You know the saying, I have "arrived". Has anyone out there reached their goals and been able to say, "yes, this is where I wanted to be and I am happy." I have always thought I needed to loose weight. Not alot, around 10 - 30 lbs at any given time. I guess I have never been happy with what the scale says. Is it possible to be happy with weight and slight imperfections or does a person always want to look better? I think that we are built different and I won't ever look like Cathe, I am more shaped like Cede without the top. I don't think she looks bad, that's not it. I would just prefer to look more like Cathe but I am not built that way. Maybe just realizing that is a start to accepting the image in the mirror. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I look terrible. Quite the opposite actually but I see room for improvement and I think I always will. Somedays I just want to say "you look great, don't worry about your food and exercise today." I guess if I did that everyday I would be back to where I started three years ago, 35lbs heavier. Vic
has anyone "arrived" yet
- Thread starter VickyWI
- Start date
endorphin_junkie
Cathlete
RE: has anyone
Your post reminds of the saying that one poster here uses, "fitness is a journey, not a destination".
I have been actively (pun intended;-)) pursuing fitness for about 13 years, I initially lost 50 lbs. After much work there was a 4 year period when my body fat was very low and my muscle mass was very high, did I feel that I had 'arrived', not really. I can honestly say that being very lean does not feel right to me, I look older and feel colder from the inside out than I could ever have imagined. I used to lament about staying super lean but life's to short. I love what LauraMax posted here once, she said something to the effect that she loses 50lbs. a year, but it's the same 10lbs five times....that's me to a tee. My weight is a healthy one and I often get comments on how 'fit and toned' I look. I am 43 years old now and have had my share of injuries and times that fitness had to take a back seat to personal crisis management. I am not as lean as I once was but am pysically stronger than I thought possible. In as much as I am the best me that I can be at this particular time in my life maybe I do feel that I have arrived.
Take Care
Laurie
edited for grammar
Your post reminds of the saying that one poster here uses, "fitness is a journey, not a destination".
I have been actively (pun intended;-)) pursuing fitness for about 13 years, I initially lost 50 lbs. After much work there was a 4 year period when my body fat was very low and my muscle mass was very high, did I feel that I had 'arrived', not really. I can honestly say that being very lean does not feel right to me, I look older and feel colder from the inside out than I could ever have imagined. I used to lament about staying super lean but life's to short. I love what LauraMax posted here once, she said something to the effect that she loses 50lbs. a year, but it's the same 10lbs five times....that's me to a tee. My weight is a healthy one and I often get comments on how 'fit and toned' I look. I am 43 years old now and have had my share of injuries and times that fitness had to take a back seat to personal crisis management. I am not as lean as I once was but am pysically stronger than I thought possible. In as much as I am the best me that I can be at this particular time in my life maybe I do feel that I have arrived. Take Care
Laurie
edited for grammar
allwildgirl
Cathlete
RE: has anyone
I feel that way for about one nanosecond every six months when I look in the mirror and think "oh yeah!". The rest of the time, I'm constantly working on things. Tighter abs, smaller butt, bigger biceps.
I compare it to decorating my house. As my SO always says to me, when I'm whining about not having enough money to do everything I want NOW, "Shell, if it was all done, where would the fun be? You'd get bored.".
I'm mostly happy with things, but there are days that I still don't think I'm where I want to be.
I feel that way for about one nanosecond every six months when I look in the mirror and think "oh yeah!". The rest of the time, I'm constantly working on things. Tighter abs, smaller butt, bigger biceps.
I compare it to decorating my house. As my SO always says to me, when I'm whining about not having enough money to do everything I want NOW, "Shell, if it was all done, where would the fun be? You'd get bored.".
I'm mostly happy with things, but there are days that I still don't think I'm where I want to be.
Timber99
Cathlete
RE: has anyone
>I feel that way for about one nanosecond every six months
>when I look in the mirror and think "oh yeah!". The rest of
>the time, I'm constantly working on things. Tighter abs,
>smaller butt, bigger biceps.
>
That about captures it!
I think that in some way, my answer is "yes." I am a healthier me and I have acheived many of my goals. I have no more weight to lose. I see definition. I am strong. I can really push out the cardio. There isn't much out there that I can't do as far as helping the yard, moving furniture, etc.
