Dear Diary - Onions & Fitness

Dear Diary . . . 


December 5, 2007 


I knew that title would get your attention, but the Onion's hold some significance, so read on . . .

So ok, I was writing in my journal today cause a really good metaphor crossed my mind, in regard to my discipline (or lack thereof) with my excersising.

Many times I have gotten (and still get) discouraged when I think of the daunting task of reaching my fitness goals. There are days when I look in the mirror, and sigh thinking how long it will take to get where I want to be.
And knowing that I won't get the instantaneous results I always look for doesn't make it any better. But what came to mind recently is that, every time I do my cardio or lift my weights, I may not instantly see a pound(s) lost on the scale, BUT every effort I DO make goes into an account that will conribute to my goal in the end.

To me, reaching a fitness goal is like playing the lottery - you gotta be in it to win it! There is no way you can hit the jackpot if you are not in the game!
So these days, instead of sweating it out, and still being depressed afterward when I don't see results in the way of pounds or inches lost, I try to remember the fact that every effort I make, leads to that day when my efforts yield visible results. Every effort I make, I liken to peeling off a thin layer of fat, just like peeling each delicate layer from an onion.
No matter how thin, once you peel that layer off, it is still GONE nonetheless.
You are that much closer to the center.

Russel Simmons makes a good point in his book "Do You" - he speaks on keeping your eye on the process INSTEAD of the prize. Don't get it twisted, you HAVE to have long & short term goals in order to know which path you should even be on. But, but when you are in the throes of the grind, sometimes during this journey, it is easy to get discouraged, when we take our eyes off of the path we are on, to look beyond to a goal that may, realistically be very far away. But if you stay focused on the path, your goal may even be realized in less time than you think.
I am really doing my best to try and recognize and enjoy this journey toward my goal.

Related Entry 
December 6, 2007

OMG this whole keep-your-eye-on-the-path-instead-of-the-prize thing really rang true for me today.
I went on a walk during lunch - the way our office campus is laid out, it's really more like a hike!
Anyhow, the last part of it is a steep incline, and it was such that, everytime I looked toward the top, my legs burned MORE.
So I put my eyes toward the concrete and kept pushing along. With my eyes downward, the incline I was ascending actually looked like level ground.
Before long, I was at the top of the trail faster than I thought!
Now that I am back on Terra Firma, and at my desk typing, I realize that this truth was illustrated to me in the most literal sense today.
And with that, another layer was peeled from this onion!