Never Stranded

"...As this dusty road now settles

And I see what lay before,

Every tear that held a broken dream

Is now shattered on the floor.

And now bursting forth in splendor

Are the blossoms of second tries..." 

 -Moving Forward by Colony House

It's hard to FindYes personally or professionally after months of feeling stuck.  Just when I thought my injuries and obstacles were fading, new ones arose.  I find myself going to even more specialists sacrificing precious time I'd rather spend working or working out.  I feel lame and worried.  But, I know that is quicksand for me.

How could I turn these NOs into YES?  The tactics I usually use: managing stress through cardio, training for a race, or tackling a new mountain or stretch of beach seem so out of reach.  So, I started with a list.  A list of everything that wasn't working.  My NO list.  In my own training and training my clients I find that we have a really hard time with setting constructive goals.  We are much better at getting specific about "the bad stuff."  That's trouble if all we do is endlessly cycle through our fears and frustrations, never taking any action (except eating which is worse than inertia.)  But, making a NO list as a way to get unstuck works.  It helps us prioritize and identify next steps. Even if you're skeptical, try it.  What is holding you back today?  Is it physical, like pain, illness, or sleep deprivation?  Is it logistics, like running out of time or not having the budget for the programs you really need whether they are fitness or nutrition services or help with kids, chores, etc.  Maybe it's more internal, like holding on to behaviors that sabotage your health and fitness.  Don't buy another book, video or diet without making this list.  Don't borrow someone else's path or priorities.  Take five minutes and ask yourself-- if you could change three things to make fitness easier what would they be?  That's how we get to YES!

What's My Secret to Losing Weight?

When you are a stress-eater who gets overwhelmed to the point of paralysis, worrying isn't just upsetting.  Worrying is dangerous. We get fixated on obstacles and inadvertently the focus shifts to: how I have less time to workout than I used to; or how the economy influences my training budget; or the infuriating truth that age & metabolism are stacked against me. That my friends is physical &; emotional quicksand for someone like me. I sound like gym members I talk to every day: dreamers who have goals but don't translate them into steps.

My secret is getting past worried to angry. I think of the people who make up the heartbreaking statistics on obesity, I think of the girl that I was, and all the girls like her, and in my head I hear HOW DARE YOU!  How dare you-- obesity, economy, injury, how dare you rob these people (including me) of their health and happiness!  And I refuse all of it.  I refuse to believe that "everyone gains it all back."  I refuse to concede that "there aren't enough hours in my day."  But most of all, I refuse to consider this plight as trivial.  Fitness is not a summer romance novel that I indulge in after all the "important" things get done.

 To put that in perspective immediately without spending any time or money, I take a nylon drawstring backpack and fill it with a weight that equals 5% of my current body weight.  I wear it after work and weekends so I can really FEEL what it is to knowingly and willingly carry more weight than I should and of course so I can FEEL the relief and energy that comes from putting that extra weight down.  The simulation compels me to make other small changes that have a definite impact on the scale and on my priorities.:  I trade in my pajamas for clean workout clothes for the next day so I can make the most of my early morning cardio and quell my sleepy 5am excuses.  I chew gum during times when I am prone to snacking, I add a bar bell to my back when I'm on the elliptical.  I let my stomach growl. I schedule overtime around my training sessions even though I work in sales.   In short, I translate goals into steps and I avoid the quicksand.  If I have a weight loss secret it is really a bunch of little secrets that all say the same thing:  Fitness is not an extravagance. Fitness is life &; death.  Act like it.