Four lessons resistance training taught me about life.

I found my voice in the weight room.

Resistance training, for me, is bigger than something I do to stay fit as I age.

It’s taught me more about life than any other experience and, paradoxically, helps me remain laser-focused on whats important to me outside fitness.

I advocate resistance training for health—but am a resistance training evangelist because of what Ive learned from it about living fully.

1. If you wait for the perfect facility opportunity you’ll always find an excuse not to start.

Ive trained in less than ideal conditions.  Central American gyms stocked with rusty dumbbells.  Dilapidated college weight rooms.  Outdoors in Oakland with homeless on one side & muscle-bound men on the other.  These experiences taught me to expand my definition of “perfect gym.”  They also sparked me to realize when I claimed to be waiting for “perfect timing” in life it was really paralysis by analysis.  It was merely an excuse.

2. Change is how we grow.

Initially I did the same weights routine day after day & plateaued quickly.  I knew what I was doing wasnt working—but the pain I “knew” felt better than the painful risk of change.  Eventually I realized I required a new routine to grow & Ive applied this notion to my life.  Change in routine.  Change in perspective.  Change–in fitness and life—is the only way we wont stagnate.

change. perspective.

3. To succeed you need mind/body connection.

If you’d asked me to flex my biceps 20 years ago–Id not have been capable of making the muscle contract.  After months of lifting Id have struggled to flex on command.  It took time, patience and focus to formulate the mind/muscle connection crucial to successful resistance training.  Only after acquiring that skill did I began to live *in* my body in all aspects of life.  I started to eat intuitively.  I learned to exercise intuitively.  And, very very slowly, I tapped into my ‘gut’ and lived intuitively.

4. We create ourselves and our lives.

I dont have good physical genetics.  My body prefers to be soft/not muscular.  I watched women with better genetics gain muscle swiftly and easily. I came to a crossroads where I could either grow jealous or grow focused.  I chose the latter.  Resistance training taught me I am the sculptor of my body and my life.  I may not achieve goals as rapidly as some— but if I work tenaciously & tirelessly I’m ensured of progress.

MizWorkInProgress

What surprising life-lessons have you learned from fitness pursuits?Did you, too, discover your voice in the weight room?

Tags: life lessons from weight training, mind/body connection, tenacity, we create our lives

View the original article here

Six fitness lessons Ive learned from my child.

Last week was heaven.

Five full Tornado & Me days which were reminiscent of all our time before Kinder started.

We laughed, we cried (seriously. all that one-on-one time was NOT without its bickering!) it was better than Cats.

What I loved most was the fact we didn’t travel.

We hung here & just spent time together.  Time which caused me to marvel at how she’s matured & reflect back on all Ive learned *from* her the past six years.

In chronological order please to enjoy.

1.  Cardio can be creative. You, oh Tornado, were a crier.  All the time.  Needed or not.  You cried till you became red in the face and (as we searched for late night levity) we joked you appeared to be winded from the workout.  What did I learn from that? Anything done long enough & with enough tenacity/focus (hello bubblewrap!) can be cardio!  You taught me to skip (it) the traditional & let my imagination soar.

Getting your workout on.

2 . Pull-ups are fun!   Back in the day, before you were The Tornado, we referred to you as Toddler Freaky Strong.  The moment I’d dump you in the pack and play so I could finally shower set you in the P&P so I could work you’d commence pulling upward along the side.  Happily.  You’d smile, giggle, do pull-ups to fatigue never once complaining or shouting “Hey!! can I get a spot up in herre?!”  What did I learn from that? Pull-ups dont have to be a dreaded to-do on my back workout schedule.  The mere challenge of them & the faces I make as I struggle upward can!be!fun!

Practicing pull-ups poolside.

3.  Eat mindfully!  Now, to be clear, I discovered the importance of mindful eating long before you hit the scene.  With the addition of you, however, I began to rush through my self-care (fitness to food) in order to return to you-care.  Then you turned three.  You began to express a clear opinion as to what you wanted to eat & when you wanted to eat it.  You’d share these thoughts (slowly) and happily (slowly) ate what you ‘ordered.’  What did I re-learn from this? You weren’t annoyingingly slow at all—merely mindful.  You *paused* to ask yourself if you were hungry.  You s-l-o-w-l-y ate your food savoring, tasting, touching, EMBRACING each bite.  You reminded me to be more mindful.

The inexplicable chop sticks phase.

4. Wind-down routines ROCK.  I’ve always lamented the fact Im a poor sleeper.  I’d go to bed different times each night with absolutely, positively no method to my nighttime madness.  Id watch TV in bed.  I’d check email from bed.  I was a wind-down mess.  Then you came along.  You thrived on routine & practically demanded a strict nighttime regimen.   One small deviation from this plan and you’d not fall asleep.  What did I learn from this?  I need to sleep like a child, too.  Ive never slept better.

Pink princess PJs help.

5.  If at first you dont succeed—QUIT.  I’d known this at one point & somehow forgotten until you dancingly reminded me.  You “just knew” you wanted to take ballet.   You longed to learn to dance like the ‘pretty ladies.’  You tried, you loathed, you quit, you never looked back.  After two classes (the class leaped delicately as instructed over a stuffed bunny. you stopped, KICKED SAID BUNNY, and leaped away) you declared yourself done.  You informed me you’d prefer soccer and you’ve never looked back.  What did I learn? I re-learned there’s no percentage in sticking with something I know is not a fit for me.  I reminded myself I *know* when I long to quit out of fear and when I’m merely banging my head against the wall kicking a bunny.

Kicking encouraged.

6. Read the wall.  This is one we learned together over spring break.  Somehow Id forgotten all the lessons Id learned from climbing and needed you to remind me of them.  Life can be overwhelming and, at times, I plunge ahead without looking, scanning, planning or preparing.  In fitness I’m slowly learning I need to have a plan, too.   Spontaneous is great—but only goes so far.   I need to look ahead, read the wall, and prepare for what I want to achieve down the road.  Muscling my way through works—-but only in the short-term.

"Watch and remember, Mama."

In the moment I couldn’t see any of these concepts being “taught.”  It’s only with hindsight I see my greatest teacher is a six year old Tornado.

Have you, too, learned healthy living lessons in surprising places?

View the original article here

A Course in Weight Loss-Special Free Preview: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever

This download is a special FREE preview from A Course In Weight Loss, by Marianne Williamson. A Course in Weight Loss addresses the true causal root of your weight-loss issues: a place within you where you have forgotten your divine perfection. This forgetfulness has confused not only your mind but also your body, making you reach for that which cannot sustain you . . . and reject that which does. As your mind reclaims its spiritual intelligence, your body will reclaim its natural intelligence as well. The 21 lessons in this book will take you on a deep, sacred journey. One step at a time, you will learn to shift your relationship with yourselfâ??and your bodyâ??from one of fear to one of love. And you will begin to integrate the various parts of yourselfâ??mind, body, and spiritâ??to become, once again, and in all ways, the beautiful and peaceful person you were created to be. To continue reading, download this free preview and look for the full print and digital formats on sale now.

Price: $0.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

Food Can’t Hug You Back: Lessons in Emotional Eating

Before I tell you anything else, let me tell you about my relationship with Pop Tarts.

For at least four years, those little toaster pastries were the bane of my existence. Why? Because they were my personal favorite binge food. Whenever I felt stressed or lonely or sad, I’d tear into a box of them, furiously clawing away at the shiny silver wrappers.

I couldn’t stuff them into my mouth fast enough.

My relationship with Pop Tarts clearly exemplifies the way that I have used (or, more accurately, abused) food in the past. Whenever I was faced with an uncomfortable emotion – say, I was worried about an upcoming meeting or apprehensive about a difficult social situation – I found myself cramming cake or cookies or brownies into my mouth at lightning speed.

But Pop Tarts were my favorite. Particularly the Brown Sugar Cinnamon kind.

Of course, my weight climbed higher and higher in response to those binge eating episodes, which only made me more miserable than I already was. What am I doing? I thought. Why do I keep going back to the kitchen pantry again and again and again?

