We have an amazing group
of people participating in the Revolution Fitness biggest loser competition.
This 5 week event is not like the one on TV, we take a more holistic approach
to weight loss and try to get to the reasons behind the weight. Each week our participants
can accumulate bonus points for fully participating in journaling their food,
proper amounts of exercise (we have a limit on the number of minutes they get
points for so that they are not over-exercising and increasing a risk of
injury), and participating in life coaching, nutrition and exercise lectures so
that they can leave the program with the necessary tools for success. Last week
I sent out a number of questions for the participants to answer for bonus
points. The questions were ones that hopefully took them some time to answer,
hopefully helped them look at their lives and begin to see what it is that is
holding them back.
This question is the one
that was the biggest eye opener for me
What is your biggest
stumbling block when it comes to getting to and maintaining a healthy weight? Most of the participants
answered with this phrase “my life”. It surprised me that they used the work
“MY”. The word my implies ownership, and
for those who answered in this manner I wonder if they really believe their
lives are theirs. Giving away
responsibility and ownership of our bodies shows up in them or on them. Our bodies are our responsibility, it is not
our employers’ job to make sure we are eating well at our desk, it is not our
spouses job to dictate what goes in our mouth or how active we are, in fact
anyone over the age of 16 should fee fully responsible for their physical state.
I know that sounds harsh, but it is true. And
I say this standing in the shoes of someone who waited for 30 years for the
world to fix her. I know that I gave away ownership of my body for many
years because I did not feel that I measured up. I felt I was a disappointment to
God, to my parents, to my brothers, to myself.
I believed that I was just born to be fat, that I had a different genetic
code than my tall, thin brothers and I was just stuck living in skin I didn’t
appreciate nor love. For me handing over
ownership of body resulted in at least 60, perhaps 70 pounds of unwanted fat,16
years of smoking and little to no exercise or movement. I had every excuse in
the book for living the way I did. I did not have the money, the time or the
energy to exercise or eat right. Or did I? Once I put aside the excuses, took
back ownership and set my sights on fitness and living life to its fullest, it
was game on! I had to repeat to myself hundreds of times a day “this is your
life, your body, you take care of it.” It was not easy and many days I failed,
but I succeeded in owning my life and my body more days than I failed. And although there are days still where I
fail, claiming my life as mine and my body as my responsibility has resulted in
becoming an EX smoker, shedding and keeping off all of those unwanted pounds. It has also resulted in a life filled with
possibilities, dreams that come true and goals that are attainable.
If you believe that your life does not allow for you to be healthy and fit, take it back! Get up everyday and find the time, learn what you need to learn and stop waiting for tomorrow. Yes you have a job, a family to care for, hundreds of things on the to do list, but your life is still yours. It is composed of thousands of decisions you make for yourself everyday, simply decide to start making the decisions that point to health and well being. When you take back your body you will also be taking back other areas of your life. Having a fit, healthy body does not fix everything, but it does give you the energy and the confidence to tackle those other issues!
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