Inspiration

It comes in many forms.  Lately I’ve been inspired to get healthy.  I’ve been overweight most of my adult life.  It comes from gluttony and inactivity, pretty simply put.  I sit at a desk for most of my work day.  I sit in a car for 2+ hours a day commuting to work and home.  When I get home, I have a small burst of energy where I do some laundry, empty a dishwasher, make dinner … then my ass becomes one with the couch and I’m done for the night.  Wash, rinse repeat. 

A couple of years ago, during the complete breakdown of my marriage I was going to the gym for 2-3 hours a day.  Sure, could eat whatever I wanted, drank like a fish, and worked it all off.  My inspiration was my best friend; I wanted to be around him as much as I could.  I also wanted to make him proud of me.  But, as life goes on, we ended up quitting the gym, we didn’t have time.  We need to run a house together, build a life together, and apparently get fat together.  He’s like a baby; I’m like a cat, when we are happy we both get fat. (Bare Naked Ladies)

In January this year, one of my online friends introduced me to a weight loss challenge game.  It was interesting, limited alcohol, had you eating more often and smaller portions, it was pretty good, and I lost about 8 lbs on it.  While it ended in February, BHE stepped on the scale and decided it was time he lost some weight.  Cool, now I can do it with him at home.  We fired up our fitbit watches, synced them to the myfitnesspal app and started tracking calories and steps.  In the first month, he lost 20 lbs.  WOW!  Granted, my average day is about 4,000 steps, his is about 20,000 steps.  He cut out a lot of beer and junk and the weight just seems to be melting off him.  I’m so proud, also a little envious.  I’ve been tracking my food, but perhaps a glass or two extra of wine has slowed down my loss.  After 3.5 months I’m down about 25 lbs.  Not eating junk food, eating a LOT more chicken and fish, roasted veggies, snacking on veggies, reduced my carbs … all things that aren’t a diet, but a new way of eating, which is sustainable.

I was feeling a little down on myself today, I’m not happy with my progress, then TCW comes into work (late as usual) and she’s huffing and puffing just getting up one flight of stairs.  She admits she’s at her highest weight ever, I’m guessing she’s pushing 350 lbs.  She’s not healthy, you can see it.  She talks about always being at the pub for cards or darts with her *cough*loser*cough* boyfriend.  It’s showing, the fried pub food, the extra drinks, the extra calories.  We had a meeting last week, that lunch was catered to, and she sat there eating 6-7 mini cinnamon rolls, handfuls of cookies, then for lunch, she had 3 pieces of pizza and a meatball sandwich.  I was amazed, now that I’m conscious about what I put in my body; I’m amazed to watch what other people will put in theirs.  Of course I didn’t say anything, it’s not my place.  Later in the week, she’d made a comment about my weight loss to FCW.  She tried to sound “unimpressed” but FCW said she sounded jealous. 

I’ll take inspiration wherever I can get it.  From BHE’s amazing success to the warning of how bad I could get as TCW is out of breath from one flight of stairs.  I’m not aiming for a size 2, I have a number in mind that I’d like to hit.  I’m doing this slowly, so that it’s sustainable and that I can live a long healthy life with BHE and my two gifts!