For those of you who know, I worked hard last year and I lost 30kg. I have always been the chumpy kid, and as I grew up nothing changed. In fact I got chumpier. I do not have a natural athletic ability, I never have and I never will. But I got to a point where I stopped comparing myself against other people and started competing against myself. I got to a point where for the first time in my life I was able to run, and became quite fit. I was really enjoying my new level of fitness, mentally, physically, emotionally. It felt there was little that would get in my way… How wrong I was.
I fell off a dirt bike in April this year, I hyper-extended my knee and landed on it the wrong way round, basically snapping or damaging 3 of the 4 main ligaments in my knee. I ended up having surgery, and a number of months of rehabilitation. I am still going through physiotherapy and rehabilitation, and I will be to some degree for at least the next year or so if not longer…
Last night I went back to the gym for the first time since April. I went to my first spin class, and oh how I have missed the endorphins. I don’t think the class went particularly well, and I felt extremely unfit and unable, that is until I realised I am back to comparing myself against others. As far as I could tell, I was the only person in that room last night returning from major surgery and at my first session back, and I know I am the only person who is me.
Back in the day when I used to be obese, my excuses for not exercising amounted to laziness. Essentially, I was able to exercise, I just didn’t want to. When I did start going to the gym on a regular basis, I found that there was very little I couldn’t do. I would improve each session and I would slash through my previous best efforts. Each gym session I was happy to push the limits, and I was happy to go further than before.
Last night when I went I felt victim to my body. For the first time in a long time, I was no longer in charge of the body; I was instead being limited by it. I felt scared to push the limits, and scared of doing more damage. I still worked hard last night on my spin bike, but I felt I didn’t work as hard as I might have previously. In some ways, I feel that my body is failing. In the mind, I am ready, willing and able to get on the bike and ride my little ass off, quite literally! But my body just doesn’t respond the way I want it to.
Over the time I have been immobilised, disabled, incapacitated, call it what you will! I have struggled against this leg with a mind of its own. I have also managed to put on 2-3kg. I want to move that and even more. It’s action time. Even now, there are few excuses I will allow myself to make when it comes to doing the things I want to do.
In a way, it’s an important lesson for me to learn. I am going to be a nurse/midwife at the end of next year. I will have patients who are not in charge of their bodies. Patients who have the willpower and motivation but a body that won’t co-operate.
I guess in a way the hardest part of all of this is that it’s not quite mind over matter. In a sense, mind over matter is a good attitude to have, but I need to be careful to listen to the demands of my leg and not push beyond its capabilities. Because pushing too far would be the ultimate casualty here. But I will continue in my determination. Can you guys help me…? Losing the weight again is not going to be easy…. I’ll need encouragement…
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You are doing the right thing by not forcing the issue while your leg mends. I am obese and damaged my leg (leg badly twisted up behind me in a fall that was the fault of an exercise instructor who insisted I go down a loose 45 degree incline despite my protests). This was on the first day of a paid for $6,000 3-week stay to lose weight. Stupidly he/they had the “get back on the horse” attitude and forced painful exercise on my leg which untimately meant the course fee was wasted and when I got back home and saw doctors they were horrified and it took almost 12 months before things got back to almost normal. Don’t force the issue and remember walking a distance burns the same calories (albeit over the longer time) than running that same distance and causing shock to your joints. Here endeth the lesson.
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Regards
Wayne FitzSimons (aka @Fitzy)
Hey Gorgeous,
Let’s make a pact to lose weight and motivate each other into doing exercise last year. Loved reading your running tweets earlier this year and you are inspiring to read
Xoxoxo -Tamz
Hey Em you can so do it. You have the right mindset because you know what you want. Just remember that you have a major injury and the mere fact you are back at the gym craving fitness is a huge thing and a positive thing. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Love you u lots Miss Em. xxxxx