The "no" to my answer is that I am always pushing to make improvements. I want more definition, etc. But my theory is that is never hurts to keep building on a great foundation
Christine
>I feel that way for about one nanosecond every six months
>when I look in the mirror and think "oh yeah!". The rest of
>the time, I'm constantly working on things. Tighter abs,
>smaller butt, bigger biceps.
>
That about captures it!
I think that in some way, my answer is "yes." I am a healthier me and I have acheived many of my goals. I have no more weight to lose. I see definition. I am strong. I can really push out the cardio. There isn't much out there that I can't do as far as helping the yard, moving furniture, etc.
The "no" to my answer is that I am always pushing to make improvements. I want more definition, etc. But my theory is that is never hurts to keep building on a great foundation
Christine
RE: has anyone
Ditto with these last posts. 4 years ago I didn't exercise, didn't eat right and was overweight and out of shape. I kicked things into gear, too much so and lost 45 pounds and felt horrible. I was a size 4, but I had no energy, I looked horrible (pasty skin color, dark circles under eyes, believe me the list goes on and on.) After a doctor's visit, we came up with a new healthy game plan. It did wonders and I gained some weight back (about 20 pounds) and feel better right now then I ever have before. Of course there are things I wish to improve on like the others said, toning my thunder thighs being at the top of the list! But being at both ends of the extremes has made me appreciate where I am right now.
Ditto with these last posts. 4 years ago I didn't exercise, didn't eat right and was overweight and out of shape. I kicked things into gear, too much so and lost 45 pounds and felt horrible. I was a size 4, but I had no energy, I looked horrible (pasty skin color, dark circles under eyes, believe me the list goes on and on.) After a doctor's visit, we came up with a new healthy game plan. It did wonders and I gained some weight back (about 20 pounds) and feel better right now then I ever have before. Of course there are things I wish to improve on like the others said, toning my thunder thighs being at the top of the list! But being at both ends of the extremes has made me appreciate where I am right now.
Carol_is_fit
Cathlete
RE: has anyone
I suppose I have "arrived" because I no longer stress over it. I don't want to "look like" anyone else - I just want to be me. It's more of a lifestyle for me rather than a point at which I expect to arrive, if that makes sense. Every day I try to do something, even if that something turns out to be half a scheduled workout or a stretching workout. Hey ... we have busy lives and sometimes we need to take a break. Every day I eat as cleanly as I can, but I also allow myself to have a treat if I want it. The trick is knowing when to stop and also remembering food is only fuel - it's not a "reward". My "imperfections" are what make me unique. They're not imperfections because what is "perfection"? Who is judging what or who is "perfect", and why should I feel obligated to strive toward looking like that arbitrary person or image? I look like "me" and I'm very happy with that. And if you're happy in your own skin, it will filter down to every aspect of your life. Fitness is a way of life, not an arrival point. It's about who you are inside as much as what you "look like" on the outside.
Carol
I suppose I have "arrived" because I no longer stress over it. I don't want to "look like" anyone else - I just want to be me.
It's more of a lifestyle for me rather than a point at which I expect to arrive, if that makes sense. Every day I try to do something, even if that something turns out to be half a scheduled workout or a stretching workout. Hey ... we have busy lives and sometimes we need to take a break. Every day I eat as cleanly as I can, but I also allow myself to have a treat if I want it. The trick is knowing when to stop and also remembering food is only fuel - it's not a "reward". My "imperfections" are what make me unique. They're not imperfections because what is "perfection"? Who is judging what or who is "perfect", and why should I feel obligated to strive toward looking like that arbitrary person or image? I look like "me" and I'm very happy with that. And if you're happy in your own skin, it will filter down to every aspect of your life. Fitness is a way of life, not an arrival point. It's about who you are inside as much as what you "look like" on the outside.Carol
Bobbi
Cathlete
RE: has anyone
We look back and we look forward from this present moment and what do we see? Life has been better or it's been worse but having gotten hooked on this place we continue to want more, to want the best and we know we can have it if we listen to the wisdom we pick up quite easily here. Of the many blessings in my life, this place and you woman are high on my list!
