ProjectMoment

“In my experience, what I have found is that people who eat well and exercise as a means of achieving self-care and wellness succeed. People who eat well and exercise only as a stopgap for their bad habits (”I ate an apple, now I can eat a cookie”, or “I walked on the treadmill so now I can belt back this fifth of JD”) do not. And by succeed I do not mean squeezing into a size 4. I mean living life happily and healthily, at whatever size that is. If your bodyfat level is having a negative impact on your health and athletic performance, then consider dealing with it through positive fitness and nutritional practices.”Another kick ass quote from Krista. Reading this was a slam to my brain, facilitating a change in my fitness mental paradigm. A stubborn part of me still considers easting healthy and exercising to be a punishment for past transgressions. The fat kid in me still complains, “Why do I have to eat icky vegetables? I WANT A COOKIE!!”, and “All this rolling around is hard! WHAT DID I DO WRONG!?!” This is obviously, and rationally, wrong thinking. But, we all do that in little ways, every day. Sometimes it takes a smack to the head to make it clear again. Eating a banana and apple as a post aikido class snack is not a punishment, nor is it a reward. It is a continuance of the practices which will get me to where I want, and need, to be. Watching what I eat, and exercising consistently and intelligently are not consequences of past behavior. My excess bodyfat is. Eating, and moving, right are actions to accomplish a goal for my future. Often times our thinking is too reactionary, and comes from the past. We need to look to the future, to the realization of our goals, and make our actions serve those desires, and not be a response to guilt from our historical behavior. Eat, and work, for tomorrow my friends. And when tomorrow becomes today, you will be better for it.

Thank you Krista for smacking me… again!