It’s March and not only is Spring right around the corner, but its also my birthday month. While I won’t bore you with details pertaining to my birthday celebration plans (I’m too old to really party it up much anyhow!), I will say this month makes me look deep into my current fitness routine(s), nutrition/diet needs and goals. I usually take a moment during this time of year to really analyze where I am and where I’m going. It hasn’t always been that way, but something woke me up and changed the way I look at myself.
That was three years ago, spurred by a picture I had taken for Mother’s Day. I wasn’t always into posting on social media and I hate having my pictures taken. (Don’t let the Facebook pics fool you.) I had been retired from the military for a couple of years and didn’t really care what I ate or how much I put into my ever-expanding belly. Having that picture taken in front of the local Texas Roadhouse made me do a double take. I was more than thirty pounds heavier than I had been before and it showed. I could tell my health wasn’t the best. I wasn’t running anymore, but was still physically active. The size I was in that picture spoke volumes and it made me really take notice of how far removed from peak I was.
Have you ever avoided looking in the mirror or stepping on a scale? I did that for years. There was no longer pressure from Uncle Sam to maintain a certain weight, and as I have previously explained, I didn’t need to worry about being combat ready and worldwide deployable. Those days were well behind me, but that single picture would become the catalyst on my new journey.
Also during those few months, I partnered with two other people to start a business and was “volunteered” to become the face of the fitness side of things. That pressure, combined with my own self awareness (as in that picture) led me to clean up my attitude, nutrition and fitness goals, which in turn led to my weight loss. That process of weight loss, diet change, increased fitness level didn’t happen overnight. It took nearly three months for me to lose the first 20 lbs. and another three months to drop the final ten. I reached my goal weight right around my birthday that year, now, nearly two years ago! I have kept the weight off, but I use my birthday month as my chance to re-evaluate where I am and where I want to go.
Spring cleaning is a time to clean house and prepare for the rebirth of life outside. It’s never too late to take account of where you are and where you want to go. Use whatever method that works for you; find inspiration to achieve your goals, but do something! We all have needs, struggles and successes. Use your successes to build upon your goals and/or modify your plans.
Maybe you can use spring or your own birthday to start the effort.
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