I have reached many goals only to find that always means getting new ones. I have noted some of these buff woman enjoy working out in a certain manner but I like to change things all the time. At times I emphasize cardio to burn fat while strength training moderately and then flip that to emphasize heavier strength with less cardio to put down muscle. Sometimes, both are more intense, sometimes both are less. One thing is certain, whether I have been quite muscular (for me ) or more streamlined and toned, I have to work with my particular body type and it CAN be frustrating because I think I'd love to be more muscular but I'm an ecto and I have good definition and tone, but size is another matter. I envy abs and that 6 pack with well-muscled defintion is not in the cards for me since I am not only an ecto, I'm an apple to boot, and I store body fat very specifically to the abdominal area. (Boo.)
I do know most of my body issues stem, not from media images of what's a perfect body because bodies are so different that few of us are going to look like models and movie stars anyway. Mine are usually about control and very emotional. I spent years developing a sensible realtionship with food and my body just as it is, only to find that in times of stress, depression or insomnia, which seem to plague me, I have a tendancy to take it out on my body. In my case, I feel the need to be thinner. But forewarned is forearmed and it's only a matter of time until the journey resumes. A goal met is not a destination, it's a stopping point where I might reflect where to go next. Perhaps reaching self-acceptance is our truest goal and the rest is just the tools to keep us there as we explore the various and sundry ways to do this.
You have accomplished a great deal, thirty-five pounds lighter and still striving for improvement and you sound quite sensibly aware that you may continue to see room for improvement and there is nothing wrong with that. The divine Ms. Cathe uses 25 pounders for flyes. I spent many years trying to do that until I realized that 15 was going to do it for my little arms. I think Cathe's physique is amazing and her recovery from child birth, wow. But I have to focus on a different set of goals because that's not in the cards for me. And you too. I'll tell you one thing, Vic, you keep that attitude and the realization that you need only accept yourself as you are at the moment and it will happen, probably without your even being aware that it has. And if you continue as you are, with a focused eating and exercise plan, your journey will be it's own reward. There's no place down the road we need to get to to find perfect happiness. Heck, life will throw something at you that can set you back if allowed, but having in our possession the knowledge that these things we do are in and of themselves very wonderful, we will ultimately know that if we adhere to certain principles, life can be very good, wherever we are. Sometimes it may be merely managable too! How many of us are ever going to be content to go back to places we have been when we have come to know how great living the life of fitness can be?
So what's your next stop on the journey that is your wild and precious life? I dare you to match Cathe pound for pound! I wonder, is it realistic for you and would you want that? I WILL NOT be doing that because that's not realistic for me and I'm not looking for six pack abs another moment of my life but oh my, I am thinking about the new workouts and exploring them.
Your thoughtful question makes me want to renew my commitment to being the best me possible, in this moment and this body and I thank you for that! And I encourage you to keep up the good work you are doing because you are fabulous! Keep strivng to be better and you will be. That may not manifest in changes in your outward appearance, the shape of you but it will make you more beautiful because to realize your power and beauty and strength does that. Let it shine!
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"
Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
We look back and we look forward from this present moment and what do we see? Life has been better or it's been worse but having gotten hooked on this place we continue to want more, to want the best and we know we can have it if we listen to the wisdom we pick up quite easily here. Of the many blessings in my life, this place and you woman are high on my list!
I have reached many goals only to find that always means getting new ones.
I have noted some of these buff woman enjoy working out in a certain manner but I like to change things all the time. At times I emphasize cardio to burn fat while strength training moderately and then flip that to emphasize heavier strength with less cardio to put down muscle. Sometimes, both are more intense, sometimes both are less. One thing is certain, whether I have been quite muscular (for me ) or more streamlined and toned, I have to work with my particular body type and it CAN be frustrating because I think I'd love to be more muscular but I'm an ecto and I have good definition and tone, but size is another matter. I envy abs and that 6 pack with well-muscled defintion is not in the cards for me since I am not only an ecto, I'm an apple to boot, and I store body fat very specifically to the abdominal area. (Boo.)I do know most of my body issues stem, not from media images of what's a perfect body because bodies are so different that few of us are going to look like models and movie stars anyway. Mine are usually about control and very emotional. I spent years developing a sensible realtionship with food and my body just as it is, only to find that in times of stress, depression or insomnia, which seem to plague me, I have a tendancy to take it out on my body. In my case, I feel the need to be thinner. But forewarned is forearmed and it's only a matter of time until the journey resumes. A goal met is not a destination, it's a stopping point where I might reflect where to go next. Perhaps reaching self-acceptance is our truest goal and the rest is just the tools to keep us there as we explore the various and sundry ways to do this.
