Weight loss, constant improvement, and other terrible reasons to exercise

I was going to write a post about how I started and stuck with an exercise routine, but I have fallen off of it for a few weeks now. I was doing pretty well keeping up with it for about a month or two, and I felt the benefits: feeling stronger, more confident, more energetic. I think I stopped, at least in part, because I broke my own rules. Going into the routine, I had to set boundaries. I have a history of body dysmorphia, and I knew that if I measured too many things that I would get obsessive about it, and it would do more harm than good to my mental health. I told myself I would not weigh myself, measure my waist, or count calories. It was my mental health that this exercise was for, after all. Again, the body dysmorphia was and is a problem, so I did not want looks to be the primary focus of this exercise. A moderate exercise routine is good. Period. Doesn't matter what you look like before and after. Of course, setting these boundaries did not stop me from looking in the…