The July Project: Day 1
I like to take on a new self-improvement project or two every month. I pick some part of my life that needs work, and then I try to give it time and attention every day. This week, as the first half of 2010 came to an end, I got the idea of collecting my favorite ideas about diet and exercise—a draft owner’s manual for my body, a reference I can turn to when I’m struggling to lose one more pound. Maybe someone else would like to read it, too.
I’ve lost about a hundred pounds in the last six or seven years. When people ask me how I’ve done it, I don’t like to give them the simple formula, which is, “I eat better and exercise more than I used to.” I don’t like to see the look of discouragement that usually follows that answer.
It’s also not a completely honest response. The real story is more complicated. It might take the form of a long, wandering meditation on knowledge and desire, patience and fear, winning and losing, mind and body, joy and pain. For practical reasons, I usually just share one idea that’s worked for me.
I haven’t reached my own fitness goals yet, so even after a hundred pounds, I’m not sure I’m qualified to speak with authority on this topic. Maybe I’ll be closer by the end of July.
I intended to write this post early in the morning. But I had an appointment with the eye doctor. He dilated my eye and left me headache-y and unable to focus for a few hours. And then the day filled up with other distractions—meetings, errands, friends, phone calls, eating, and eventually, exercise. Not until 11 p.m. did I sit down to tackle Day 1 of this project. That’s okay, though, because the trajectory of my day contains the first lesson:
It doesn’t matter how late in the day it is—or how late in your life you find yourself. You might be busy or tired or have a lot on your mind. But if you’re still breathing, you have time to make significant, positive change in your life. If you’re trying to decide on a good time to start, may I suggest now?
I can relate to this because sometimes if I exercise late in the day (when I’m tired and really not motivated) I get the most benefit. I’m able to stay up a little later and I really feel the boost from exercise. (I’m told that is endorphins, but I have often wondered if they are imaginary.) My absolute favorite time to go to the gym is Friday evening which I refer to as “loser time”—can’t get a date, don’t have plans.
But the gym is quiet and peaceful and I like that!
I’ll have to start working on a blog post entitled “The fact that you’re at the gym on Friday night doesn’t mean you’re a loser.”
But I love “loser time” at Memorial Park. If you want to walk or run in peace and quiet, go to the park during Friday happy hour!
Don’t you walk in the evenings now? I asked Henry if he would make a commitment to walk every morning at a specific time that we both agreed on (like 7 am, for example), and he squirmed and he-hawed and basically declined to make a commitment. So I guess that I have to go it alone!
Yeah, as much as I enjoy walking in the morning, I always want a nap after a morning walk, and I tend to get nothing else done on that schedule. So now I go in the late afternoon or early evening. In the cool season, I like to go in the early afternoon, and oddly enough, I usually come back ready for more work.
P.S. It’s hard enough to motivate yourself without the added responsibility for someone else, isn’t it? I say go it alone…but never let up on telling Henry how great it makes you feel or what a beautiful morning it was. There’s more than one way to skin a cat!
Thanks for the encouragement. I had to go to the doctor and face up to another 8 pounds this year on top of the 10 or so from the previous year. Those of us in the business refer to it as “teacher fat.”