You have accomplished a great deal, thirty-five pounds lighter and still striving for improvement and you sound quite sensibly aware that you may continue to see room for improvement and there is nothing wrong with that. The divine Ms. Cathe uses 25 pounders for flyes. I spent many years trying to do that until I realized that 15 was going to do it for my little arms. I think Cathe's physique is amazing and her recovery from child birth, wow. But I have to focus on a different set of goals because that's not in the cards for me. And you too.
I'll tell you one thing, Vic, you keep that attitude and the realization that you need only accept yourself as you are at the moment and it will happen, probably without your even being aware that it has. And if you continue as you are, with a focused eating and exercise plan, your journey will be it's own reward. There's no place down the road we need to get to to find perfect happiness. Heck, life will throw something at you that can set you back if allowed, but having in our possession the knowledge that these things we do are in and of themselves very wonderful, we will ultimately know that if we adhere to certain principles, life can be very good, wherever we are. Sometimes it may be merely managable too! How many of us are ever going to be content to go back to places we have been when we have come to know how great living the life of fitness can be? So what's your next stop on the journey that is your wild and precious life? I dare you to match Cathe pound for pound! I wonder, is it realistic for you and would you want that? I WILL NOT be doing that because that's not realistic for me and I'm not looking for six pack abs another moment of my life but oh my, I am thinking about the new workouts and exploring them.
Your thoughtful question makes me want to renew my commitment to being the best me possible, in this moment and this body and I thank you for that! And I encourage you to keep up the good work you are doing because you are fabulous! Keep strivng to be better and you will be. That may not manifest in changes in your outward appearance, the shape of you but it will make you more beautiful because to realize your power and beauty and strength does that. Let it shine!
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"
Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
RE: has anyone
Wow, what impressive reponses. You women truly are the most amazing people I know and full of wisdom too. Not only did I get encouragement from all of you but it gave me a new vision of myself. Bobbi, your reply was very moving. I too am an apple, no six pack in my future. I have starting working toward matching Cathe's weight for lifting as a new goal. We will see what my potential is, only time will tell. I have been pretty easy on myself in the goal department. I think it is time to kick it up a notch! Gee, where have we heard that before? Vicky
Wow, what impressive reponses. You women truly are the most amazing people I know and full of wisdom too. Not only did I get encouragement from all of you but it gave me a new vision of myself. Bobbi, your reply was very moving. I too am an apple, no six pack in my future. I have starting working toward matching Cathe's weight for lifting as a new goal. We will see what my potential is, only time will tell. I have been pretty easy on myself in the goal department. I think it is time to kick it up a notch! Gee, where have we heard that before? Vicky
Bobbi
Cathlete
RE: has anyone
Go, Vicky, go! I think I need to write down my goals. I have been in a fly by the seat of my pants mode for far too long. I want to create something like a perfect balance of strength cardio and yoga and try to build some muscle. Let's indeed kick it up! I have everything I need to do that except myself as a willing participant. Cr-azy! Keep us informed of how that goes for you, okay? I love the idea of a new vison and how sharing YOUR wisdom has given it to me and then returned it to you for inspiration. Let me tell you that I have needed that very badly. And here it is, simply by opening a thread. Can anyone say, "Bam!"
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"
Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
Go, Vicky, go! I think I need to write down my goals. I have been in a fly by the seat of my pants mode for far too long. I want to create something like a perfect balance of strength cardio and yoga and try to build some muscle. Let's indeed kick it up!
I have everything I need to do that except myself as a willing participant. Cr-azy! Keep us informed of how that goes for you, okay? I love the idea of a new vison and how sharing YOUR wisdom has given it to me and then returned it to you for inspiration. Let me tell you that I have needed that very badly. And here it is, simply by opening a thread. Can anyone say, "Bam!" Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"
Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
Bobbi
Cathlete
RE: has anyone
Thanks, Michele. It's this place, you magnificent women. Aren't we so lucky to have this? I feel so grateful!
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"
Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
Thanks, Michele. It's this place, you magnificent women. Aren't we so lucky to have this? I feel so grateful!
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"
Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver