Now in to week 5 of the Biggest Loser contest. My goal was 5 pounds per week and I am down 15...one week behind. Perhaps 5 pounds per week is not realistic. But I am aiming high.
My friend JoniBeth posed this question recently:
Why do you want to get healthy?
Your "blink" response is probably "DUH". Mine was. Then I let it roll around my brain, because it is an important question.
Yes, I want to fit in all the clothes. Yes, I want to look good in shorts on the golf course. But is that enough to keep me motivated on the tough days, enough to make me choose that 4 mile walk when it is cold or rainy?
Then I tell myself it is for health reasons...and that is good. Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems are prevalent on my maternal side. But these conditions are not news to me, and did not inspire me to reverse my weight gain at any time in the past five years. Why would I believe they would be motivational now?
So we are back to the original question: Why do I want to get healthy? I lost 20 pounds last January/February, and gained most of it back. What is different this year?
It has taken me several days to put my thoughts together...
At the risk of sounding trite, my weight at the beginning of January was not helping me be the best Beth I can be. I was tired and prone to colds. I was unhappy with the way I looked and felt. And I defy anyone to tell me there is no connection between how they live life every day and how they feel about themselves.
How can I do my best, be my best, do the work God has in store for me, when I look in the mirror and don't like it? Mind/body/spirit...intricately and immutably woven.
I turned 50 last year...but I still have LOTS to do. God has a certain number of days and jobs for me, but I need to honor that by taking care of the only body He gave me.
So I want to lose in order to grow.
There are things to learn, books to write, people to love...being healthy is important.
So yes, I have a very personal reason for wanting to be healthy. Losing = gaining; shrinking = growing; less of me = more energy, more stamina, more confidence.
Being healthy is imperative if I want to see my dreams become a reality. My physical body can never take me to a place my mind has not already conceived. Every time my mind is skips back to "fat and uncomfortable" the dream is delayed.
Why do I want to be fit and healthy?
This time it is about more than looking good to others, or wearing my favorite size.
This time it is about my life dreams...and that WILL be the necessary difference.
1 comment:
Beth,
I like how you have thought through the question of "why do I want to be healthy?" because this will allow you to persevere when the going gets tough. As you know, we all have emotional highs and lows which can easily derail our efforts. Knowing "why" is what allows us to remain consistant not matter how the winds of emotion blow.
For me, the reason "why" has several facets. If I don't feel well then it is impossible to be of service to others. Being healthy also allows me to deal more confidantly with life. I used to take various meds for blood pressure and stress and no longer have to as a result of deciding to change to a healthy lifestyle.
I see your multiple references to God. Another angle you might consider in your quest for "why" is the body being the temple of the Holy Spirit. It would make sense not to want to keep the temple in a state of disrepair.
Wishing you the best on your journey!
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