Yep, I believe in the power of positive thinking. It has been a huge part of my "get healthy" journey.
Oh, on a quick side note. I did a happy dance this weekend when I realized the scale had moved to 159. That's 119 pounds down. Whooohooo!!! I also realized when I did my "One year ago today" post I didn't take the time to figure out my weight loss percentage. I plugged in my numbers this morning and came out with 43% weight loss. Pretty darn cool. I'm inching closer and closer to having lost half of myself. :)
Back to positive thinking.
In weight loss:
While I was extremely focused and committed to getting healthy, everyone is bound to experience a few bumps in the road. Previously when I tried to lose weight and I would "fall of the wagon" I would let it be an end of the road kind of thing. I felt like since I overindulged there was no going back and I may as well enjoy myself. (By "enjoy myself" I meant eat everything in sight).
This past year I took a completely different approach. If I ate more than I should have I simply acknowledged the problem and took the opportunity to learn from it. I would adjust my day accordingly, by eating better and increasing exercise. Then I would simply move on with my healthy habits. I never let it get me down. It wasn't about failing, it was about learning.
In running:
Yesterday we had an 8 mile run on the training schedule. Despite the fact that I live in South Florida, it was freezing outside. Winds were gusting up to 22mph. The elements were against us. We could've decided to shorten our run, or put it off all together, but instead we decided to look at it as an opportunity to conquer a challenge.
So we set out, freezing but determined. The wind was brutal and I can tell you that each step was a fight, but we kept going. Our course took us along a busy highway and as I lamented our decision to run next to such a congested area I got to thinking about the people in those cars.
What did they think when they saw us running along? Maybe some of them were impressed with us for getting out there, some of them probably mocked our slow pace, and most probably didn't notice us.
What would I think if I was them? I realized I didn't like the answer. You see, as we were running along I wasn't really enjoying it. I was cold, my lips were chapped and I was feeling sorry for myself. I'm sure my facial expressions reflected all of those feelings.
How many of those people drove past me thinking,"Why does she bother running if she hates it so much?" They couldn't tell how much I really love it. They had no way of knowing what a passion it has become. Instead they had to form their own opinions based simply off of my facial expression.
So I decided to change it. Yep, I plastered a huge smile on my face and vowed to at least LOOK like I was enjoying it. My husband just shook his head as I explained to him what I was doing, but I kept that smile in place.
And guess what happened? After a few seconds my feet felt lighter, I noticed the wind less and before I knew it... .I WAS enjoying myself!
I'm not sure if that cheesy grin convinced anyone else they would enjoy running, but it certainly convinced ME I enjoyed it.
We conquered that windy 8 miles, and the smile remained the rest of the day.
Oh, and I signed up for "Run 1000 Miles with Tall Mom Club". I will run 1000 miles in 2010!
Be sure to enter my iFitness Giveaway.
And I'd like to thank the Two Fit Chicks for mentioning my anniversary post on their podcast. CLICK HERE to listen.