I have a been a poster child for Newton’s Law of Inertia. This body of mine has clearly been at rest for far too long. After a summer full of vacations that dipped into mid September, my wardrobe has become a prison instead of a comfortable shell to venture out into the world. The pressure of my clothes around me like a thousand little pixie hands, strangling me from all angles. Time to admit that all those days of lounging by a lake and nights of big dinners topped off by heavy beer had caught up with me.
And so my dieting began. Back to smaller portions and tracking my input/output on MyFitnessPal. Throw in a couple of simple workouts, lot’s of water, better choices… all those things we know to do to lose weight. I wasn’t hugely overweight, mostly just out of shape. This shouldn’t take long. A couple of pounds lost, my jeans sitting easier on my frame. You’d think I’d feel better. I thought I would too. I don’t.
I know, I know… insert eye roll here. I feel slightly annoyed as well. I feel lied to. You mean to tell me that the number on a scale or the tag in my jeans isn’t the end goal? What’s the objective then? If I still don’t feel good, what am I missing? After some serious thinking, I have an answer.
Being fit. Simple (and cliché) as that. Over the last two months, I’ve been an unmotivated sluggard. Sure, coasting through the days sounds great but after a while it’s just not. Exercising hard used to be a daily event for me and I miss it. I like feeling my heart pound in my chest with an honest sweat running down my face after a workout. I like when I feel strong. I’m slightly not even embarrassed to admit that after a grueling workout, I feel a little like a superhero (minus the tights). Lately, I’ve been a lot more Clark Kent than Superman.
When I think about it, exercise makes me a better person in general. I feel more confident. I have more energy. I’m more motivated to accomplish things. I’m in a better mood. My house is cleaner. My whites are whiter. Alright, my whites are whiter because I finally bought Oxiclean but you get my point. Working out affects a lot more than just the way I look or how much I weigh. It changes the way I look at life. Makes me an active participant instead of a spectator eating popcorn on the sidelines.
I know I’ve learned this lesson before but inertia is a tricky thing. Once that ball stops rolling, it’s a humdinger getting it started again. Guess it’s time to get my equal and opposite force on.
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