Tag: Perspective

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General Weight Loss Tips

Deserving

I’m entering (or have entered) a new chapter in my life. A chapter that isn’t marked by a graduation, marriage, or child. Instead, it is marked by a change in perspective or enlightenment. To the outside world I probably appear to be the same person I was a few months ago, but to me I feel like I’ve just shed a skin. I’m still me, of course, but now I actually believe I deserve goodness in my life.

I can’t explain it, and honestly I see it all around me, but none of us truly seem to believe we are worth the extra effort. The investment in our lives to make it exactly the way we want it to be. It feels indulgent, and selfish once you’re here; there is the usual fear stuff that pops up. This chapter is scary for me, because it’s new.

What exactly do I mean? I’m taking inventory of my life right now and liking what I see. And not only do I like what I see, but I feel like I deserve what I’ve brought to myself. I don’t mean perfection, I just mean satisfaction. I deserve a healthy body that can move, so I exercise. I wanted to be around creative people, so I sought them out. I wanted a beautiful space, so I created one. I wanted a good marriage, so I chose the right person (it helps that he chose me too). I wanted to feel and share love, so I adopted two kitties and sponsored a child. I want to learn new things, so I read ( a lot). I want to connect, so I reach out. I want to explore, so I travel. I want to eat good food, so I cook. I want to express myself, so I blog.

All of these actions bring me to the space I want to be in. The space I never really believed I deserved. I look at all of these little things and think “how did I get so lucky?” and realize that it’s not just luck, it’s intention. And sometimes all of these intentional actions make me feel like an alien in a world of people who do not see themselves, or me, as deserving. But we are. And I am. Even though I’m sometimes scared to admit it.

There is a lot of guilt that comes from living your life to the fullest (whatever that means), especially when there is so much suffering in the world. Should we not dress well because many people cannot? Should we not make our space as beautiful as possible? Should we not exercise our bodies because some people are not able? Should we not eat the best food possible because others are starving?

I think about these things a lot. And I’ve come to realize (for now anyway) that to not be the best version of myself, to deny opportunities, to not exercise the body that can move- would be a disservice to myself. If I am presented a door and choose to not open it, no one benefits.

I believe that when I fully take advantage of my gifts (and believe I deserve to) not only do I improve my life, but those around me. I cannot help anyone if I don’t believe I’m deserving of goodness.

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General Weight Loss Tips

Week Five

I’m in week five of the Insanity Workout and have so much that I want to make note of. So much so that I’m thinking about doing a video post. Here are my random, jumbled thoughts (when I really should be in bed) about exercising everyday…

1) It’s okay to exercise everyday. This hurdle has been huge for me and one that took me awhile to get over. In my mind daily exercise was unnecessary. I even got a comment on twitter from someone saying “watch out or you’ll burn out”. I felt defensive over that, a feeling that I often battle with when unsolicited advice comes my way. I feel like I shouldn’t have to defend exercising everyday.

My perspective is changing. What used to seem like a lot of exercise, 45 minutes, now seems like nothing. In fact I’m thinking in a whole day 45 minutes isn’t much. And then to think that I was barely getting that a week, or even three times a week is sort of astounding to me. But that’s what changing your perspective will do. I can exercise every day and not burn out. I think the reason is that I’m not expecting perfection with every workout. Most days I push myself and give it my all, but there have been some days when I’m barely showing up. I’m just going through the motions to get it over with. But I’m showing up and that’s what matters. I think before, just showing up was never good enough for the perfectionist in me, so I wouldn’t show up at all. I was all or nothing,  now I just do my best.

2) I am not losing a ton of weight. Before I started exercising intensely everyday  I used to think that’s all I needed to do to lose weight. Just one hour or so of intense exercise and I could eat what I wanted. I’m not sure why I thought this or where this idea came into play, but it’s simply not true. It is helpful for not gaining weight and that’s it. I’ve lost a little weight and I can tell that my waist is more defined and I’m much stronger. But, that 10-20 lbs. of weight that I thought would fall off effortlessly? not so.

