When The Love Is Real There Is No Sacrifice

True Believers! The following is a stream of consciousness rant addressing my hard wiring and how those wires sometimes get crossed. I tend to see duality in situations and ways of going about things and unfortunately don't always play the right side at the right moment when it comes to nutrition.

 A term we are all familiar with when it comes to fitness and nutrition is "sacrifice". In light of the holiday many are celebrating I would like to examine this term and how it can link to negative thought processes that lead to de-motivation derailment. What sacrifice are we actually making?

When I began my mindset was focused and my focus directed towards life.Better nutrition was a move toward a better quality of life. When I made the long drives to the pool I never once viewed it as a sacrifice of sort. This was something I wanted to do more than anything!

On occasion in the locker room I'd hear a someone boast about how much they gave up to get the abs and guns they were so proud of and I always wanted to call them out so I'll do it now- YOU AREN'T SACRIFICING A THING! You are simply choosing to do something to gain results you enjoy. And maybe I'm a bit jelly of your six pack bro, but you need to get over yourself.

It's a trade off of effort for results. We could all be doing any number of things but we make the choice to live a lifestyle because it's what we want to do! Instead of looking at the arbitrary things that aren't related to your goal of fat loss that you could be doing, embrace what you are doing to meet and exceed your goals! The exchange of time and energy brings you more fulfillment than sitting around and getting fat. I loathe the term and the connotations associated with it when it comes to vanity.

The direction that has derailed me with this term is related to food. There wasn't much of a focus initially on personalizing my relationship with food so much as there was  a sense of owning my actions. Lately my viewpoint has changed for some reason, it feels sometimes as if I'm falling back into an abusive relationship! Late night loneliness has led to a visit here and there to local sugar shacks for some dirty snackin'. I know it's wrong but the sweetness is my weakness. Sometimes I self sabotage with the thought that I must sacrifice my relationship with sugar. You can almost hear a 50's doo-wop group crooning a break up song with every last donut I consume. Pathetic, I know.

So, self, I'm going to lay it out there just like I did to Mr. Meathead- YOU AREN'T SACRIFICING A THING! You are simply choosing to do something to gain results you enjoy. And maybe I'm a bit jelly of the six pack I don't have...yet.

There are a calendar full of indulgent days where family and friends fill themselves to the gills with carbs, sweets, booze, and the like. With a table set in the presence of your sweet enemies remember that your choices matter and they are YOUR choices. Just because you aren't overindulging like others doesn't mean you are an outcast, it just means you are doing your own thing. Doing your own thing can be a lonely path but you need to remember that you aren't alone -- there are plenty of other people facing similar table settings and pushing aside the pasta, potatoes, and desert.

Speaking of dessert...I did indulge a bit but nowhere near the amount I used to. I'd also like to note that my Mum, who was my most formidable enabler, pulled the big Easter cake from the counter to preparation for my visit! This is unheard of in this house! She would usually have it cut and waiting on the counter for my arrival. This was the best gift I've had for any Easter.

Taking a dedicated stance toward a positive lifestyle change is a great thing! You clean the cupboards, prepare healthy meals, schedule time for exercise, and work for something you truly enjoy: HEALTHIER LIVING. Don't let the view that you must "sacrifice" the biochemical con job that sugar provides derail you from enjoying your choices. Maybe those that bring desserts to the table will become more understanding of your situation provided you remain vigilant? In the meantime focus on how great you feel when you eat clean and play hard while remembering that nothing tastes sweeter than victory. Not even that donut I may or may not have found on the way home late last night-- Shoo doop-a-dooby doop, shoo doop-a-dooby doop...

Until next time keep moving ever forward one step beyond!

JW

A Season To Dull And Fade

True Believers! One thing I tend to notice among those who are new to the undertaking of getting healthy and losing weight is PASSION! And I LOVE IT! When I began the quest there was a vigilance and determination that I never knew existed within me. To call my views towards the "walking dead" who blindly consumed mass quantities of garbage junk food and chased it down with pharmaceuticals were dogmatic would have been an understatement; there would be no sympathy for the weak of will, myself included.

The feelings of isolation, stagnation, and impossibility overwhelmed me at my heaviest unknown weight above 550. The possibilities of tearing down the walls I built seemed exhausted; I was trapped and waiting to die in my sleep with my hand trapped inside a bag of chips surrounded by empty pizza boxes. That was until I hit the bottom. My change of course came on suddenly. I'd deliberated for a bit on my spiral toward rock bottom and once I crashed my mind was made up to either climb out or die. I chose to climb; alone I fell and alone I would rise.

Some friends who once seemed so into getting fit dwindled away as fast as they appeared. It seemed that the flash of inspiration faded faster than the fire could grow. The promises of WE START MONDAY became as played as a pair of low cards at an amateur poker table; the hand that seemed to hold promise would end up folding before the finish of the flop. It became a little disheartening to say the least. Thankfully I've made a lot of new fitness friends online!

Motivation is extremely high in the beginning, at least it was for me. It was so high that it seemed as if I was inspired everywhere I went by the slightest thing. My new lease on life felt like a winning lottery ticket! I had seemingly endless energy and passion to spend freely as it was always coming back at least sevenfold. With no defined plan of action I simply just went. The momentum began to slow a few months ago as my weight loss progress waned.

And now I fear that the equal and opposite reaction are in the process of happening. I'm going to confess that I'm mentally tired. My willpower isn't as endless of a reservoir as I'd hoped. The demon donuts call and I answer. Instead of being propelled ever forward with the force of a comet I feel a bit more like a wrecking ball. The first big swing forward took out a lot of the house that Private Pyle built but now it seems to be heading toward a back swing.

Lake Erie's shores have been frozen for too long. The glum could be and probably is caused by the prolonged delay of the appearance of the sun and the swallow that Goethe immortalized in his work March. Lately, truer words are hard found to describe the way I feel. The only difference is that now I know I'm not alone in this fight. We are many in this struggle. The paths we take may differ, our distinct destinations may differ, but we are not alone. Our time to shine lies just over the horizon and the only way we will see it is if we keep moving ever forward one step beyond.

March by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

THE snow-flakes fall in showers,

The time is absent still,
When all Spring's beauteous flowers,
When all Spring's beauteous flowers

Our hearts with joy shall fill.

With lustre false and fleeting

The sun's bright rays are thrown;
The swallow's self is cheating:
The swallow's self is cheating,

And why? He comes alone!

Can I e'er feel delighted

Alone, though Spring is near?
Yet when we are united,
Yet when we are united,

The Summer will be here. 

An Apology To My Body

Dear body,
I don't ever want to do what Private Pyle did to you this weekend again. The Super Bowl is no excuse for the fuel I provided you. My fear of success and attachment to loneliness is no excuse for the overindulgence. This morning I paid dearly for Private Pyle's sins by hurling during my WOD. garbage in, garbage out. Sugar now must be viewed as alcohol in my straight edge lifestyle. Here is a photo reminder of what started your bender. I love you and promise to do better.

For your health,
Jimmie