Saturday, February 5, 2011

The Solitary Woman

Ok Let's face it.  Maintaining your health, at the end of the day, is a solitary sport.  I mean you may have people in your life supporting you, encouraging you or even doing the same thing as you but when it comes down to it, only you can do the work and achieve the results.  Loosing weight, getting in shape, training for an event, they all have to be about you and for you.

I always want someone to do something with me.  Someone to validate what I am doing, keep me accountable and maybe even tell me what to do so I don't have to figure it out myself.

All that is not to say it isn't fun to share the journey, to go on a run with a friend and exchange healthy recipes, I still love all that, but I as I have been wanting to loose weight for about a year I am realizing it is all up to ME.

I found a couple pictures recently from back in my glory days of weight.  I had been up to my heaviest weight and realized looking at a picture of myself and Goose after the birth of her second child that I looked more like I just had a baby than she did.  Serious changes began in our home a few months later and I got down to my lowest weight since I was in jr. high.  I knew I looked and felt great but I started telling myself I could never maintain the rest of my life, even though I did for over a year, and that was the trigger to let it all go.  So here I am nearly 10 years later 20 pounds heavier.

I was going through some pictures this week and found these from my glory days:

Check out my LEGS!  So skinny.  It wasn't a dream, I can have those legs.  I still have those shorts but they do not fit like that anymore.

A rare picture of me thinner than Goose.  In their defense, both recently had babies.

Looking at these pictures made me remember that time in my life.  When I was focused.  When I was doing it for me.  When I felt great and looked great.  And I didn't think it was so much work or any real sacrifice.  And I must confess I didn't not appreciate at the time how great I looked.

So I have decided to go forward in my health journey a little more quietly.  Don't worry I will still share, I still like validation, encouragement and an occasional running partner.  But I am realizing I need to stop thinking about and talking about my plans and instead quietly just start doing it.

I have 2 goals this time around, health and fitness.  I have lost the weight and I have been in great shape.  I have never done it together.  But it is time and I am ready.

2 comments:

  1. You can do it, Maverick!! All you said is so true! But you are right, that right motivator really does help. Viper is the kick in the ass I always need. Yesterday we rode the bike trainer together, today we ran a little over 3 together. I was pathetic. Whereas it was about my 4th workout since Thanksgiving, she has consistently worked out at least 5 days a week for...well, forever! I had a salt and vinegar potato chip binge a week ago, and as I slagged behind her, with her having to run back and do loops around me while I complained of side cramps and couldn't carry on a conversation with all the huffing and puffing, she yelled at me and told me to keep my fat, potato chip ass running and not dare walk, and to start counting off all the potato chips I had to burn off. one, two, three...four hundred, etc. She loves me like that :) and somehow I respond to that kind of love and I cranked out that stupid 3+ mile run and I was so glad and remembered when I beat her by 9 seconds in our last sprint tri and wondered why I quit working out the last 3 months while she never stopped. So I am back on track (I think) with you. We are doing the bike trainer on Monday. I am sure it is only a matter of time until she will be dragging me to dynamo for a swim workout. Find your inner Viper and you will be a success! I believe in you. And awesome pics from the past! You seriously did have awesome legs in that old pic! And I never saw that pic of the three of us at my house, when did that occur? Um, yea, that is a definite post baby body on me! :)

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  2. but check out my rack! (although a better bra might have made things a little perkier!) :)

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