Writing It Down

I hate logging stuff. When I decide that I need to log something (write it down), it feels like I spend so much of my time writing down what I am doing that I don't have time to do anything else. But, I have to say that there are some benefits too. Of course, the thing I think about logging most lately is food - what I ate, when I ate it, and how much I ate.

When I first started this journey, I was familiar with the need to write down what I eat. I have tried a number of diet techniques. You name it, I have probably tried it with the one exception being surgery. On each of these approaches, writing down everything you put in your mouth was a necessary evil. So, when I started this time around, I knew that I would have to write it all down. One of the diets I've been on gave me the mantra "write before you bite."

Now, as a long-term food addict, the last thing I want to do is look at a list of what all I have eaten in a day. But here's the thing about writing it down, sometimes I won't eat something just because I have to write it down. And sometimes, writing down makes me realize that there are calories in every bite I take. If you decide you will write down everything you eat, then you realize that the bite you take while you are cooking dinner because you are so hungry that you cannot wait to eat until dinner is ready actually does have calories. Calories consumed standing up, driving in a car - they all count. Unfortunately, moving while eating does not negate the caloric value of a Snickers.

The deal that I eventually made with myself is that I write down for a while. Then when I remember what full is and what hungry is, then I can stop for a while. But at some point, I forget what full and hungry feel like so I inevitably have to go back to writing down. It only takes a couple of days of writing down now for me to remember and then things get back under control again.

So, I try to take my eating and writing down one day at a time. I may have to periodically log my food intake for the rest of my life. But when I remember that nothing tastes as good as it feels to be able to do all the things I can do now, writing down for a couple of days at a time suddenly doesn't seem like such an imposition after all.

Happy logging.

Travel

I have always enjoyed traveling. I like to go places and see things I have not seen before. I like to meet new people. I like to consider life from another point of view. I enjoy anticipating travel and thinking about what all I might experience on an upcoming trip. And I like to ponder a trip I have just returned from thinking about what all I got to do. But these days, every time I travel, I also think about what travel used to be like.

Before I started my fitness journey, I still liked to travel but it was also really difficult. When I got on a plane I was always terrified that the gate agent was going to stop me and force me to buy a second ticket. I always got to the airport really early so that I could look at my seat assignment and try to arrange it as best I could. I wanted an aisle seat in a row of 3 with no one sitting in the middle seat.

There were times when someone would be sitting beside me in the middle seat. I always felt sorry for them and hated myself for the misery I was putting this other person through. I would hope that they would not notice that unless the armrest was raised, I was in complete misery. I would quietly ask the flight attendant for an extension for my seatbelt and hope that no one noticed that I could not get the existing seatbelt around me. I would get out of breath walking up the jetway after a flight. Everything I did was an effort.

These days, if I get to the airport way early, I walk around looking at the shops or getting water or whatever I think I need for my flight. I no longer mind looking people in the eye as they get on the airplane because I'm not worried about how we will all fit in a row of 2 or 3 seats. I am more willing to talk to the people around me because I do not feel like I am imposing on their space.

In short, traveling is even more enjoyable than it ever was, in some respects. What is really funny is that now even though I still like to travel, I don't like to leave my life at home and leave the comfort of my gym behind while I travel. I have learned to look for the fitness center in the hotel as I check in and I realize that even if I am not able to get in a good workout while I am gone, I will always return to my gym at home when I get back. I have become completely addicted to my workouts. I guess this is just one of the side effects of health.

Happy Travels.

Miracles and Motivation

One of the big things in this journey that I have been taking is staying motivated. I have tried to lose weight in the past and have never been as successful as this time. I think a lot about why that is. Why is this time different than all those other times?

I always end up back at the same answer - it goes back to where I was when I started. When I started I came to this realization that my person, aka my body, is a gift from God. This is true for all of us. Our bodies are a gift. That had never occurred to me before. I mean I just never figured out that my body was a gift, it was just me. But somehow (and I really don't know how) God allowed me to see things in a different way.

It's like the verse in Matthew where God commands us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind. These three items represent the different aspects of our person. We need to love God with our thoughts, emotions, physical person, and our spirit. Once you can see yourself as these separate pieces, then it becomes much easier to see your body as a gift.

