"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between work and play, labor and leisure, mind and body, education and recreation, love and religion. The master hardly knows which is which. The master simply pursues the vision of excellence in whatever there is to do, leaving others to decide whether it is work or play. To the master it is like always doing both."
- This quote came from an amazing man named John P. Kolb, whom I was fortunate enough to meet in Utah. More to come on his story!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Maintaining Success is Tough
About a month ago I got a 2 day flu. Unfortunately it was accompanied by a migraine - first one in over a year. My husband took me to the local Med 7, which I used to frequent regularly when the migraines were a consistent part of my life. As I laid on the table in the exam room trying to will away the nausea and wait for the doctor, I thought how much I really DIDN'T miss this scenario. I truly believe the migraines stopped when I had established a consistent cardio routine. A few years ago, I was lethargic but yearning to be active. It took a long time to achieve my goals, but it finally happened. Now, honestly, I'm a bit phobic of losing it. I don't want to go back to where I was with my health and lifestyle, but I know that it can happen if I get too lax.
When I worked for the drug rehab program, several participants would come to class frightened, telling me they had a dream last night that they used (drugs), which was so real that they were truly afraid they would get a positive drug test the next day. I learned that's a normal reaction in recovery, to know you've come so far but still afraid that you could instantly lose it again. I believe losing weight and learning how to change your lifestyle is quite similar to recovering from drug or any other all encompasing addiction. I thought about the 'recovery dream' when I had one. I was dreaming I was looking at myself in a mirror. My reflection showed me with all the weight back on. I looked at myself directly and I was thin, but back in the mirror I was heavy. I thought to myself, "I wonder if everyone else sees me this way? But this isn't how I really am anymore". I woke up and immediately checked myself out in a (real) mirror - just in case.
I'm very focused on making it to the gym at least 2-3 times a week and try to even out my calories each week. If I eat a lot of 'not so good' things on the weekend, I need to lower my calories and get really strict for a few days during the next week to even my weight out again. I learned I can gain weight very fast, and if I want to maintain, I need to remain dilligent and disciplined. I enjoy my healthier lifestyle now and can't imagine why I wasted so much time in letting myself be unhealthy. I think human nature is that we will always opt to take the path of least resistance , so for any major lifestyle change, it can be a battle at times. But so worth it.
When I worked for the drug rehab program, several participants would come to class frightened, telling me they had a dream last night that they used (drugs), which was so real that they were truly afraid they would get a positive drug test the next day. I learned that's a normal reaction in recovery, to know you've come so far but still afraid that you could instantly lose it again. I believe losing weight and learning how to change your lifestyle is quite similar to recovering from drug or any other all encompasing addiction. I thought about the 'recovery dream' when I had one. I was dreaming I was looking at myself in a mirror. My reflection showed me with all the weight back on. I looked at myself directly and I was thin, but back in the mirror I was heavy. I thought to myself, "I wonder if everyone else sees me this way? But this isn't how I really am anymore". I woke up and immediately checked myself out in a (real) mirror - just in case.
I'm very focused on making it to the gym at least 2-3 times a week and try to even out my calories each week. If I eat a lot of 'not so good' things on the weekend, I need to lower my calories and get really strict for a few days during the next week to even my weight out again. I learned I can gain weight very fast, and if I want to maintain, I need to remain dilligent and disciplined. I enjoy my healthier lifestyle now and can't imagine why I wasted so much time in letting myself be unhealthy. I think human nature is that we will always opt to take the path of least resistance , so for any major lifestyle change, it can be a battle at times. But so worth it.
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