Last night I had my weekly dose of The Biggest Loser USA - I tend to watch it a night after broadcast so I can fast forward through the ads and the recaps. [I am pleased I did as Asda decided, rather tastelessly, to broadcast ads on their range of cakes and instore bakery in the breaks].
In this episode (and we are a way behind the USA!), showed Koli, Sam, Michael, Daris, Ashley, Sunshine and O'Neal all going to Texas to help motivate and inspire some people to lose weight.
I think i was most moved by the young girl who stood up in front of her entire school and asked Jillian and Abby (from previous series) how she felt about being overweight, and how she had spent her entire life being told she was worthless and could never do anything.
I could identify with that - although maybe not to the same extreme, but my heart broke as I thought about how brave she was to stand up like that, and how desparate she must have felt to risk opening herself to more bullying and ridicule.
I was left hoping that we would find out more about this girl later, seeing her defy all those who kept her down, and seeing her find her true self. I hope she does.
This morning I was reading an article in Saturday's Telegraph Magazine about a journalist who decided to train and run the Spartathon. I've never heard of this before, but it's basically a race from Athens to Sparta (152m) that has to be completed within 36 hours. Of the hundreds that start, only 130 finished. One of whom had finished 10 times before, but kept coming back.
The article explored the reasons why people push themselves to these limits - not something I can identify with particularly, but I can understand. After running my first half marathon, I immediately was relieved that I hadn't signed up for a full one, but a few later, I started thinking that maybe I could. I've never followed up on that though - excuses of course, abound, but I had a period of bad health when I wasn't training and I lost the momentum.
I've never finished my Spartathon - getting to goal weight - and I've been doing it on and off for 13 years now. Maybe I'll get there one day. I hope so.
In the meantime, I have to just get back control of my daily life and back into a routine that has been severely disrupted by conferences, meetings, meals out, weekends away. I still haven't learnt how to lose weight when interrupted by life. I think I need help on that. I mean, I know what I need to do, but somehow I lack the willpower to do what is needed.
For example, recent weekend away, a hen do - I was good for lunch (or thought I was, I ordered 2 side dishes, but they came swimming in oil!), I was good for dinner (salad, little bit of dressing, no pizza), but consumed alcohol. The next day I ended up succumbing to the temptation of Sticky Toffee Pudding.
Not a big deal, you would think, but in my case - a 4lb weight gain. I have worked hard(ish) this week to lose that - sticking to my porridge for dinner and breakfast and having light lunches.
Truth be told, this seems to be working. I'm not working out - and I am finding that by not going to the gym, I'm actually finding it "easier" to eat healthy - I'm not subconsciously telling myself that a biscuit is ok because I'll be going to the gym...
I am going to keep it up (weekends and holidays allowing) for as long as I can, and will then re-visit the idea of joining a gym (my other cause for hesitation is the gym membership - I have to sign up for 12 months, and can't cancel at any time without penalty, even if I get pregnant because there is no creche there so I couldn't go after a baby arrived).
Although that's all in the unknown. We have done our best. Que sera sera, we shall see what develops over the next couple of weeks.
In the now, I shall get excited about holidays planned - the MOST exciting being our planned trip in September, when we shall be seeing the Boston Red Sox play the Tampa Bay Rays - LIVE from the Green Monster. I am sooo excited, it's a dream come true.
No comments:
Post a Comment