I’m very very slowly getting my eating habits in check. This will be my next hurdle that I need to deal with. Exercise has been the first one and next will be food. And when I have both, well, I’ll be set. I mentally count calories, but sometimes I just want to eat. I still want to eat for comfort. I am eating better in general, cooking more at home and not eating refined sugar. I know that my next step is getting serious about planning ahead and counting calories. I can do it for about four days before I just get so tired of it.

3) Exercise can be mentally uncomfortable. I used to think that I had a hard time exercising because it was physically uncomfortable, it was too hard, I didn’t have enough time, I was lazy, etc. But, the truth is, exercise makes me face the uncomfortable facts about my body. It brings out emotions that are dormant during inactivity. I notice my size more, I notice the space I take up, I notice the effects of excess weight on my body. Stuff that I’ve tried to ignore or hide- suddenly become clear when I move my body like it’s meant to. When I can’t do yoga poses because of fat getting in the way. When my arms and wrists give out when I try to do push-ups. When I can’t grab my ankle for a quad stretch. Basic, human movements that are hard to do when you’re obese. Exercise is like shining a spotlight on everything I can’t do, and it is uncomfortable for me.

I once heard that the body stores emotions. It holds on to whatever we are dealing with (or not dealing with) and when we exercise these emotions can be released. I’ve experienced this. It makes me want to cry, or hide away. It can be intense when what you aren’t dealing with is released even when you’re not ready. And I think this is one reason why I’ve had a hard time sticking to consistent movement- it can unleash pain. For me, not letting it out in the form of exercise has lead to depression. I still suffer from my one hormonal week a month, but I feel like things are becoming clearer mentally.  Like the things I’ve been holding inside are coming out through energy and movement. I’m okay with being uncomfortable.

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Weight Loss Exercise

Where I Am Going From Here

Well here we are New Years Day. I was looking at the stats for this little fitness tips blog and see that last year I had over 2 million page views and over 1 million visitors. That was amazing and I want to thank you for having such trust in me and my message of how to get fit.

Here I am on a Saturday afternoon, the first of the year. And I am thinking about honesty and direction. Where my life is leading me and where and what I will be focussing on this year.

My family and I stayed up last night until midnight watching a movie, having a fondue and just reveling in spending time together.  But now the new year is upon us

What have I been up to?

Last week I sent three emails to the list of people that have signed up for the 10 days of fitness program/newsletter (you can sign up on the sidebar to the right here). Anyway in these emails I tried to come up with a good way of making goals, new years resolutions, that will work well and not be thrown out by the end of the month.

Also last week I set up a poll asking what people are looking for in the way of articles here on the blog. The winner of that poll was Weight loss, followed by exercise and then eating tips. Following further behind in the poll were productivity and muscle gain articles.

I am never sure how clear I am about this but my top priority is to make sure that I am serving and helping as many people as I can. The trouble is that I can give advice, I can poke and prod, I can help answer excuses, but in the end it is YOU that has to watch the food and water in and the exercise out.

What is The Fitness Tips Blog for 2011?

So here I was last week wondering what I should do next on this blog. I am in the process of writing up a weight loss book and that should help us all to understand what it takes from another perspective. More importantly though is thinking of the new posts and the new ways that I can be of help to you.

This year I want to make sure that I open up a lot more of myself to you. I have in the past written about what I am eating and how I am working out but the trouble is that a lot of the ”Weight Loss Gurus” and writers of books and TV show people seem to live this perfect life of no urges, no breakdowns, no cheating on eating , and no laziness. This is not me

I want to open up about the chocolate, missed workouts and fighting with the thoughts in my head telling me to do one thing and really doing the other. Let’s share ourselves and our successes as well as looking for support in our failures.

So I know that I will continue giving you the news, and articles on weight loss and fitness but more often I will try to tell you about those other bloggers that are writing really cool articles and more about me and my family. Did you know that my wife suffers from weight issues? And that with all the help I can give she still will not listen to me but lets me know when I am full of crap with my own eating? Yes more of those kinds of stories.

So lets buckle up and have a great year. We all have a lot to look forward to and I hope that this year we can have even more sharing than we have in the last couple.

Thanks

Bill