Off the hook

I was determined to do better with my health and fitness. Don't get me wrong. There was nothing really wrong with either of those two things except last year I pretty much got the idea in my head I had taken a hiatus from the AMOUNT of healthy things I had done previously. All last year I had become a slacker and a slob. I had been so stubborn I let my gym membership lapse because I only enjoyed running outdoors yet I found a million and one reasons why I couldn't. Then add the end of regular exercise to the lazy, casual snacking for only the sake of snacking and in a year I had put on about 10 pounds.  Whoof!

I took a good two weeks vacation at the end of last year when I mixed up holidays with vacation days. The day after Christmas I joined the gym AND I signed up for eight sessions with a personal trainer. I got my head on straight and I was going to do the work. I had a food journal app online and on my phone and I would track every morsel I put into my mouth. I hit the gym and had to build up everything I had started to let slip away as far as my endurance. The trainer wanted me to do more weight training. Of course! Ding, ding, ding!!! What did I think trainers would do? Help me run? Not a chance. I went to all sessions but I did not really enjoy them. I haven't done a lick of weight training since that ended.

But I have kept running. I did 3 official 5K's the first quarter of this year and came home with a 1st and 2nd place medal in two for my age category. That was encouraging and although the weight factor moved very slowly I stayed with it with daily hops onto the scale. I always checked my weight first thing in the morning, every morning and tracked on my handy food journal application. It's amazing how that number could gauge my mood for the day. At least that was until the other day. The scale went blank. I picked it up, turned it over and popped open the small opening on the back. I replaced the 9 volt battery it contained with a new, fresh 9 volt battery and put it back together. When the scale was situated on the floor again, I climbed up with my feet aligned perfectly on top of it and waited as the digital lights flashed and moved as it should. I stood still and waited patiently for the magic number that would determine my self-flagellation for the rest of the day to appear. And then it did. I stood there, slightly bent forward at the waist and peered down at the red number.  It showed 0.0.

I stared a little longer before I straighten up and realized I had done what I set out to do. I lost all of it! There was no more to lose and I was free to go. I have played around with my food journal a little after that, but only half-heartedly without entering an entire day on any occasion recently. I've had some good runs that felt great and I put on some clothes the other day that fit excellently. Before the scale let me know I was off the hook I dropped last year's weight gain. I think I reached a good spot.  I mean, maybe it is broken but the scale doesn't lie, right?
TT