You may have to fight a battle
more than once to win it.
I've always struggled with my weight. These last two years have been full of so many amazing feelings, achievements, etc for me. However, it isn't always sunshine and rainbows. I go through difficult times, have rough days, etc. And even I've gone through a slump or two with eating, exercising and living an overall healthy lifestyle. It's not easy. I think that's why so many struggle to do it. It takes a commitment to live a healthy life. One that you have to be in the right frame of mind to make. Along the way, I've learned that I can't do this to get ready for a big event and then revert back to my old ways. It will bite me in my ass and, at times, it has. I have definitely been going through a bit of a slump since the beginning of the year with regards to living a healthy lifestyle. Maybe it's the cold (which I hate), maybe it's emotional stuff, it could be a multitude of things. But, I recognize it. For me, that's step one. I get comfortable with the way I live, what I've been doing to achieve this healthy lifestyle. And that always (at least for me) makes me think I'm good to go. But, I'm not. I'm human. And I have always had a somewhat unhealthy addiction to food. It's comforting to me (although I wish it weren't). It's a decision I make every day to not go grab a candy bar when I get stressed out. Every day I figure out a little bit more that I CAN do this. That a healthy lifestyle is my decision to make every day. I love the way I feel when I eat the way I know I should. Do I have cheat days? Absolutely. But the difference, I think, is that I can go right back to eating the way that I should on a regular basis. That's definitely been the difference in maintaining a majority of the weight loss I've achieved. Over the last few weeks, I've made a conscious effort to getting back to truly being mindful of my health and what I am putting in my body. I never completely lost sight of it, I just had a few more cheat days than I should have. And, deep down, I knew it. But, I've always been someone who has to figure things out in time.
Throughout my adventures in the last 2 years, I've developed a love for exercising I didn't know I had inside of me. I love challenging myself and I actually like when I am sore because I know I am doing things I haven't done before (and working muscles that I haven't used in a long time). It's a huge stress relief. There are days I don't feel like going. But, once I force myself, I always end up enjoying it. And feeling like I achieved something when I leave. Unless it involves burpees. Those are cruel. I have figured out that I struggle to challenge myself. So, I've ventured out to find a way to (maybe) meet some new people and get my butt kicked a little. So far, it's working. As I type this my quads are quite sore! I've found enjoyment with indoor cycling and I really look forward to going. Also, I hate the treadmill. I guess the point is, find what works for you. Some people do really well working out alone and still challenging themselves. I'm not one of them. Sure, I work out on my own but it's nowhere near as difficult as it could (and probably should) be. Once you find something you like, you're much more likely to stick with it. Imagine if I kept pushing myself to get on the treadmill every day.... I would say there's a pretty good chance I would have given up on it by now.
Why write about this now? Because I think it's important for anyone on a journey to change his/her life or for someone about to embark on one to understand that there will be bumps in the road and that's okay. It's not about how many bumps you go through. It's about how you work your way through them and find yourself on the other side. Each time I work my way through a bump in the road, I become just a little bit stronger. And strength feels amazing.
Good habits are as addictive
as bad habits, and a lot more rewarding.
No comments:
Post a Comment