gained weight or didn’t lose as much as I wanted to. Other stuff happened that I wasn’t okay with, initially. But you know what?

IT’S OKAY. Everything is a learning experience. You learn what to do next time you’re in that situation so you’re happier with the outcome.