Week 2 - Learning From Past Mistakes

I was recently asked how this time will differ from the many that have come before. The answers themselves are simple, but placing them into practice have proven to be quite difficult. I feel I've tried every diet plan / workout regimen / miracle cure available, and though that may not be entirely true, I now have a fairly good grasp of what works for me and what doesn't. I have been successful at losing weight in the past, but adhering to the plan(s) seem to be the issue. After the initial excitement has subsided, it becomes difficult to cement these new habits as permanent fixtures of daily life. Whether it's following a strict eating plan or hammering out a daily workout routine, the disconnect occurs when you realize that this has to continue forever. That's a long time, and there's no way that you're going to find 2 hours a day to hit the gym, or be restricted to leafy greens for the remainder of your days. My previous solutions were to gradually phase out these good habits and completely replace them with my old ones, much like the other 90% of the overweight populous that just can't seem to keep the weight off once it's gone. So the cycle continued, trying something new that worked for a while, and then back to the old ways. The secret to my success may lie in the knowledge that I've gained over all of this heartbreaking trail and error. I've tended to be an "all or nothing" type of person, obsessing about food portions and forcing myself on the treadmill on a daily basis. What I need to do is strike a perfect balance between proper eating and staying active, again much easier said than done. Now that winter is in full swing, I'm able to vary my cardio by going for a skate outside to compliment my weekly hockey games. A day away from the treadmill, yet still getting a fun workout, almost feels like a day off. As for the food issue, I'm still struggling to find that balance between health, variety and being satisfied with my meals. Too much of the same food can be just as uninspiring as running in place for days on end, so I try to experience something different on a weekly basis. Variety is the spice of life.

I haven't really been privy to a comment about my weight for a while now. Perhaps they've slipped by unheard, or I've remained oblivious, but I can't recall the last. Recently, someone at work made light of my size, and as hundreds of comments rocketed through my head to venomously spit back in their direction, I decided to take the high road and leave them be. The context of the jab was along the lines of, "we won't be taking you out for food or anything, that would be out of the budget", and while I'm sure the person launching that barb thought nothing of it, it truthfully bothered me. It hasn't affected me in a positive or negative way regarding my eating or activity, and I'm taking that as a good thing. I'll file it away as small amount of extra motivation to succeed, but this person likely isn't worth the time or storage space.

Over the course of the week I've been able to vary my workouts enough to keep me active on a daily basis. The treadmill actually broke down mid-stride on one evening, leaving me to clumsily fumble around, trying to find the source of the problem as my heart was throttling away at the peak of its limits. A frustrating time, but level heads prevailed the next day, and it's ready for the next stationary adventure. In the interim, I tried to head outside for a skate, but it's been unseasonably warm, the ice was in poor shape. I did my best to get my heart racing, and I spent more time dodging potholes than in full stride. Either way, the fact remains that there's more options available than just "the hamster wheel", and I'm not going to restrict myself to any one exercise.

Underway into another attempt at losing the weight, and it feels right this time. Not forced at all, not having to psych myself up for physical activity, or psych myself out of eating a variety of good food. Is this the last arc in the story? The Final Chapter? I'm not going say yes or no, but I'll do all that I can to ensure that it just may be.

Happy Non-Denominational Winter Holiday to all, and to all a good night!