It’s not a secret that having people in your corner during a challenge is helpful and beneficial. Lifestyle changes can be a huge undertaking and you need friends and family who are considerate of the changes you’re trying to make. I’ve known quite a few people who have restricted diets for one reason or another, and have seen people around them complain or make a noise about how hard it is on them as the audience to the change. Luckily, the people I surround myself have been very receptive and encouraging to the changes I have made in my life. At the worst, I have been met with indifference.
Living with someone can present big challenges to weight loss and healthier choices- sometimes it’s because you have kids and you have to take into account what the whole family should be eating. I have known parents who have decided to make healthier choices so they started planning meals, making them and freezing them; they calculated what the kids were going to eat for dinner into their own daily calorie intake so they could eat what the kids ate (very much unlike my parents when they were on the grapefruit diet 😉 ). For parents, this seems like a great way to go about having a nutritious household. Sometimes the challenge is in what is left unsaid about your needs and goals. In the beginning (and even a little now), I could not have sweets or junk food out on the kitchen counter. My will power lessened with every pound gained over the years so that if something was in sight, even if I was not hungry or did not necessarily like that particular product, I ate it. The simple solution of storing those types of foods in the cupboards helped SO MUCH. For years, when trying to lose weight, I never asked to put the food away because I didn’t want to step on toes. However, putting something out of sight should not encroach on anyone and when I was finally honest with myself and those around me about what I needed to succeed, I was met with positive responses and I did, indeed, succeed.
Being honest about what you need to make this work and setting those guidelines for yourself and those around you is integral. First of all, doing so is part of the right mindset for such an endeavor. Secondly, it helps you lay out how you are planning to achieve your goals. For instance, not only did I realize I needed to speak up about keeping temptations out of sight, I stood pretty firm with myself on not letting myself get talked into fitness routines with other people. Some people find it very helpful to have a workout buddy. I do not. Personally, I think planning time for a workout in the middle of one person’s schedule can sometimes be rough, especially if that schedule tends to change somewhat frequently, so trying to work around two different schedules is more challenge than you need when you’re just starting out and is often over before it begins. Months into my routines, if people wanted to workout with me, I felt more confident to try. Anyone who is truly supportive will understand that this is about doing what is best for oneself. Perhaps suggesting more of a monthly workout-palooza is a good alternative. You can workout separately, but then once or twice a month get together for a 5k race or long bike-ride or dance marathon.
In January, I was not very vocal about trying to lose weight. After all, this was attempt 1,033- I didn’t really expect leaps and bounds even though I was starting with a different primary goal (to make healthier choices). When I lost 16 pounds (about 6 weeks in), that was the first time I said anything to the coworkers with whom I was close, I’d update my parents here and there on my progress, but I was just keeping my eyes forward to the next steps. As I have spoken more about my weight loss and the choices that got me here, I have gotten more and more support. Let people know in the beginning of your journey, not necessarily for accountability (though that doesn’t hurt), but because, once again, it supports that good mindset; when you tell others and ask for their support, it says to yourself that you are all in and truly ready to make some changes. Hang on to those that were there for you in the beginning, hang on to those that cheer you on when the weight loss slows and you want to throw scale through the window and binge-eat, hang on to those that truly understand what every.single.step of this journey has meant to you, and hang on to those who constantly encourage you.
This past Saturday (Oct 18), I ran the Detroit Free Press (American Home Fitness) 5k. It was the first 5k I signed up for with the intention of running. The first two miles were pretty fantastic- this year it was along the Detroit Riverwalk, which is just beautiful, and I ran those first two miles relatively quickly and easily. Then I started getting some side stitches/cramps I could not stretch out. Overall, I walked about a half-mile of the race on and off trying to work out the tightness in my torso. I was feeling tired, but okay when the finish line came into view and I started sprinting. I saw my mom, aunt, and boyfriend cheering me on on the sidewalk, but I could not look at them. My eyes were tearing up, my face was contorting. That finish line looming in the distance signified so much for me. It wasn’t about running- it was about everything I’ve accomplished since signing up for the race in February/March, everything I’ve accomplished since the start of the year, surviving every bit of challenge life has thrown at me. With this journey, I proved to myself that I can thrive, I can conquer. It’s been a pleasant surprise.
Post-race instagram love.
Emily the Strong 