confidence – Peace with Food

Being a runner, one of my goals was to run a marathon. It was one of those things on my bucket-list – or what Lara and I call our Live-It List.

And although I wanted to run a marathon for the purpose of accomplishing a worthwhile and challenging goal, I must confess I also had ulterior motives.

To lose weight.

I was convinced that a marathon would solve all of my weight issues. So off I went following a training schedule to a T. I was committed and focused. I would run a marathon and be set free from my weight problems for life!

Wow, was I misguided. On marathon day, my weight was actually up nine pounds from what it had been just weeks before. I didn’t fare much better the second time around either. Two weeks after the marathon I had gained all my pre-marathon weight and more. *sigh*

What a valuable lesson. As awesome as marathons are, they (and all other workout programs) are not the magic bullet for my weight issues. I had to get to the heart of the matter and deal with the reason I struggled with my weight and food in the first place. It wasn’t because I wasn’t working out enough, it was because I had an unhealthy relationship with food.

Until I dealt with that issue, my weight issue would continue to be lurking in the shadows.

Now, I’m not telling you exercise isn’t important because it is for so many reasons – it helps you live longer, strengthens your heart and lungs, makes you feel better, improves your confidence, improves your brain, helps you look better. . . Need I say more? So if you are not exercising, please consider finding some physical activity that you love to do and then do it regularly.

But don’t expect it to do something it was never designed to do – fix your food issues. That, my friend is up to you. 😉

Posse Discussion:

Have you ever signed up for a workout program in hopes it would be the magic bullet? Share your answer with your posse.

Click Here for Day 21!

“Battles fought alone are overwhelming, but battles fought together are exciting.” Jim Molinari (Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach Nebraska Cornhuskers)

Picture this . . .

A posse riding into in an Old West town.

Dust flying.

Heads turning.

And with the posse’s presence comes a sense of relief. Law and order will be restored.

Not only is this group of comrades fighting for a greater cause, they also have confidence they will prevail. That is because they understand there is power in numbers and they are a force to be reckoned with.

But that isn’t all they have going for them. In fact, their biggest asset may be that they share a tight bond and they have each other’s backs.

Now insert yourself in this picture with your best buddies. Your closest friends and confidants. Those people that can help you in your journey of Peace with Food (or just your journey through life in general). Those people you can text, call, message or reach out to for help, encouragement, and support.

This is your posse.

They will be there for you when you don’t feel like you can fight another day. When you need a cheerleader. Or when you need a shoulder to cry on.

And they will pick you up, dust you off, and help you get back in the game when you fall down.

If you’re thinking, “But I don’t have a posse.” Then start with what you have. Can you find one person, one buddy, one accountability partner or whatever you want to call them that can help you?

Getting a person to support you and hold you accountable through this journey is a BIG DEAL.

Seriously.

We don’t know where we would be if we had not done this thing together. In fact, you probably wouldn’t be reading this post, because this blog would not exist.

So start thinking. Who is someone you can trust? Someone who has your back? Someone you can be honest with and who will be honest with you? Someone who will be your cheerleader, but will also give you a reality check when necessary?

Then think about a posse. Where can you find a group of people with a common purpose? Is it at work? At the gym? At church? In your social settings? On Facebook?

Going solo can be lonely. Besides, life is just a whole lot more fun and the journey a whole lot more enjoyable when you are taking it with your buddy.

Or with a posse. 😉