Saturday, June 12, 2010

The Fourth Mile: Driving Force

Last night I was lying awake at 2:30 in the morning, the meat of a mommy sandwich. Long story short, my husband went to comfort our son after a nightmare and he was asleep in two seconds while our son was left scared and scrambled to my room where I was nursing my daughter. So here I was, stuck between my two little bed hogs, thinking of the four miles I ran today at a 9:41 pace and was formulating what I wanted to write about.

I'm often asked where my determination and focus come from when it comes to my weight loss journey and there's no easy answer. Just like a recovering addict needs to live sometimes from minute to minute, I have to do the same. Something that might motivate me now, may be a total turn off tonight.

I remember when me and my husband were first engaged, his mom pleaded with him not to marry me for many reasons. Obviously, he did and it was the best thing that ever happened to him (and most days, to me)! She told him I'd always be fat, I'd never lose the weight. She never called me fat to my face but she'd make comments like someone was "heavy like you." Gee, thanks. So there's one motivator. Don't EVER tell me I can't do something because I will do it just to spite you. Proving my mother-in-law wrong has now become my life's mission and I love every second of it.

My family is by far and away my biggest motivating factor. Had I stayed 268 pounds, I would have been saying to my kids that it's okay to get that big. It's okay to be unhealthy. I'm sorry, it's not. God has given you one body, why treat it like a trash can? I know for me, being fat (it's not overweight, it's not heavy or obese, I was just fat) was laziness. Children learn from example, right? Well darn it if I'm not going to set an example for my kids to be the best they can possibly be and live up to the potential God has bestowed in them!

Being able to stay "I did it!" is a huge motivating factor for me as well. I probably annoy the daylights out of everyone, but I can go on Facebook and say, "I ran X miles in XX time today!" I do it all the time. Don't like it, block me because I NEED to do it for my own benefit. I keep a running log so I can see how far, how long, how fast. Looking back over the last couple months, it's like "OMG, I'm getting good!" Document your victories. Keep track of your weight loss, keep track of inches lost, miles run or minutes exercised. Look back every so often and you'll amaze yourself. I set myself a goal to run 350 miles this year. So far I'm at 137 and I'm hoping to smoke 350. It really works.

I don't know if it's the best word for it, but selfishness is also a motivating factor. Who doesn't want to weigh less and look better. Who doesn't want to fit into the smaller sized clothing? I went from an 18/20 to a size 10 and I'm hoping to see an 8 soon. Maybe I'm vain for it, but I want to work my arms so I can wear a cute tank top, have a flat stomach so I can wear a tighter shirt and have chiseled calves so I can wear shorter (not too short, I am pushing 30 and I am a mom) shorts.

Finally, a routine is a great driving force. Every weekday, I go to the Y at 10am. I wake up early, pack up the kids, drop them off in the baby-sitting room and do my class and often run afterward. I've incorporated it into my day. I'm at the point where I can hardly function without my Y time. If you're thinking to yourself  you don't have time to get a workout in, you're lying to yourself. If you don't spend a second in front of a TV, a book or magazine or with knitting needles in hand, I take it back but I find that hard to believe. As a matter of fact, get  a stationary bike or a treadmill (hello!?! I got mine at Wal-Mart for $378!) and continue to watch your shows but do something that's going to benefit you at the same time (and no, I will not be convinced that Grey's Anatomy is to your benefit).

Bottom line is, we're all worth it. And what other choice do we have? If we don't get moving, the alternative is to stay unhealthy and the whole world sees it. I know that being overweight, the whole world saw how I felt about and treated myself and that's not the image I want to display. So my only choice is to find what motivates me right then and there and literally RUN with it.

Next Time: The Fifth Mile

2 comments:

  1. you're my inspiration! i lost 60 lbs about a year ago just doing diet and walking. But as I get older my thyroid gets worse and I pack on the lbs. I need to lose 10 lbs just to get healthy and I keep stuffing the donuts and sitting on my butt. I won't be doing that anymore. You have inspired me!

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  2. Love the trash can comment. We need to eat to nourish and fuel our bodies. That's something I'm re-evaluating today. :)

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