If you had have asked me over ten years ago what I thought about exercising, I would have told you that’s not something I do. Yeah, I gave it a shot here and there, but only when I was trying to lose weight.
Weighing 100 pounds more than I am now, I fully believed that I was not a person who exercised or at least one who would never enjoy it.
In school, I remember faking all the injuries and illnesses so I could get out of gym class because I was so worried about what others would say about me, the “fat” girl.
Exercise to me was a form of embarrassment and punishment, so no wonder I avoided it, and because I avoided it, I wasn’t any good. Funny thing is how did I expect myself to be good at it when I didn’t even try.
So for over 20 years of my life, I dreaded exercising and only exercised to burn the fat off, but when the fat didn’t come off quickly, I would quit.
When I realized that exercise is important, not for weight loss but to give me the quality of life I wanted, that was when everything changed.
The other tipping point was I just decided that it could be possible that I could be a person who does exercise and not quit.
It was when I decided
-It was more important to give it a try than sit curled up on the couch eating those Twizzlers feeling depressed, ashamed and that there was no hope.
-I didn’t care about what anyone else thought of me because it is about me and not them.
-It was possible that exercise was not about burning the fat off but about self-care.
-It was possible that I can suck at something, but as long as I give it my best, that was all that mattered.
-It was possible that getting up and moving was better than giving up and staying unhappy.
-It was possible that I could keep going no matter what the mind drama was or how uncomfortable I felt.
That was when I joined a running group, and after three months, I ran my first 10K and came in the middle of the pack. I was amazed and so proud of myself, and that was how I built the confidence I needed to keep on going with losing weight.
When I first started, my thighs were rubbing together, and I was always at the back of the group thinking I am no good at this. I could have given up, but instead, I kept on going.
I kept on going because I was aware of all the mind drama that came up, and I was committed to working on those thoughts instead of giving in to them.
I kept showing up for each class because it was more important to me to prove to myself that I can commit and follow through.
I was determined to prove to myself I was worth it and that I was not a quitter anymore.
I worked through all my mind drama; the thoughts like:
“It’s too hard.”
“I’m not a runner.”
“People are looking at how fat I am.”
“I’m too tired to run today.”
“I don’t have the time for this.”
I showed myself that anything is possible when I decide to commit fully, but more importantly, that believing it was possible I could be a runner is what kept me going.
These days, I look forward to my runs because this is when I get to listen to my podcasts, uplifting music or to work through some thoughts coming up. My time to connect with me!
My thoughts now are “this is my time” and ” I want to show myself that I am worth taking the time to exercise.”
To me, my runs give me the energy I need to keep me working long hours.
So the key to exercising is deciding what to do; it could be walking, running, and going to the gym; it doesn’t matter. What matters is you are moving! Movement is a gift you give yourself, so make it reasonable and doable.
The next step is that you commit to doing it. This is the part that will take practice. The practice is in working on the drama thoughts that will come up when it comes to following through.
Whatever thoughts you have, you then have to add in a competing thought; or as I call it an ‘also’ thought.
For example: “This is too hard” but also “It’s too hard to stay this way.”
The drama thought doesn’t have to go away; it just has to sit in the back seat of the car, so you’re also thought can be in the driver’s seat.
What I want you to think about is, can you see that exercise may be about loving yourself and proving to your self that you are worth the time and effort?
You are worth it, so give this a try and see how it goes!
Karen
P.S. I can help you learn how to end the drama thoughts from sabotaging your weight loss. Click here to apply for your weight loss strategy session with me and let’s get started!
