Archive for November, 2009

So…  I contemplated time and again.  Sitting at my desk at work, I’d think, “If I only had my exercise clothes, I’d go to the wellness center and workout.”  Tim & I even joined a workout center at a local church.  That didn’t get me very far.  My pants started getting a little tight, I felt bloated and bulky.  It was time to DO something…  yet I kept putting it off for another day.  Then the old guilt and fear started to build.

You’ve all read the posts where people say “I’m such a failure.  I’ve gained 10 pounds!”  They feel horrible, and need to get back on track.  I did not want to fall into that negative feeling mindset because it does nothing to promote action.  Instead, it causes more guilt, more negativity, more feelings of failure…  So I made a decision.  WORK IT.  JUST GET MY ARSE UP AND START DOING IT WHETHER I LIKED IT OR NOT!

Now, I’ve done a pretty good job at changing my relationship with food and exercising portion control.  My lifestyle change has not been so hot in the Workout/Get Physically Fit area.  I realized, I thought I could “cheat the system” by not exercising.  WRONGOLA!!  I learned it ain’t gonna happen!  No one cheats it because eventually it catches up with us.

This is where I want to correlate my exercise experience to that of planning for a trip.  I don’t know about you…  but the worst part of planning for trips is the packing. I absolutely hate to pack, and prolong it until the night before we are to leave.  Tim had his bags mentally packed, list all made, raring to go three days in advance.  I, however, am hoping to wait til midnight of the night before and hope its painless.

Slowly, I drag the bag (with much coaxing) out from underneath the bed.  The mental discussion is going on in my head:  “You have to get this done in order to get to where you want to go.  It won’t take very long. It has to be done.”  It takes me all evening of this motivational speech before I actually start to act on it.  Then I putter around, picking up a few items here and there, walking around in a confused state wondering “What will I need while on this journey?”  Momentum builds until finally, the bag is packed!  I am prepared and ready for the trip to begin.  But, several hours earlier, my lack of action surely did not portray an excitement or anticipation for the journey, did it?

The same thing happened with my exercise commitment.  I knew that the first step WAS TO PACK A BAG!  Yes, I needed to grab some workout clothes, shove them into a bag, and tote them to work with me.  As insignificant as it seems, this action was the first step to my renewed commitment.  The preparation showed that I was ready to commit, willing to go the distance.  No longer would I use the excuse “I don’t have my clothes, therefore I can’t visit the workout center.”  Fourteen days ago, I began my quest to exercise and become more physically fit.  I have faithfully and daily worked out, started a new routine, and believe it or not, started jogging!  My legs hurt and cramped so bad the first few days.  But, now I am actually enjoying it.

The jest of what I am saying is this:  don’t let negativity drag you into a pit of despair.  It only pulls you into regret, guilt, depression and causes feelings of being a failure.  Instead, use that energy in a positive way.  Plan.  Prepare.  PACK A BAG!