What it Takes

Yesterday in was scheduled to complete a 6 mile run, but didn't because of the weather, so instead I did it today. A few exciting things happened and I also realized something.

First of all, I ran a full mile at 13:20! Not my fastest mile ever, but definitely the fastest without walking!

The 6 miles as a whole felt really good. It was hard, yes, but I slowed my pace down so that I didn't feel like I was going to die halfway through it. I did run when I could, but after pushing for a while I allowed some longer walk breaks. Felt good!

What happened afterward was pretty neat! There was a woman a couple treadmills over from me who approached me as I was cooling down. She said that I made that workout look easy and that I inspired her! She was bigger as well, and I've got to give her credit because she was at the gym working out! She asked me if I had support from friends and family, to which I answered that I did. She told me that she came from a family of marathoners and that she was the black sheep. I didn't get a chance to ask if she had support, but I did thank her. Even though I only did 6 miles (as opposed to 26.2 which is next year!), she said she could never do what I did!

That got me thinking... Anyone can do what I'm doing, but not many will. What I'm doing - going from almost 400lbs to a marathon and beyond - requires dedication and perserverence. Results will not come overnight, and the final goal takes a long time to happen. A lot of people give up long before they hit their final goal, and don't see the vast improvement that's already taken place. Getting healthy requires stamina. Mental stamina. Mental stamina is necessary LONG before physical stamina. (A lesson I'm still learning!) Last of all, getting fit does require support. If the people you surround yourself with don't support your efforts to be fit, then find new people to surround yourself with. As I've said before, at the end of the day, the buck stops with you, however, I would venture to say that it's impossible to make a major lifestyle change on your own.

If you want it bad enough, and you stick with it long enough, you can do it!

Fitness Bucket List

I've said from the beginning of my journey that I don't have a weight-loss goal in terms of a number on a scale. I'm more concerned with accomplishments and being able to do things without being held back by bad health. Here's a few things I want to be able to do before I die. My fitness/strength bucket list, if you will!

Run a marathon.
Complete an Ironman
Be able to maintain a 10 minute mile for at least 30 minutes - without stopping to walk.
Deadlift more than my body weight.
Leg press more than my body weight.
At least 3 unassisted pull-ups.
Body weight tricep dips.
Be able to climb a rope.
Be on the awards stand for a race.
Do at least 20 pushups on my toes.
Do a handstand.
Walk on my hands.
Vertical pushups.
Have a 6-pack.
Have muscular and defined legs, arms, and back.
Prove to myself that I can do anything I set my mind to.

One more I'm not ready to state out loud just yet...

Okay, that's a scary list, and putting it out there is even scarier. I'm sure it will grow and change and time goes on, but as long as I can do those things, quite frankly, I don't care what the scale says.

Is being fat okay?

I've seen a lot of stories and blogs over the past few months about "fat-acceptance", and I have to say, I'm really torn about how to handle the issue. I've been shunned and bullied because of my weight in the past, and still deal with the scar tissue from that, but is making obesity okay or the norm really the best way to handle the issue?

In my ever-so-humble-opinion, no.

I don't think obesity should ever be touted as an acceptable, alternative lifestyle. The health risks involved affect, not only the obese person, but the people around them. The human body was not designed to carry so much excess body fat.

That being said, people should never EVER treat an overweight or obese person as less than a person. Snide comments are never acceptable, and also, fat jokes, are NEVER funny! (Trust me, I've been on the receiving side of them more times than I care to count, and even when fat-jokes are made about someone else, or even in general, they're not funny. Don't use them!)

Furthermore, I can tell you from personal experience, that healthy changes and lifestyle improvements are NEVER birthed from self-loathing. Those who are overweight and obese shouldn't hate themselves, and shouldn't be made to feel like they should by others. A person needs to see themselves as Christ sees them - and love themselves - enough to want to make the changes themselves. Not everyone comes to this realization at the same time, but they need to come to it on their own terms.

Just to be clear, loving yourself does not always equate being okay with being overweight - although sometimes it will. Loving yourself enough to improve your physical health, is what I mean.

This is kind of a hard post to write because I've been on the receiving end of fat-jokes and been made to feel less of a person because of my weight. I don't think, however, that the answer is to make obesity perfectly acceptable. It's my opinion that we should strive to be as healthy as possible, and that's exactly what I'm trying to do, but if someone is overweight and is completely fine with that, other people shouldn't demean them. I can say from personal experience that most overweight people DON'T want to stay that way but they're either too afraid to say anything, or too afraid to make the change themselves.

In closing, there are many reasons why I struggled with this post, but I'm going to keep it to this: Fat-shaming and fat-acceptance are essentially the same thing. Focusing on something that's not healthy. We should focus on feeling well, and being fit.