Two Sticks or a Lighter

Healthy Competition - Finally

Posted by Sherry , Monday, August 16, 2010 Monday, August 16, 2010

I enjoy a little healthy competition from time to time. I mean, there's nothing like challenging your husband to a little game of “who can do the dishes faster?” Good job, honey! Boy, he ALWAYS beats me. Guess I should leave that chore to the master, right?

But competition doesn't really come naturally to me. And it doesn't always help me rise to the occasion to accomplish a goal or get something done.

In the back of my head is always a voice telling me that there's always going to be someone out there who does “it”(whatever 'it' may be) better, faster, more competently, more often.

I never played competitive sports as a kid – and not just because I was the overweight kid who couldn't throw a ball and was picked last – but because it was more in my nature to know that, when I realized I or my team were not going to win, whatever the final score, whoever the winner, we were still getting ice cream! I mean, it isn't whether you win or lose, it's the after-game pizza party that counts!

In the world of child-rearing, competition is everywhere. Now, it wears a smile, the smell of spit-up and comes prepared with a snack-cup of gluten-free goldfish crackers, but don't be fooled. It.is.there.

You breastfed your baby for 6 months? That's great! But Natural Parenting mommy is still breastfeeding her 9^th grader. Your 2 year old can count to 6? Wonderful! But Over Achiever mommy is already teaching her 2 year old statistics!

I'm pretty sure that any high school football coach would rip me a new one because when it comes right down to it, I am not inspired by the thought of winning. Unless, of course, it is winning an argument or Madonna tickets, in which case, IT IS ON.

I think my lack of competitive drive is what compelled me to take a hard look at how exercise and my weight loss journey fit together.

Like many of the banded out there, I believe that exercise plays a key role in my weight loss. If you have been a reader of my blog from the start, you will note that is has actually only been three weeks since I have felt any band restriction.

I firmly believe that until three weeks ago, virtually all of my weight loss could be contributed to exercise. I figured out what kind of exercise I like – weight training/muscle building – I got a trainer and I built exercise back into my weekly routine.

Until I had a child, exercise was ALWAYS a part of my life. Since I was 15 years old I have never gone more than a couple of weeks without doing some form of purposeful exercise. I went to the gym, to various exercise classes and did “Abs of Steel”. I tried my hand at long distance running (10 milers and 5 Ks ) but got to disliking the chafing in the booby region. I had trainers and programs and special running gear and headphones. I always did SOMETHING that would qualify as exercise. I never even fell into the 'obese' BMI category until after I had my daughter and exercise came to a giant stand-still.

So when I decided to take this WLS journey, I knew that exercise HAD to be a part of it for me to succeed.

But see, I'm not even competitive with MYSELF so it is hard to get excited about waking myself out of a sexy dream with George Clooney to go get yelled at by Miss Hard Body in an aerobics class every morning. Or missing out on family time so I can look stupid on an elliptical. Or running when there is no one chasing me.

So what I did was make a commitment that I knew I could keep forever. I know myself well enough to know that I will never work-out every day. I just won't. I prioritize Mommy's Night Out over working out. I put watching an episode of TrueBlood over going on a nightly walk. I get distracted by shiny things.

I know that I CAN commit to working out 2 times a week, come hell, high water or a Friends rerun marathon.

Right now I work out usually 3 or 4 days a week because I can. Its summer. I have a regular babysitter. I have the time. And most of my TV shows are on hiatus. But in February when its cold and ugly out and Big Love is in its 5^th season? I don't know if I can guarantee I'll be in the gym 4 days a week.

I feel confident, however, that I can find 2 hours a week in the gym with my trainer. And maybe time to dust off the Abs of Steel VHS.

I wanted to make this final weight loss journey a positive one. I'm finally able to eat in a healthy way (and be satisfied) that, thanks to my band, I know I can maintain for the rest of my life. I wanted my exercise to be the same way. I wanted to do something that I knew I could keep up for the rest of my life.

So, I guess I'm in a competition. It's just easier to compete when you know you're going to win.