It's the hard that makes it good.

 


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"It's the hard that makes it good...." -this quote was in the movie 'A League of Their Own" and I think is a good accompaniment to "Pick your hard"....

I have been having a bit of a sad time in the past week because of something that happened with my work, and found that I just TOTALLY stopped caring about things that were important to me before (which was weird, because I really had been caring about SP), and ended up on some binges, (albeit healthier than previously). The ennui and depressed feeling wore off as the week wore on, but I ended up not exercising much either, and missed the climax of the fall color here by stewing in my windowless basement office - I work remotely so little contact with others, and no commute. Without my regular hikes, and partly because of the rainy weather, I had no reason to go outside, or even see much beyond the windows, mostly just the wood paneled basement walls, and pc and tv screens.

BUT thanks partly to time, and partly to my 5% team commitment (wherein I depressingly plateaued right at the start) I checked in with Spark for the weigh-in, and then did a little workout, and today, had a good 90 min hike, and then went to the gym to do a 30 min weights circuit.

In the locker room, there was a buff woman doing poses as she made selfies. She saw me get off the scale, and mentioned how hard it was to measure progress on the scale, and how hard it was to make progress at all. I quoted the quote in the graphic above to her, because it has kinda become my new mantra- it is very hard to be fat - so self-defeating, depressing, and self-reinforcing, until one 'disrupts' this cycle, which is also hard.

However, the result on the scale, and moments before in my circuit, where I really challenged myself, and muscles, were good; several pounds lost all of the sudden, and muscles engaged, worked, and pumped: good.

It's the hard that makes it good. emoticon

EDIT: The woman doing selfies was actually doing 'after' shots when we had the "hard" discussion (we had a little chat about it as I was at my locker; I should have made that clearer.)

Member Comments About This Blog Post
  • vARTISTSBRUSH
    Good for you! Moving again. Take a trip further south so that you can see the peak of the autumn leaves some weekend, treat yourself and take a hike when you get there.

    You did it. You got moving again. Good for you also talking to the lady doing the selfies. If you hadn't you wouldn't have known that she was doing after pictures which puts a whole different spin on it doesn't it? She's celebrating change!
    2480 days ago
  • vUSMAWIFE
    for me my initial hard was convincing a doctor something was wrong with me and no one believing me until one finally listened did the test and showed I was not insane and I could not loose weight even just drinking water.
    2488 days ago
  • vBONNIEMARGAY
    Yes.
    2488 days ago
  • vno profile photoCD5465300
    The hard for me would have been not busting out laughing at the woman posing for selfies. As judgemental as that sounds, I just don't get the whole selfie thing. But I digress.... I have found that the harder something feels, the greater reward along the journey. We all go off track from time. That you jumped back in is a true show of strength and commitment.
    2489 days ago
  • v1CRAZYDOG
    Well, sounds like things are pretty much back on track, and that's good.

    Yup . . . we have to choose our hard!
    2489 days ago
  • vHOLIERTHANTHOU
    Glad to hear you bit the bullet and got back on track. I often hear on SP that rain is a reason to not get outside, but I tell you---------I love walking (or running) in the rain. The trick is having the right gear: a pair of excellent wellies, warm thick socks, a really good industrial raincoat (I buy mine from a place that supplies uniforms) with a hood that completely covers your head. Make sure it is big enough so that you can wear a warm sweater or two underneath. And then you are good to go!

    Good luck with your challenge!
    2489 days ago
  • vno profile photoCD5745313
    I'm glad you turned it around. It sounds like you enjoy your hiking. The HARD part is overcoming the inertia and getting out there. Good for you!
    2489 days ago
  • vno profile photoCD13961612
    I like the quote. But I also feel that it is very important to find things we LIKE about living healthy. So that it is 'fun', as well.
    For example I can find great joy in going out on my bike and be in the fresh air, out in nature. It is not just a way to exercise but also me-time that helps lift my mood and clear my head. The same is true for certain dishes that I learned to make that are very healthy but also have great taste.
    2489 days ago
  • vTENNISJIM
    Yes it is -- it's hard.
    2489 days ago

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