I digress
Today I'm meeting my daughter so she can re-teach this old dog a new trick. She is a NASM certified personal trainer, and she loves what she does. It's written all over her beautiful smile and her enthusiasm for helping other people improve their lives through a healthier lifestyle. I see something I want. When you see something you want in others, you figure out pretty quickly that you have to do what others do in order to have it, even when it isn't comfortable and you don't like doing it.
So, I will begin today and will no longer be dabbling, God willing. I want to be healthier, leaner, stronger, more flexible and have more energy. I want to fit into smaller clothes, not gonna lie.
An old and dear friend from our younger years decided to do the same a couple years ago. We had lost touch so I wasn't around to see the transformation, but only caught up with her after the fact. On her one year anniversary, she wrote on her Facebook about where she had been and how far she had come. There were a lot of congratulations and way-to-go comments. There were also a couple of requests to show the "before" photos we often see in the "transformation" community. She avoided those comments and didn't post any before photos. She only mentioned how much weight she had dropped as a result of her hard work and dedication. I messaged her privately and asked whether she would be posting the requested before photos because I would love the encouragement and good example of what was possible. The amount of weight that she lost is pretty close to the amount I needed to lose from the point where I was at that time - 80 pounds. That's a pretty big number. Her response? "Absolutely not. That person is dead and gone and there's no way I'm going back there or posting what that person looked like." It struck me rather cold when I read her words. I totally understand not wanting to post the photos. It was the comment - that person is dead and gone. Really? That's not how I'd like to see it when I am successful in this endeavor. That kind of comment makes me think of someone who hated the person they were when they were heavy and that this made them a better person. I don't think losing weight or changing your body in any other way makes you a better or worse person. I think it's the heart that changes a person.
I often think about and write about the importance of balance in our lives. Balance is learning to love ourselves just the way we are, right where we are regardless of how pretty, thin, heavy, young, old, educated, wealthy - you know the list - we deal with it our whole lives - and recognize that making healthy changes doesn't necessarily make us better people, it makes us healthier people.
As I continue to meet my goals in this area of my life, I will acknowledge that I chose to make changes for good and that person is not dead, but rather is coming to life more and more every step of the way.
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