I have struggled with weight for a while now. But not only that, self care in general has always been a challenge for me, stemming from challenges with self confidence and mental illness.
Recently I hit an all time high weight. 254 lbs. I am 5’8”, and for reference, I wrested at 152 Lbs in high school. The weight has impacted my day to day comfort for a while now. Driving 45 minutes each way on my commute can hurt, knees get sore, back does too etc. For me these are catalysts for self deprecation, negativity and yo yo efforts where one week I’ll be focused and stick to an improvement plan, and other weeks I’ll struggle and beat myself up over it.
A little over three weeks ago I found a pod cast episode that hit me like a ton of bricks. It had nothing to do with weight loss, the host was talking about self abuse. He pointed out that often we treat ourselves in ways that we would never treat another person we care about, because we would never be that mean to someone we value. I reflected on this concept and recognized that this was one of my faults, and part of the yo yo cycle I have been struggling with. (Not sure if I’m allowed to share the name of the podcast here so I won’t, but PM me and I’ll let you know which one if you want.)
I would get on a positive trend, then have one setback and beat myself up out of frustration and this leads to further setbacks. I committed to change this and from that point on, my focus has been different. I’ve embraced that my efforts don’t have to be perfect, as long as I’m continually and consistently making efforts towards my improvement, I’m already doing better than I have been.
This has led to the best three week stretch I have had in a long time. I have been consistent in exercising, eating healthier and building better habits. I have had days where it hasn’t been perfect, but instead of doing what I used to do, beat myself up... I’ve taken the approach of encouraging myself the way I would my kids, or my wife when they are facing a challenge. On those days where I misstep, (a fast food lunch for example.) I have been able to just come home, get in shorts and workout without blaming myself.
It seems so simple, and I’m calling it a small win. I think it may prove to be bigger in the long run though because I think I’m doing a better job of working the muscle between my ears for a change.
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from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2SQEUJv
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