So here I am, nearing the end of my second week of working out every day. As I said before I DO feel better and can tell a difference starting to manifest in my body (at least I hope that is what all those aches and pains are) however, lets be honest here for a minute shall we. As positive as I am and as excited as I am to be doing this process and for the first time in many many years feeling like I will actually accomplish my goal, it doesn’t come without my fair share of frustration and moments of lacking motivation. I remain positive because for so many years I was not. I would give up easily and be mad at myself and thus resorting to my old ways. I have NO choice in my mind to remain focused and confident that this time I will do this.
But I think when you start working out there can be this unrealistic expectation that just because you feel better that means the whole process is working instantly and you should lose large amounts of weight right away. That is obviously not so much the case. I didn’t gain this weight in two weeks, 1 month, or 2 months so I am very much aware that I will not be able to LOSE all this weight in that amount of time. It is this impatience that I have had all my life. I want to see results NOW, I don’t want to spend 2 hours working out, and I don’t want to wait for this gradual change that WILL come if I just stick with this. That impatience with my body is part of the reason I am here in the first place.
Plus I am trying to do this in a healthy way so it can be a more permanent weight loss, unlike the times before when losing a dramatic amount of weight in a completely unhealthy way just led to the weight coming back on. So because of that I know this is going to take awhile. I understand that the fact that I am even working out everyday and starting to feel a difference in my energy level and body is a HUGE step and though the weight and inches may not come off as fast as I want it IS something that I should be proud of. And honestly it IS something I am proud of.
I guess what I am putting out there is in this blog I am really going to try to remain positive and encourage not just myself but others to accomplish their goals. I like to see people happy and it makes me happy when I hear that people are getting the results and motivation that they need. But I also want to be honest with this blog and don’t want to overlook the fact that I know that ALL of us are going to have days, weeks, months where we just feel discouraged because we are either not seeing results fast enough or are not seeing the results we THINK we should have. I don’t want to send out this perception that this is easy and that I am not having my own frustrations and I am just positive all the time, because that is not the case at all. During the last 6 months that I have been working to lose weight and specifically during the last two months I have felt discouraged, frustrated, have cried many times, have felt like this is unfair, felt angry, but unlike so many times before I am NOT. Ready. To. Give. Up.
In the end, I believe what will make a difference is how we look at this whole process and recognizing that even adding 5 minutes to a workout, getting through a workout a little easier then the day before, working out regularly should be considered a success and that the changes in our body will come, we just need to focus on doing the best we can today to see those changes later on. Anything I have done in the past I have worked for and this should be NO exception. I know if I am willing to truly put in the hard work I WILL see results. I just need to remain focused and stop being so damn impatient.
So here is MY motivation for today – my dear friend April.
April has also had issues with weight over the years but over the last 7 months or so she has lost over 80 pounds!!! And how did she do it, she worked out and ate better. That simple. The first month or two wasn’t at all easy. She had her own ups and downs and frustrations with working out and still today, after losing an incredible 80 pounds on her own she still has days of frustration when it comes to working out. However, she knows that she can do it because she has already proven to herself that she can. And her spirit and dedication to making herself as healthy as possible is truly inspiring to me. The last few years have not been easy for her and yet, on her own, she has managed to do an amazing thing just because she decided one day she wanted to change and has been determined ever since to do so. I love her for that and over the years she has motivated me and this is no exception to that. Hopefully her story will be a motivation to others as well.
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Jenn - YOU are a motivation as well, not just April. All of us will struggle with this process, like you said, but the fact that you ARE struggling and plugging away and haven't given up - THAT is what matters! 1/2 pound by 1/2 pound, we'll get healthy!!
ReplyDeleteJenn - I must tell you what I've been thinking about over the last few weeks since I started reading this blog... the fact that YOU have lost almost 30 pounds since August! I'm serious. That makes me A. Super proud of you! What an awesome accomplishment! B. Keeps my head on straight about results and how long they take and C. Motivation to keep going even though results may be annoyingly SLOW. This is especially important since the changes I'm making are kind of small (as in I was eating pretty well - although not as well as I should - and working out a few days a week).
ReplyDeleteSo, thanks for this blog and for being you! YOU CAN DO IT! And, so can all of us.
GO JENN!
I've been reading your blog and i especially like this specific post. What separates people is their perseverance and true desire for something. that can be in weight loss and in any other concept of life.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your inspiration and keep working hard!
Thanks Jenn for the compliment! Making the change has been difficult and is often frustrating but, worth it! My weight loss and diet change has not fixed all my problems (as i told you last night, i'm sicker than i've ever been) but i think about how much worse i would be if i hadn't lost the weight and changed my life. We'll keep working together across the miles and will change our lives and hopefully inspire others. (Just for FYI I have been working out since May 11, 2009; have been a vegetarian since November and have to date lost 90 lbs. and 5 dress sizes.)
ReplyDeleteWow, April, that is so wonderful!
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to stay motivated because, often times one of two things happen:
1) You try to motivate yourself, not see what you hope to see, and become discouraged. It's difficult to stay motivated when your source of motivation (yourself) is discouraging.
2) You are motivated by others. And inevitably, we all think, "Well, they have a different body type/faster metabolism/already thinner than I am/blah blah blah." We compare ourselves time and time again to some fantasy of what we want to look like, or to that of another person.
It is with that said that I believe weight loss is more than a change in your physical appearance. It's a change in your mindset. We have to believe, before we ever start a video or jump on an exercise bike or go for a jog that we can do whatever we put our minds to. And for me that has been the most difficult part: convincing myself (and not letting my brain think otherwise) that every ounce of strength that I need to lose weight already rests in myself. I just have to find it!