Once I began to see my body as a gift, then I realized that I needed to treat that gift with respect and proper care. Another way to put this - it's not me, it is Christ in me. This sentence is from a very wise pastor whom I greatly appreciate. But it really puts the whole beginning in perspective. Gaining this understanding was truly a miracle for me. I was astounded and awed when I finally got it.

But then, there is also the miracle that happens in finding the motivation to keep going. But once I put it all in God's hands, I began to receive miraculous motivations on a regular basis. Any time that I have begun to feel down or limited, God has put someone in my path to encourage me. It is almost like the miracles have built on themselves. And what is so very cool about the whole thing is the number of people who had no idea that I needed their encouragement to keep going. These people who just felt it was important to say something to encourage and they had no idea that I was faltering in my commitment.

I hope that this understanding has led to an improvement in my willingness to be more encouraging to those around me. I hope that I have become more sensitive to God leading me to pat others on the back for who they are.

I know that it has made me more sensitive to seeing the miraculous in the every day. There are miracles occurring in the world around us all the time. We just don't see them, but I promise they are there. Sometimes it is someone just giving you a pat on the back when you need one and sometimes it is the parting of the Red Sea. I know you will see them if you just look.

Happy Miracle Hunting

Zumba

So, I know you are wondering what is Zumba or you may know what it is. I will tell you it is not the latest new Tex-Mex dish. Actually, it is a form of aerobics which involves Latin dance moves. There is loud music and a really energetic instructor making the whole thing seem kind of like a one-hour party. I think it is one of the most fun forms of aerobic exercise that I do. Why? Because I have discovered that there is absolutely no way to hold on to a bad mood while doing something that makes you look that silly. Now you may be an expert dancer in which case, I applaud you and you should go and enjoy the dancing. For the rest of us, go and enjoy being a little foolish for a while.

I have had several people tell me that they have tried Zumba or considered Zumba but did not think that the class would be sufficiently difficult or that it would be too difficult. I also have some thoughts on that. A good aerobics class (or instructor) will help you tailor some of the moves to your ability. For instance, marching instead of jumping. Or, in the reverse, adding some bounce to a march to increase the intensity.

Second, you get as much out of the class as you put into it. So, it can be as hard or easy as you need it to be. I had a week where I needed to hold back because my body was just getting tired. I actually went to a spin class and barely broke a sweat because I just didn't put that much into it. On the other hand, most weeks when I come out of Zumba, the back of my t-shirt is soaked. I have to say the same is true of any aspect of your workout, but right now, I'm just thinking about classes. Please note that I have also left a number of spin classes have left a small puddle of sweat under my bike.

Last, I like to go to aerobics classes as part of some of my workouts because the other people in the class motivate me to work a little harder than I might on my own. I like to work out on my own because it gives me a chance to think and put my day in perspective. But a class can really get me motivated to work harder as I see others working hard. Maybe you are not a competitive person and so this might not work for you, but I am a bit competitive and it really does motivate me. And even when just the site of someone doing something doesn't motivate me, I have a number of friends who often dare me into pushing harder.

So go find a class and give it a shot.

First Posting

So, a year and a half ago, I began a journey to improve my overall fitness. Now, 147 lbs later, I've done that and a friend told me that I should share my journey with others. This is my first attempt to do that. I'm not sure what comes from this except that I hope to encourage others in their journey, provide a place for others to encourage me, and hopefully give us all an opportunity to learn from each other. The photos above give you my before and current appearance.

When I started this journey, I was unhappy and afraid. I have now learned the beauty of a good sweat and you can find me at my gym 5 or 6 times a week. And while I would never describe myself as a "Pollyanna", I have learned that happiness comes when you realize there is good in even some of the ugliest things that can happen to you. When no good can be found, you can always go lift weights to gain that feeling of power. And I know that the only way to conquer the fear is to face it head on each and every day that passes.

I'm still working on my relationship with food and how to improve my eating habits. I am also still working on how to be upset and not use food as means for dealing with my problems. It is my intent to share with you how I learn to deal with these things in the days and months ahead. I am open to ideas and suggestions from anyone who has them.

I am no expert and do not mean for anyone to see me as such. I can only tell you what has worked for me.

Happy Lifting.