run your own race

everyone is different.  that's what makes this life so interesting.  and challenging.  if everyone thought the same, looked the same, reacted the same way - we would definitely be able to figure things out a lot easier. but we also would be bored to death.  and life would have no adventures.

“A red rose is not selfish because it wants to be a red rose. It would be horribly selfish if it wanted all the other flowers in the garden to be both red and roses.” oscar wilde

as this relates to fitness and health, let's just say this: no 2 bodies are the same.  we process food differently, we crave different things, and our bodies respond to both eating and exercising differently.  and that is OKAY.  the challenge comes in figuring out how to ADAPT to what our individual bodies need. and boy is THAT hard.  because we are all so different.  its a crazy cycle.  because what works for me and what works for you are probably not the same thing.  which is cool.  and yet utterly frustrating when you see something work for someone else, but then not work for you. ugh!

Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.     -- Margaret Mead

let me digress...to SNOWBOARDING. of all things.  i picked up this skill very late in life. like 2 years ago.  and like everything in my life, i wanted to be good at it IMMEDIATELY.  which i was not.  at all!  it was super frustrating to watch everyone else seem to jump on and ride with ease, while i was tumbling down the slope - literally.  but then someone casually said, hey - maybe you'd be better riding goofy.  of course, i had no idea what that meant.  but then i realized that there was more than one way to ride a snowboard - duh.  and there began the solution.  i dont ride like everyone else - it'shocking, i know. i ride backwards, or right leg in front - aka GOOFY. only about 2 in 10 snowboarders ride like this, but guess what? someone somewhere along the way figured that out.  not everyone does this the same way!  let's look at some options.  now im not sure why MY way has to be goofy, but it's probably nicer than ass-backwards :)

Dare to turn life on its end, and you may find that topsy-turvy is a truer perspective than turvy-topsy. ~Robert Brault

my point here is that, if something isnt working for you, then something else probably will.  we are not a one stop shop.  one size DOES NOT fit all.  and we need to stop treating exercise and nutrition like it should.  people get so frustrated with the constant barrage of conflicting information:  3 meals vs 5 meals, cardio after weights vs cardio before, heavy weights or light weights, steady state cardio vs intervals.  the answer is that THERE IS NO RIGHT ANSWER.  fitness is 100% trial and error.  just like nutrition.  obviously there are basic guidelines.  you need to exercise.  you cant eat nothing but crap.  but the details are mind-bogglingly endless in variation.  and you have to just keep trying until you figure out the right combination FOR YOU.

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”  Dr. Seuss

success CAN be measured.  but its not always measured in size or weight loss. sometimes its measured in GAIN.  we all need to start appreciating what our bodies are capable of.  not just what it looks like or how much it weighs.  the whole idea behind strong is beautiful is APPRECIATION.  each one of us is capable of amazing things.  where we start and how far we go doesn't really matter.  because each of us can be BETTER than we were  yesterday.  we can push our limits - all of them.  beauty isn't necessarily a physical attribute.  beautiful represents so many different concepts - and is unique to each person...just like your body.  your smile, your kindess, your energy or enthusiasm - all of those things make you beautiful.  being generous, helpful, encouraging.  also beautiful in their own right.  and we can all do those things BETTER.  that progress is just as important as any physical progress you make.  we are more than our appearance. and we need to start recognizing all of the unique characteristics that make us who we are.  THEN you can start figuring out how to make the most of what YOU individually bring to the table. and how you pursue success.

There is just one life for each of us: our own. ~Euripides

let me share this - these are my shortcomings (as it relates to this - i have tons more): i HATE running. i get bored super quickly.  i eat like a 400lb truck driver. i can not eat more than 3x a day or i obsess completely about food.  i drop in & out of vegetarianism.  i have a bad hip to knee ratio (its been proven- i'm not just saying that) & im very competitive (which i swear i'm not to everyone who will listen).  what this means is that while i would probably benefit from running longer distances in terms of weight loss, i won't do it.  its too boring and i just flat out dont like it.  and its NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO ME to make that a priority.  think about that - not important enough TO ME.  because at this stage of the game for me, this isn't about weight loss.  sure, i would like to be lighter - physically lighter.  because then my pull-up goal becomes easier.  my runs aren't quite so cumbersome (when i actually do them), and my box jumps arent as scary.  but it is NOT IMPORTANT enough to make the necessary changes i need to make to make this happen.  what i am choosing to do instead is more interval cardio - lots more jumping rope, and lifting heavier.  because if i can get stronger, it won't matter how much my ass weighs when i try to pull it up.  THAT is what works FOR ME.  mentally.  and physically. RIGHT NOW.

Learning is movement from moment to moment. J Krishnamurti 

do you get where i am going with this?  this is MY plan.  for MY body.  for THIS time in my life.  this will all change again and has many times in the past.  because I change.  all the time.  and so do you!! stop looking for ONE answer.  there isn't ONE. there are many.  start your trial and error journey now.  try new things.  new exercise regimines.  or eating plans.  pick up a new sport. sign up for a race or a challenge.  as the year progresses, KEEP the things that you like & that work.  and drop the things that don't.  eventually you will hit on the right combination FOR YOU. for NOW.

We're still not where we're going, but we're not where we were. ~Natasha Josefowitz