As usual I am amazed by how much the Fitbloggin experience means to me every year… and how darn different it is every single year. The faces change. New voices emerge. New opportunities for selfies appear. 🙂
I feel particularly compelled to write about one of my biggest takeaways of the weekend: A simple phrase uttered by our fearless leader, Roni Noone, who is responsible for the organization of this yearly retreat. And, who is a stunning example of how to lose weight, keep it off, and rise above the challenges that appear along the way.
On Saturday morning, exhausted and geared up in an 80’s workout getup, I stepped into a session called “Life after Goal” with very little expectation.
Realistically, I am not at goal. I am still about 30 lbs from it, which to me is pretty significant. So, why in the heck did I have my butt in that room? I was there because I wanted to listen.
Everyone wants to be at their goal weight. Everyone wants to be safely across the finish line. And, I too have dreamed of being one of those people.
Even moreso, I’m a girl who is amazingly happy in her skin right now. Even with the extra pounds I carry every day. Still happy, but I wanted to hear what the group had to say and to see what I might be missing out by not chasing after my goal right now.
Overall, I heard Kelly, Sarah, and Roni talk about how life is several years after weight loss. I tuned into Roni’s comments most, as I’d never really heard her speak about her journey and frankly, she has such wise things to say.
THIS IS SO ME and resonated completely…
My ups and downs all relate back to my lifestyle. I’m never truly SURPRISED when I gain a pound or two… I can always track it back to a specific week and what did or did not happen during that week. And, when I’m feeling GREAT, I can also tie that right back to my lifestyle… it’s all interconnected.
And right now, my body with that regained ten pounds is reflective of my lifestyle for the past few months… and I totally own it, rock it, and I’m happier than I’ve been in a year! I’ve been getting out a little more, vacationing without a hyper-critical eye on my food intake, and I’ve been living freely.
For the past week, I’ve been at the beach. Wearing the same bathing suit that I’ve worn for the past few years… but feeling that extra weight more than normal. When it’s all out there and exposed, it’s hard to ignore… but I had these words in my pocket to reference.
Rather than jumping into that space where I criticize every bit of my existence, I took a deep breath and remembered.
It’s ok… my body is simply “a product of my lifestyle.” What a kind way to look at the current state! Shifting my lifestyle will yield the results I am looking for… and I looked at these words as a gentle hug that I needed during this moment of realization/discomfort. Now, when I start structuring my meals, making it to my mat regularly, and getting the sleep my body craves… I absolutely know that my body will shed the extra pounds.
I don’t see these words as an excuse, simply a confirmation that my mind has been elsewhere… and that a shift will once again bring change.
Take a look at your lifestyle… is your body reflective of your lifestyle? I suspect it is…
[…] this whole article. I’ve been quoted recently saying: My body is a product of my lifestyle. But there’s a second part to what I said that really connects to the metaphor of the […]