I should have been listening to my body months ago, but I chose to turn a deaf ear. Pretty hard now when it's screaming at me. If I ask myself "How does your body feel today Alison?" I could pretty much slip any one of these words, or all of them into the response: sluggish, tired, achy, foggy, stiff, weary, or, worst of all, just not right.
My answer shouldn’t sound like that, it certainly rang different in my ears only 2 years ago. Joining this DietBet is my promise to myself to find my way back to ‘fitness’ in 2015. When I say ‘fitness’, that’s well being of my physical, emotional and spiritual self. None of these three measures of well-being stands on it’s own, and when any of the three get out of whack it throws the others for a loop. I’d suspect if I asked a handful of you to chime in on this - you’d know exactly what I’m getting at. Yes, like everyone I’m here to lose some weight. That’s a given. I’d be a liar if I told you I wasn’t motivated by the vanity of wanting to like what I see in the mirror again, but that’s really just a small part of it. In 2008, the year I was turning 40, I made a vow to myself to WIN the lifelong battle I’ve had with weight and started what ended up being a 3 year journey - ultimately losing 60 pounds. Let me tell you, walking into any store and picking a size 6 off the rack was a pretty sweet tasting victory but I think what was even sweeter was the way I’d feel when I’d finish a workout at the gym. About half way into that journey I hired a trainer - who unbeknownst to me at the time would become a very special friend over the next 18 months. Together we transformed my body into an ‘optimized machine for performance’ and for the first time in my then 43 years, I felt athletic. I continued to challenge myself, continued with vigour and I managed to keep things in check until 2012 - but it seems that’s when I really started to slip again. Starting in 2012 I began to gradually back the volume on my ‘internal voice’ to an almost inaudible level.
2015 IS TIME TO TURN UP THE VOLUME OF MY BODY'S VOICE
I’m listening body. Yes, you have my attention. Sorry I tried to ignore you. I know you deserve better. And I know once I learn to listen again with open ears/eyes/heart, you’ll guide me back onto the track and help make it easy for me to stay there. I’m sorry. I know you love me. I love you too.
Looking forward to sharing our stories, cheering each other on and hearing my answer at the end of January when I ask myself “How does your body feel today Alison?”
Happy (early) 2015 everyone!