You May Lose, but Don’t Get Lost

By Ramese Long

I quit; this is NOT working! It may work for other people, but I guess it’s not going to happen for me.

Sound familiar? You may not have used those exact words, but if it strikes a chord in you, then pay attention. As I write each blog, my hope is for you to connect with what is being said but also serve as a form of therapy for myself, which in turn could prove to be valuable advice to keep you from reinforcing the same negative patterns and thought process I struggled with for years.

Quitting is part of the process with fitness. There is nothing wrong with “taking a break” from your normal fitness routine, just don’t get lost and stop altogether. I know this from firsthand experience. As I have said in the past, this journey for us will be far more than just physical.

The great thing about life is we all have choices we can make. One is to quit; the other is to accept that you may or may not like the process of working out (I’ve been working out for 25-plus years … Do you think I still enjoy it all the time?) and realize there is no shortcut, or you can take the shortcut to a healthier lifestyle by quitting your gym membership (or trainer) and getting a membership at the hospital.

Our health is the foundation to everything in life. Without our health we have very little, right? Again, this is nothing you haven’t heard countless times before so why must it be repeated over and over? Here’s why and I’ve said this before; the process of exercise revolves around more short-term failures before you can reach long-term success.  You must find numerous long-term reasons to continue to force yourself to workout.

I wish someone would have told me this when I was trying to get back in shape … to focus on how I feel! If I would have had that invaluable piece of advice, it would have made every decision I made clearer.

Should I have that extra donut? Should I sit down and watch TV or drag myself to the gym? Fast food and fries? Do I need that extra glass of wine? Candy anyone? Get up and move or keep saying I will do it tomorrow?

You see the value of focusing on how you feel? If that is the foundation you choose, soon enough you’ll see how often your health will start to pop up in your thoughts. The more these thoughts come to you, the faster they will move to the forefront of your mind. The faster they come to mind, the higher your chances of success will be. I am not here to give you the magical secret unless you’re ready to accept the magical secret does NOT exist. So stop looking.

Do someTHIN!