Posted Wednesday, June 18 at 1:00 am
1 Comment
I love being at the gym, getting out with the guys to play softball, or meeting friends for tennis. I honestly just like being around people that have a passion for fitness and staying in shape. It’s the pinnacle of motivation - or so I thought.
Lately I have been more motivated from overweight people with the worst habits.
I’m not even sure what I was doing at the time, but as I passed a McDonald’s the other day, I found myself pulling in for a cheat snack. I was a bit stressed, running late, had missed dinner, blah, blah, blah… I’m not even sure why I walked in, but perhaps I had rationalized that something quick and dirty wouldn’t matter that much. I am standing behind this huge (meaning fat) bald Mexican guy. He has ordered - for himself - three double cheeseburgers, two large fries, and a giant tub of coke. It was actually a bit disgusting to watch, thinking about the damage he was about to do. He turns to me and says, “Now that’s a man’s meal, am I right?” As if by my being overweight, I instantly had some sort of bond or understanding with the guy!? I immediately walked away, mumbling that I was just there to use the restroom. I was quickly out the door empty-handed and back on the road.
I guess this could be taken several ways. I could be embarrassed that he thought I would be able to appreciate his choices. I could also be thrilled that I was able to overcome temptation. Rather, I am encouraged with the change in mindset. I don’t see myself as that guy anymore. I am actually insulted that I would be put in with that “class” of people simply because of my size - as if all of us are lazy, unmotivated, and willing to stuff anything in our mouths. Sure, I may have gotten here by being that way initially, but I don’t think of myself that way anymore - at least not to that excess, to that extreme degree, to that disgusting volume.
I do have things to work on, no doubt. I fluctuate day to day with the depth of my resolve. But somewhere deep inside, I really do believe that I am better than that now. I just hope to build on that feeling and make it ever more present on a daily basis.
Along the same lines… I was talking with Candy and Nichole tonight. I had planned on getting to the gym with Candy after the girls went down, but we drifted along in conversation until it was evident we weren’t going to make it. “I guess we are taking the night off, huh?” I said almost in relief. Nichole answers “Yeah, looks that way. It is too late to be exercising anyway.”
That was all I needed. So while she sat there and finished the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups she had bought and put in the fridge, I ran on the treadmill. I can find motivation in everything, but I think I perform my best when challenged.
One more day down.