On the road to getting fit, it's very easy to get down and out on yourself for not doing enough, not being good enough, and making mistakes. My last post was super negative, which is fine, because that's how I was feeling at the time. Nothing of high value comes easy, and I do not doubt the amount of work, sacrifice, and time it will take me to achieve my goals. There will be things I need to say "no" to in order to say "yes" to the actions required to achieve my goals. That's just the nature of hard work. You can't have your cake and eat it too (no cake here though, cake is very carby)!
This got me thinking about my goals. I had defined some broad ones at the beginning of my journey, in my first post:
- Find beauty in physical strength
- Be in the best health possible
- Actually feel 25 with my body
- Improve perception of self, both inside and out
- Explore what other areas are affected by these changes
But let's be honest - none of these are very concrete. Don't get me wrong, they're quite inspirational. But they are not a tangible way to measure progress.
I drew some inspiration from an old friend, actually one of the first people I ever really worked-out with when I was 14-15. He's an amazing example of setting goals, hard work, and dedication, and I am very proud of what he has accomplished. A recent article he wrote helped set me straight. He talks about how getting down on yourself for only giving 60% instead of 100% is not under-performing. It's something to expect time to time. This helped me understand that being hard on myself will not move progress forward, but probably get into my head and make me feel worse.
He also mentions writing down your goals and what you’re willing to lose to achieve them. It's something to reference when the going gets tough and to keep yourself in check if you become consumed by your goal.
This got me to brainstorming some measurable goals:
- Participating in the Tough Mudder on August 15th (possibly finishing?)
- Being able to run a mile unbroken by September 2015
- CrossFit: being able to deadlift 150 lbs and being able to successfully pull myself up on gymnast rings by the end of the year
- Breaking a gender stereotype / shocking someone (this one is not as tangible, but when it happens, I'll know)
What I'm willing to give up to achieve these:
- Time: 1-2 hours a day
- Partying / Excessive Drinking
- Social events (within reason, when they prevent my work-out / healthy living)
- Extra sleep: getting up early when necessary, mostly a weekend thing
- Indulgence: extra servings, cravings, poor diet choices
I'm ready to stay committed to these goals and continue this journey. But I wish I had something more to show for myself. I know I said weight wasn't important to me in the beginning (and it's still not), but I do not understand how someone goes from a sedentary lifestyle to exercising 6+ times a week over 4 months, and does not lose a single pound. It baffles me. Is my diet really that bad? I think I eat so much better than the average person.
Mystery left to be solved...
(Enjoying vegetables and fruits from my local CSA crop-share!)
I write frustrated and disappointed in myself as the last two weeks have been filled with setbacks. I give due credit to professional athletes and those at a much higher skill level than me who work hard at their craft and keeping their bodies in prime condition. It's no joke, taking a lot of discipline and dedication, like any challenge in life.
A few different factors contributed to my setback. My allergies and asthma flared right after Memorial Day weekend from sleeping outside on a motorcycle trip in NY.There were just too many triggers around me, and my health suffered. It took nearly 3 weeks to get them back under control!
Another factor was falling into old bad habits - specifically drinking. It's no secret that I like to drink. I'm a big fan of craft beer, the culture, history...I just love everything about it. However large amounts of alcohol are not going to help me achieve good health. Having a beer or two (as it's a passion of mine) is acceptable, but having 3+ beers in a single sitting is not ok. Besides the nutritional harm (sugars and carbs), it makes me feel awful the next day, leading to a poor work-out.
My schedule became super hectic and busy, between trying to balance the grad course, my workload spiking, and trips to New York. Keeping to a committed exercise schedule took the backseat. I started to make excuses and exceptions for everything. Another issue when trying to commit to a healthy lifestyle is your social life. I also experienced a spike of catching up with friends and social commitments. This led to a lot of eating out at restaurants, drinking, and skipping work-outs.
In summary, my setbacks (and I'm sure for many others like me) were primarily due to:
- Sickness
- Bad Habits
- Temptation
- Busyness
- Excuses
- Exceptions
How do we tackle these issues and prevent them from consuming us? I'm not sure we fitness amateurs can. Unfortunately you cannot plan every aspect life - expect the unexpected. Surely the professionals manage to avoid these problems, but I do not know their secret. I would assume they say "No" to a lot of social things, and fitness is their job, so that also eliminates one potential distraction.
On a positive note, I really enjoyed two specific fitness activities this past week. On Friday, I attended a large CrossFit event with over 100 people doing the same WOD with a partner. It was like gym class all over again in finding a partner, scrambling not to be the last one picked. But alas - I was. Lucky for me the other person left standing was jacked! And very kind and willing to help me.
He was very experienced at CrossFit, and we split the workload about 70/30, coaching me through my technique the whole time. I most definitely brought his time down, but he didn't seem to care about competing.
On Sunday, I kayaked in the Charles River in Boston with a visiting friend. Upper body strength! It was sunny and beautiful out, and I only wish we could have done more than an hour. Exercise that is fun and doesn't feel like exercise is my favorite kind!
