Getting back in the game

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Getting back in the game is TOUGH. Have you ever run out of gas in your car and had to push it towards the gas station? A car is difficult to push and requires a great amount of effort to get the car rolling. Once the wheels finally get in motion, it becomes easier to push the car. That’s because once an object is in motion, it tends to stay in motion until something causes that object to stop.

If you’ve ever made a complete lapse in your health journey, then same principals apply. Using the car example above, we can easily compare the principles. When you lapse, there is something that caused your vehicle of health to stop. Perhaps in your health journey, you’ve run out of gas (or steam!!). Maybe you had an unexpected health issue, some sort of emotional crisis, or even a slow walk into complacency. For whatever reason, your car is completely parked, and it’s not budging. It doesn’t matter how you got there. You’re there, and you don’t want to be there.

When you make the decision that you are ready to move again, you realize there is probably going to be a lot of work involved to get your car (of health) rolling again. You need to make a plan. You might need to clean out your refrigerator and your pantry. You’ll need to buy nutritious foods and make a meal plan. Beyond the nutrition, you need to figure out your fitness plan. Are you going to workout in the gym, workout at home, or just make plans to incorporate walking into your schedule? There’s a lot of work that’s involved, and you haven’t even started yet! The car is still sitting in the middle of the intersection, waiting for your next move.

Once you get the plan in place, it’s time to gather all of your tools together to put that car back in motion again. I’ll be honest, it can be extremely intimidating. Questions and doubts will start to come into your head. What if you forget your deodorant? What if people look at you with eyes of judgement? What if you fail? These questions and doubts are no different than if you were starting out for the very first time.

Last week when I had my restart, I had a plan. Everything was laid out in front of me, and ready for execution. My first day in the gym, I was extremely intimidated and wanted to immediately crawl into a hole. My gym, which is usually quiet this time of year, was bustling with a ton of people. I couldn’t work out alone? Yikes! I did 30 minutes of cardio, and knew I couldn’t delay going to the weights any longer. It was a moment of sheer dread. I didn’t dread the workout itself (well, honestly, I kind of did…), but it was working out next to people who were…extremely fit. And here I was wearing yoga pants because I didn’t have the confidence to wear my workout clothes. Fortunately, I ran into a friend. He was in the right place at the right time, because his voice of encouragement was what I needed to pull this off. Had he have not been there, I would have been okay. I was going to do it anyway, but speaking with him gave me an extra boost of confidence and allowed me to focus on the job ahead. My wheels were finally starting to turn.

One week into my re-start (read more about it here), my vehicle of health is finally moving in the right direction. While I did not have a perfect week, I managed to lose 2.8 pounds. Have I lost more in previous attempts? Yes, but I’m not concerned about it. I can’t compare myself to others, nor can I compare myself to my own past. My car’s moving, and it doesn’t matter how fast or how slow my car is going. As long as it goes in the right direction, I’m going to reach my destination. In the meantime, it’s up to me to continuously keep the wheels rolling.

Week One Restart: Nobody Likes to Talk about Weight Gain!