Hey all,

It’s been an interesting 5 weeks, more or less.

How so?

Without a lot of fanfare, I changed up my diet and exercise routine, starting the day after St. Patrick’s day. It’s a show related thing. But the upshot is that I needed to make some changes in my behavior if I wanted to make substantive changes in my appearance / fitness. I’ve done this sort of thing before. In going from my former weight of 260+ lbs to my current sub-200 lb life, which I’ve lived for 30-ish years, I’ve had to kick in with the self-discipline now and again. Heavy duty when I was making the change, which occurred over a 2 year period, and on occasion since then, when I would notice that I was slacking and the the scale, along with my clothes, would point that out to me.

So not a new experience. But doing this reminds me of a few things.

It reminds me of how much of my, and I think everyone’s, social life is predicated on food and drink. Meeting friends at a bar, or having dinner, or just about any social occasion. When I go out for a run with my friends we will usually end up having coffee & a scone , or a beer ( depending on the time of day, tho I will not preclude a beer or several after a race. Just ask around..) And yes I know, I could just hang out with my friends and drink club soda, have a salad, etc. I know people who do that. I admire them. But nope. If I’m out with friends and they are cocktailing, or enjoying a cheeseburger and fries, or a good steak, and I’m having a diet pepsi and garden salad, “hold the blue cheese, oil & vinegar dressing please”…?

I am miserable. I love my friends, but I am resenting the food they are eating. I am jealous that I can’t have the beer that I want and snack on the all you can eat peanuts. So not only am I missing the foods that I enjoy, both physically & psychologically, (because trust me, there is a mental addiction at work here as well ), I am also reducing my social interaction as well. And yes, I know. I’m not exactly a social butterfly in the best of times. But honestly, it’s easier to bunker down and get through the first few weeks of this without the temptation of seeing others indulging.

Is this a “poor me” blog?

Nope.

I realize that it’s a choice I am making. I haven’t even been asked to do this. I’m doing it because I think it will help me in doing what I’ve chosen to do.

I could stop right now. I’m in my local coffee shop, where I do most of my blogs. I’m 15 feet from a bakery display case where they have these amazing little bakery truffles. They are small, but really dense cake with a fairly thick icing on them. They are about the size of a golf ball, but so sweet & filling that one is plenty. They have a mint / chocolate, a carrot cake, a double chocolate…

…but I digress…

So. Having decided to do this, and knowing that it’s pretty much going to be a part of my life til I’m finished with this current project in mid-June, what gets me through? What is going to get me through the next 2 months?

The Why, that’s what.

I’m not even going to get into the why itself. I know I’m kinda being vague about the whole thing, but that’s because I don’t think the specific circumstances necessarily matter. What matters is HAVING a strong reason for making the change. Having a specific reason, and holding onto that reason. Especially when it gets tough. When you have every reason and opportunity to say “screw it. I don’t have to do this. No one is asking or expecting me to. No one will know that I stopped. Most people would tell me I was nuts for doing it in the first place.”

Except for the Why.

The Why will see me through. And actually, after about 5 weeks, life is getting a little easier anyway, changes you’ve made become the new normal. Your body, and your mind become accustomed to the new diet & the new workout. And you start to see the payoff. So, to borrow a phase from a much more serious topic, “it gets better”.

So, the message for this week?

In any change you attempt. Diet, activity, job, relationship, etc…

..Have a Why.

Be clear on it.

Write it down.

Put it where you are reminded of it on a regular basis.

Why can help you through the tough times, through the self-doubt, through the negative.

OK, gotta go. I’m just finishing off my Bubbly, cherry-flavored sparkling water…

… yeah, I know…..my Why.

Talk Later,

Bob