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| my sister misses this shirt but is glad I can wear it :) |
Here's the thing, though. Real life is THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF MY FEARS! I mean it. I've had friends offer to meet me for walks when I know they are runners. Recently, a friend offered to meet at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and walk it with me (seriously, look at that pic - people in Denver "do the stairs" or "run Red Rocks" all the time for exercise. It's insane). I know she can run the stairs at Red Rocks, but she's offering to walk it with me. Other (fit) people are really encouraging. Last night at yoga, 2 of the women in class talked to me about how I (mostly) kept up with the class and were just in general super enthusiastic about my progress. One of them is also a yoga teacher, and one of them teaches kick-boxing! She could kick my ass but instead talked about how much smaller it is :) (she didn't use that word - she just said that when she sat behind me in church last week, she knew she was sitting behind where I usually sit but didn't think she knew the person in "my" seat. It was me!)
And then again this morning while walking, I was behind a cute and athletic runner (who even smelled good! Trust me; I wanted to trip her when she passed me) who waved at another runner coming toward us. The second lady runner, also in good shape? Kept her hand up to wave at me and smiled just as much as when she passed the first lady runner. I took that to mean, "good job" and "you go, girl!" My point is that my fit friends have been SO supportive of my weight loss and so encouraging, and they seem genuinely impressed that I'm walking so much. Am I running the stairs at an outdoor amphitheatre? Nope. Am I bench-pressing 500 pounds? Nope. But I am doing something, and it seems they are happy for me. And that, folks, is a lesson I needed to learn.
So... if that has been one of the things holding you back, let me assure you you can cross it off your list. Really!
Update: Holy Cow. I just saw this entry that goes hand-in-hand with mine. It's a beautiful blog post that totally made me cry. But also confirmed what I was postulating :) Read it -- I love that it's called: Hey, Fat Girl
You are very inspiring. I need to do SOMETHING about my weight and lack of activity(receptionist on my butt all day and 4 hr train commute too..ugh). I went to Denver to visit my stepson and saw Red Rocks and it was a sight to behold. I love that you have so much support to walk with you etc. You did give me a chuckle about the want to "trip" the jogger, because in NYC you see them all dressed and made up to run through the park and I think that sometimes too.. Glad I found you.
ReplyDeleteHi Winnie! Thanks so much for commenting. The amphitheatre really is amazing, isn't it? We're about 10 minutes from it, so it's our favorite tourist place to take visitors. They often want to "walk to the bottom" and we always have to explain that 1. it's a LOT further than it looks, and 2. the altitude will not be friendly to them!
DeleteI giggled about the NYC joggers - you are SO right! I was just there in May again, for a visit with some girlfriends who had never been (my brother's family lives there & I used to go all the time for work). In fact, it was that trip that kick-started my weight loss because I came back 4 pounds lighter (only in NYC where you walk EVERYWHERE!). But yes, the joggers do seem rather dolled up there, don't they? I don't get it. I get out of bed and put my hair in a pony and walk out the door. Some days I don't even brush my teeth first!
I think that the NYC commutes must be the longest in the world. I remember talking to friends in our Weehawken office about how they got to work. It was like an episode of planes, trains, and automobiles! Nobody got anywhere on one conveyance! I used to take a train in Chicago, but that was it. Get on the train and get off it :) Is there any chance you could walk to a different train stop or get off an earlier stop and walk home from the last one? Oh, I hope you are able to do something! If it helps, you should know that my dedication to walking since May has definitely affected my time on other things. The dishes aren't done quite as quickly, those boxes for Goodwill or garage sales or something are still sitting in the front room ... etc. But I decided things in the house could be let go for a little while while I spent some time getting "me" under control. Good luck, friend! You can do this!
Hi! I found your blog from the "Hey, Fat Girl" comments, and I just want to say thanks for posting this. You're right, you aren't the only person who wonders what the fit people think of you when you see them while you're out walking/running/whatever. I do it, too. And that is so hard to get over. But just knowing that I'm not alone in thinking that, and also knowing that there are people out there like Flint who are cheering me on, even if silently, is amazing and encouraging.
ReplyDeleteIn your response to Winnie, you mention something about other things in your house not getting done while you focus on you. I might have a (partial?) solution to that! I've found that if I have to clean, if I turn it into an impromptu dance party it helps. It's music I love, it's loud, and it keeps me moving while I am sweeping, swiffering, even doing the dishes.
And if you just plain don't feel like cleaning, then there is always the impromptu dance party itself. :)
Good luck with your journey!
Hi friend! How nice of you to come over here! Thanks :) And your dance-cleaning idea is brilliant. I've always said having music on makes cleaning easier, but that's a whole "nother" level. I'll have to try it!
DeleteAnd thank you. And good luck with yours!
I read this, went over and read 'Hey, Fat Girl!', misted up, came back over here and was pumping my fist for you.
ReplyDeleteYou ARE rocksome! :) <3
Wasn't that "Hey, Fat Girl!" blog amazing? I pretty much had tears running down my face when I was reading it.
DeleteAnd I love our "rocksome" word :)
Found this blog through Speddie. :) As a workout enthusiast - I like circuit training, martial arts & kickboxing - I can tell you that seeing someone new come through the door at the kung fu school where I work out who is committed to getting fit helps re-energize me. Fitness isn't necessarily about size, it's about a mindset - and once you get into the mindset, you'll find that even the hard times (when you've hit a plateau and NOTHING seems to work) won't be as bad & you'll be able to push through it. Never feel like someone who you perceive as "fit" is sacrificing their workout if they're walking with you instead of running. Good health is something to be shared. :)
ReplyDeleteKeep it up. I know a guy who lost a whole person - he was close to 400 lbs when I met him, he goes for about 220 right now unless he's training for a fight (in which case he trains down to 200). I'll be coming back to read on occasion ...
Thanks for reading, and THANKS for your comment! That means a lot - I love your "seeing someone new come through the door" note. That's ... that's just awesome. Thanks too for your thoughts on a "fit" friend sacrificing their workout. It's good to know that and be reminded of it.
DeleteA friend told me recently I'd lost her daughter :) Love the idea of losing a whole person!