I talk to so many people about fitness, health and weight-loss. Interestingly enough I have found that on average when the going gets tough, people literally stop as opposed to getting uncomfortable.
It’s the rare occasion when someone will choose discomfort and success over the just giving up on themselves.
The thing that I’ve found to be most common even with myself is I get to a crossroads and have to decide to get more uncomfortable. I’ll ponder for a day or five about “what now?” and those moments usually come when I feel like my progress is stalled out. I’m not talking about scale progress. I’m talking about fitness progress of getting stronger or faster or it’s as simple as if my form has improved. And of course the ultimate goal is always to remain injury free.
I came to this fitness game a little late, mainly because I spent 10 good years battling the shame and insecurity of being heavy. Sure, I shed the weight consistently, but it took me a bit longer to shed the insecurity.
A really good friend told me this morning that she had recently seen a young woman with a tattoo that read “I am the hero of this story, I don’t need to be saved”. Every person should feel that way about themselves and be that confident in their own ability to take care of themselves.
I believe that most people have the ability to choose whether they get fit or not. And the average person sometimes needs a good nudge from someone who will be brutally honest with them to get them jump started.
All throughout the process I had to learn to stop taking things so personally all the time. When you get really fat, you get really sensitive whether you willingly admit that or not.
Sometimes that sensitivity can become a crutch and it will hold you back. It takes courage to step back and ask yourself “I am being the best that I can be or am at a least headed in that direction?” from an objective stand point.
I do this on a regular basis now but in the beginning it took a couple of objective people to kick me in the pants. One was an internet acquaintance that I met while doing multiple Body-for-Life Challenges. He basically said “If you don’t like your results, what are you going to do about it?”.
After I won the 2009 Body-for-Life challenge another friend took me to a track and showed me beyond doubt that I was a long, long way from my physical limits and potential. Initially I took this process very personally because I was overly sensitive. The fat chick in my head said “you have a ton more work to do so why don’t you just quit now?” The fighter in me said “I will not quit, not now, not ever!” and off I went to get even better.
And most recently was one of my very best friends Michelle (see the link to the right) said to me “what if this is as good as it gets for you?” It was at that moment that I realized I was not where I wanted to be, but at some point in my life I will inevitably get that point.
It was a great moment of realization. Fitness doesn’t always have to get tougher and tougher, heavier and heavier or faster and faster. Sometimes it just has to get healthier and healthier from the mind, not the food you eat, not the workouts you do but from the thoughts you think.
Your actions are driven by your thoughts. Be sure you’re thinking the positive thoughts that will take you to your goals.
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