It's a marathon, not a sprint...

What I was doing was not working...

I used to go to the gym a couple times a week, might be Monday, might be Wednesday. I also went at different times of the day, sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the evening. I would find myself getting up and not wanting to go to the gym, so I didn't. Surprisingly, this did not produce results. 

Another issue I came up against was that I used food as a coping mechanism. If I was stressed, or upset, or just plain having a bad day, I would reach for a bag of Doritos, or a block of cheese. Anything to not have to deal with my feelings. I could finish off a bag of Doritos in one sitting; Party Size. So why was I surprised that I was Party Size as well? 

What about exercising outside of the gym you might ask? Well, let's just say that the most exercise I got was lifting food from my plate to my mouth. I spent a lot of time on the computer or watching videos on YouTube (smart TV is a blessing and a curse) with my standard bag of chips to keep me company. I did pretend to work out, but it was a half-hearted effort.

So, what changed?

For me, the biggest change was that I started going to the gym every day at the same time, and every weekday. I started getting up at 5:00 am, getting my gym clothes on and heading to the gym. Once there I had a set number of workouts that I would do, and then I would spend 10 minutes in one of the amazing massage chairs. 

I also changed my relationship with food and began being a mindful eater. What that means is that I think about why I am eating, thinking of the purpose of the food I am eating. Am I eating because I am sad, or because I am hungry? Most importantly I started treating sugar and candy like recreational drugs, I only do them on the weekends. Being aware of why I am eating is not the same as obsessing about food, and this is an important distinction. Obsessing about food, whether about too much or too little is a sign of an eating disorder, so I have to be very careful. 

Finally, I changed the kind of foods, and quantity of food I am eating. I already mentioned that I now treat sugar as a treat (which it should be, really) and not as a primary source of calories. I also started eating a lot of yoghurt and kefir, along with raisins, sunflower seeds, and Brazil nuts for breakfast. Trying to heal all the damage I have done over years to my stomach biome has been very important to me, as is finding foods that provide me with micronutrients like magnesium, and zinc. For my main meals I eat a LOT of protein. Since I am working out, I need more calories, more protein specifically, to rebuild the muscle fibers that break down through exercise. I also need more calories to replace the ones I shed through running, or hiking. 

So, what have I learned?

First of all, I learned that I have to be consistent. I have to get up at the same time every day and go to the gym, especially when I don't want to. I have to consistently eat better, higher-quality meals, and not eat garbage like candy and chips. I have also learned that I can take these same principles and apply them to other aspects of my life, like writing these posts, for example. 

Creative Fitness

I don't need to generate several pages every day to make this blog worthwhile, I just need to be consistent and work on creating new content every single day. That might mean editing a previous post or creating a new one. It also might mean writing a complete post in a single day, it depends on the day and my creative fitness level. Just like when I was first going to the gym, I was only able to work out with lower weights, but now that I have been consistent with my training, I can lift heavier weights for the same number of reps. In the same way I am training my body, I can train my mind. 

Another way I am applying this method in training my creative fitness is by taking a set amount of time to work on learning new programming and management skills, and just like at the gym, I might work out hard one day and less hard another day, but I can be consistent with studying every day. I have signed up for a lot of courses on Udemy.com in the past where I have gotten through 10% or 20% and then stopped. Now I have a rule for myself that I have to complete one course before I can start another one. I have now extended that rule to be that I have to complete a course before I can buy another one. I buy a course and it sits and becomes less relevant as software advances while I sit still.

Mental Fitness

This is the final realm where I am taking the time to be consistent and mindful is with my mental fitness. I have a lot of trauma responses that I have to deal with in a healthy way. One of them was the way I was eating my feelings for so long that got me into this mess in the first place. With that one managed consistently, I can now focus on other areas of my mental fitness. One way I am doing that is through meditation and prayer every day. Spending time in the morning spelling out what my opportunities and challenges will be, and seeking strength through prayer has helped me not be as overwhelmed by the challenges in life. 

I should probably explain that these three areas are really interconnected, like a triquetra, interlocking with each other. Improving any one of these areas makes it easier to improve the others. Again, it is about being consistent, not perfect. Perfection is not attainable, but consistency is.

I love this quote by Simon Sinek: 

"We have to understand the interplay between intensity and consistency. You can't go to the gym for 9 hours and get into shape. It doesn't work. But if you work out every day for 20 minutes, you will absolutely get into shape. The problem is, I don't know when."

Simon Sinek