January 1, I joined Weight Watchers, determined to lose a little weight and get healthy.
Of course, that included heading to the gym. I’ve been an intermittent gym-goer for several years, even with times of great persistence thrown in there. But nothing’s ever stuck.
Toward the middle of March, my husband and I decided to try out personal training in hopes it would motivate us to go to the gym more. You know, because we didn’t want to waste the money?
Here’s a brief look at some of my diary entries…well, as they would have been if I’d written my thoughts down.
April 3, 2013: Feeling great. I have my first personal training session tonight. In preparation, I’ve even been working out a few times this week. Woot!
April 4, 2013: I can barely move my arms to write this. First personal training session was great, but I learned I’ll have to work out five times a week for an hour each in order to reach my goals. And here I thought my three times a week for 30 minutes each was a lot!
April 5, 2013: Excited to hit the gym and apply what I’ve learned.
April 10, 2013: Been successful this week. Lost some weight and going strong.
April 17, 2013: Ugh. The gym smells and I’d much rather stay here in my bed. Alarm? What alarm? I don’t hear an alarm…
April 18, 2013: I have to do better today. Yesterday I didn’t hit the gym at all. But I’m so tired this morning. I’ll just go at lunch. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do.
April 19, 2013: I’m suuuuuuch a failure. I’ll never get this right. Yesterday at lunch, not only did I eat leftover pizza, I didn’t go to the gym like I promised myself I would. Laura Frantz’s “Courting Morrow Little” just sounded soooo much better than lifting weights.
April 21, 2013: Okay, time to lift myself out of this pity party and just. do. it.
April 23, 2013: Forced myself to hit the gym this morning. Hated getting up at 5:30. Way too early, but I felt great leaving.
April 24, 2013: My trainer said I need to be consistent to see results. Yeah, yeah, I know…but the thought of all that work makes me wanna whine and quit.
April 30, 2013: I hit four times this week. Go me! I think some ice cream is in order to celebrate!
May 7, 2013: My grandparents were in town last weekend so we ate out and I didn’t have time for the gym so I gained weight. I’m never going to win.
May 8, 2013: It’s a new week so I just need to focus on that! Maybe meal planning will help. Maybe some accountability will help.
May 15, 2013: Yes! This week was great. I went to the gym five times so far and kind of missed it when I didn’t go. That’s victory right there.
After seven weeks of trying to lose weight, I’m starting to understand something. First, that habits are not formed easily.
And second, there will be times I’m not going to make my goal. But I can’t beat myself up about the times I don’t. That doesn’t do anything but discourage me.
The bigger question is what WILL I do about it? How can I focus on making TODAY great? This week? This month? It’s tempting to look so far into the future and start hyperventilating because I’ll never be able to accomplish everything I want to in the time I want to. I start worrying that I’ll never lose weight or I’ll never get truly healthy or I’ll never…whatever.
But that’s not how God wants me to live my life: with fear of defeat.
Instead, He wants me to face that fear, stare it down, and take things one day at a time.
Your Turn: This same principle can apply to so many areas of our lives. How does it apply in yours?
*Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
Picking up running again. Nothing harder. I totally see this needed with writing. Sometimes it feels like everyone is making it but me. I have to remember its a long journey, patience is needed 🙂
I feel that way sometimes, too, Lisa! And yeah, I'm sooo not a runner, though I've completed a few 5K's just to prove I could. 🙂
Stare down fear. YES! After the email I sent you last night, you probably know this is something I need to be doing in the next couple weeks as I face my revisions again before turning my story in! And…in other areas. 😉
Your workout diary inspires me, though. I'm also working on fitness. Getting better at making sure there's some kind activity in each day since I do so much sitting around. The eating part is where I struggle most since I'm often just too lazy to make a good meal and end up eating junk.
Yes, the constant sitting during the day should make me more eager to get moving but it only makes me lazier. LOL. And I hear ya on the eating thing. Whenever Mike isn't home I eat horribly.
Good for you for making the commitment, working through doubt and fear, and sticking to it. Woo Hoo! I don't tend to be a very fearful person, but that can be a drawback in some cases. Like plowing ahead when I shouldn't because I didn't heed the warnings. Sigh…it's a work in progress. 🙂
There's challenges on both sides, it seems. I admire you for your lack of fear, though. Sometimes mine can be crippling.
hehe, I'm reading this while doing my post-workout stretches. It's so hard to get up early!! I love that your keeping track of your journey like that…and your salad pictures always inspire me.
Go, Joanne, go! And yes, getting up early is the worst, but sometimes the only way to get it done.
I applaud your decision to take care of yourself and learn to eat healthy, Lindsay. It's so much better to do so when you're young than when you're more mature (I prefer that term to older, thank you very much) and are forced to do so by an unexpected diagnosis and doctor's orders. (Yes, I speak from experience.)
Before learning that I had osteoporosis, I was an exercise-phobe. Now I miss my workouts when I'm forced to forgo them. One of the things that made the biggest difference for me was my attitude shift. I prayed God would change my thinking about exercise, and He has. I wanted to "want to," and now, thanks to answered prayer, I do.
I'm starting to see that shift in myself, Keli. And I'm praying it sticks around this time. I want it to be a permanent lifestyle change, not just a "diet" or "exercise regimen."
Lindsay, you are an inspiration to me. I love how you make goals and you do all you can to achieve them. But, even when it's not in your time frame, you adjust and keep at it. Way to go, girl. I like your journal too. What a great way to chronicle your progress—not just physical, but emotional. You're going to do it. And, like Keli said, you're establishing good habits while you're younger. It's so much better to do it now than later on. 🙂
I'm working on establishing a Thankfulness habit. I've been doing it off and on, but God is really speaking to me about keeping thankful spirit throughout every day. Even when the kids (especially when the kids) test me, even when I fail at keeping a calm voice with them, even when disappointments in writing, in not making my goals, in relationships come, I want to choose thankfulness. So, you've met me where I am today. Thanks, friend.
Oh, I love the idea of thankfulness and being purposeful about it. There are so many things to be thankful for, and yet, it can be sooo easy to focus on the negatives, can't it?
Eating healthy and working out is tough! Like everything else, it's a choice we need to make for ourselves. We didn't put the weight on overnight, so we can't expect to take it off overnight. Baby steps help us to form successful habits.
I've started walking on my treadmill every morning after sending Hubby off to work. I read my devotions on my tablet while walking, then pray. I find the time passes quickly when I'm talking with God. I just told my friend this morning that I need more treadmilling time because I'm not getting in enough time for prayers before my "time to hit the shower" alarm goes off.
Celebrate even the small victories!
"We didn't put the weight on overnight, so we can't expect to take it off overnight. Baby steps help us to form successful habits." You're so right, Lisa! Your attitude inspires me.