2015 was not a year I was sad to see go. It was a roller coaster of stress and hormones (I’m approaching “that age”). As I sat at my computer in early January I was at a low point. I felt my body had betrayed me. Suddenly it seemed I “found” 30 pounds I had once lost. Of course, it wasn’t all that sudden. It had been creeping back over the time I had forgotten to take care of me.
To start with I was very angry with myself. I was beating myself up, telling myself I knew better and wondering how I could let myself down like this. It was a familiar thought pattern, one I have indulged for many years.
Once again I followed the same ‘ol wagon tracks in my brain and jumped onto the most dramatic, crazy, lose- weight quick schemes out there. I was desperate. What was everyone going to say when they saw I had re-gained some weight? Would they say I was a failure?
Finally after 2-3 months of trying and failing I remembered the most basic thing I learned at the beginning of my fitness journey. Just move. And I mean really move. More than parking at the back of the lot to get more steps in, or taking the stairs (although these are awesome!) I needed hard-breathing, muscle-aching, pushing-it-to-the-limits moving. (Read more about my inspiration to move in my HOPE post).
I committed to physical training and began working on pushing my physical barriers again. For me, the accountability couldn’t be beat. Left to my own devices I will always find myself too over scheduled or too tired to get to the gym.
Of course I am still tempted to make excuses. Pushing your limits isn’t exactly a party, and re-claiming all that lost ground is a struggle. But I’m slowly finding my way once more.
I can now say I’m grateful for the past few months. I had a chance to re-learn for myself- without any outside expectations of results- that for me movement is the first step.
As I continue to move, that deep empowerment inside me is moving too. All I had to do was stop and love myself enough to get active.
What is your biggest barrier to getting moving? Please share in the comments.