A Point of Enlightenment

When I began this weight loss journey months ago I had no idea how much of an impact it would have on my life. When you think about losing 90lbs it is literally like trying to lose the weight of an entire person. But, for me it has been like discovering a new one.

This month was a mixture of emotional struggle and enlightenment. I’m not going to get all Zen-like on you but this month was really pivotal in the way that I approached diet and exercise.

For me, trying to lose weight is composed of 80% diet: 20% exercise. Both aspects force me to use 110% of my mental strength. About mid-month I started feeling listless, and losing weight didn’t seem important to me because I was solely focused on my appearance. Sure, everyone wants to look great. But only focusing on looking good in a pair of jeans doesn’t get me through the week, especially since what I dream of looking like isn’t going to happen in a week.

I had a few light bulb moments and really had to take a good hard look at my motivational factors, and also why I hadn’t been successful in the past. In the past my weight loss attempts had always been drastic actions, and I had always anticipated drastic results. When I didn’t lose 10lbs in a week after practically starving myself I would get discouraged and quit. After quitting I would feel disappointed with myself. I’m sure that I’m not alone in feeling this way.  I know many of us tend to be hard on ourselves when we don’t succeed at our goals. But, this unsuccessful cycle meant that I needed to go back to the drawing board. What was going to allow me to succeed this time?

First, I knew I must discover why I truly wanted to lose this weight. I read an article about what happens biologically to your body when you exercise. How muscles use energy, what occurs when you eat certain types of food, and how it is broken down into energy for your muscles during exercise.

Second, I attended a motivational seminar given by SFL’s founder Bruce Sweeney. He talked for an hour on the importance of health and eating clean. About how your body uses fuel to lose weight. He also said something which I thought was inspiring. He said something to the effect of, “I’m tired of women being embarrassed because they’ve been trying to lose weight and haven’t been successful. I think their attempts show incredible dedication and perseverance to try for so long to achieve something they want.” This is so true, but I had never thought of it like that. If losing weight were a business I would have been in business for close to 17 years! After attending the seminar I suddenly understood the reasons why I should eat the foods on my program, and I didn’t feel like I was being restricted to a diet anymore. I realized that the more I educate myself about the benefits and effects of diet and exercise the less restricted and oppressed I will feel. All of a sudden fitting into my jeans became just a faint perk of losing weight.

My outlook is more positive now and I am putting more emphasis on me and my health, rather than comparing myself to a model in a fitness magazine. I can’t wait until my next meeting with Krissy. I’m so fortunate to have her as a trainer; she is a walking wealth of information. I strongly encourage you during your next training session to ask yourself what is motivating you to reach your goal. It’s what Nubody’s PFCs specialize in and have worked so hard to become skilled at. I figure the more tools I have the more successful I will be.

Until next month…see you at the club!

Weight 202
Measurements: Chest 41.7 (down .8)
Hips 47.75 (down .75)
Waist 34.5 (down 1.5)