I belong to a few running groups on Facebook. I had to turn off the notifications for one. "Oh, this run was so hard" and the stats show 9 minute miles. That was discouraging me from sharing my slower runs. And it wasn't motivating me to try harder. And the person that posts the same lament in all three of the groups we are in together. I don't want to read it three times. Do you need that much encouragement?
For Lent I gave up sugar and wine during the week. I do love a glass of wine. But it is empty calories and I was rewarding my tough day with a glass when I had simply been at my desk or in the car all day. I love dessert. But again, I was eating a cookie after lunch AND dinner. I ate all the Samoas by myself. I did not share a one with my daughter. (She loves coconut too!) I did not eat the entire box at once but I sure did eat two after lunch and two after dinner each day until they were gone! I realized I was rewarding myself for nothing. In the end it wasn't a reward, my clothes didn't fit and I felt gross.
The husband of a friend of mine died this week. He was 63 and extremely overweight. He had just come home from the hospital and his bariatric hospital bed was in the living room. Had he lived that would have been his life. His wife waiting on him, while he was in a bed in the living room. Now that is something to lament about.
Who cares how fast you run or how much weight you can lift? I don't! Walk when you can, take a yoga class when you can, run if you are able. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Don't grab the closest parking space. Get up and walk to ask that question, don't send an email across the hall! Find a workout on YouTube, they are fun, no one will see you and you can do it in your pajamas!
May we all get red in the face and sweat enough to earn that glass of wine or that slice of cake. Let us all learn to reward the physical sacrifices instead of the emotional ones and we will all be much healthier.