The truth is that I was a full-blown, out-of-control emotional eater. McDonald’s was my comfort and Dairy Queen was my solace. The easiest way to distract myself from whatever uncomfortable emotion I was feeling was to eat and eat and eat until I couldn’t focus on anything except the pain in my stomach.

I preferred that pain, I guess.

Eventually I decided that I didn’t want to keep living my life from binge to binge. I was tired of hiding secret stashes of candy in my desk or claiming I needed to buy milk when I was really buying chocolate éclairs. Where did that get me, anyway? No where except right back to Dunkin’ Donuts.

I finally admitted to myself that food couldn’t solve my problems. It couldn’t keep me company when I was lonely. It couldn’t give me a hug when I was sad. I needed something more.

These days I’m happy to say that I don’t reach for the cookie jar in the face of anxiety or the ice cream scoop in the face of stress. Instead, I’ve learned a bunch of other coping strategies that are much healthier and way more effective. Like exercising my body to release tension and frustration. Or journaling to cope with anger and irritation. Deep breathing when I feel nervous, and novel-reading when I feel overwhelmed.

Some of these options may seem obvious, and yet how many times do we dismiss them in favor of a trip to the refrigerator?

The good thing about emotional eating is that there are ways to overcome it, a fact of which I am living proof. There are plenty of practices to do and exercises to complete that can teach anyone how to use food for sustenance rather than for comfort.

We all know that life isn’t easy. There are plenty of curves in the path and bumps along the road. These days I’m learning to navigate those curves and bumps all on my own, no Pop Tarts required.

Katie McLaughlin blogs about all things healthy living at Health for the Whole Self. Her e-book is titled Taking Action: 30 Specific Strategies for Overcoming Emotional Eating, which is available as a PDF Download or through the Amazon Kindle store.

View the original article here

Fitness Lessons From Some (Stanky?) Laundry

Frivolous Demands: *Subscribe to the blog *Follow me on Twittah *Like me on Facebook *YouTube my videos

Huh? FREE Shakeology from the Yum Yucky?

The requests for free samples has been overwhelming and I want to share with as many people as possible. Soon I will reveal how YOU can get your own free sample, courtesy of the Yum Yucky! (and I am happy that the Shakeology t-shirt makes my boobs look bigger)

90 Days of Shakeology: Days 42-62 It was a rough 20 days. I got super busy with just about everything – work, home, kids, blogging, ebook writing – I’ve been late for work, running on about 4 hours sleep each night, and NOT slurping my Shakeology consistently. In the time when I need it most, I slacked off and made excuses why I couldn’t take 5 dang minutes every day to make the shake that has personally proven itself to give me the energy I so desperately need. In the last 20 days, I’ve had my Shakeology probably 10 times. So that’s basically every other day instead of consistently EVERY day. What’s wrong with that, you say? Welp, I do feel the difference. It’s had a backwards affect and been serious energy drain. I’ve skipped days of Shakeology here and there before with no lost affects, but to skip days for such an extended period of time does not work for me. I’m glad I know this now. I’m listening to my body and back doing what I need to do, so perhaps this was a necessary lesson. I’ve always looked at Shakeology in terms of what it can do for ME and me only, but it’s benefits were actually helping me to also do what I need to do for my family, while giving me the natural boost I need to do everything that my crazy days demand….. Check out what a Twitter bud of mine says about Shakeology. And if you haven’t watched this video yet: See What Doctors Are Saying About Shakeology, do yourself a favor and watch it.

Weight Progress

Day 1: 172.8 pounds

Day 62: 166.4 pounds

I’m not intimidated by slow weight loss, especially since I’m building muscle, and that affects the number on the scale. I’m in a size 6 and have noticed more muscle definition. My abs are especially coming along nicely.

Get the complete details of my 90-Day Shakeology experiment.

Read the Shakeology success stories.

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A Course In Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever

“If your â??weighty thinking’ does not change, then even if you lose weight you’ll retain an overwhelming subconscious urge to gain it back. It’s less important how quickly you lose weight, and more important how holistically you lose weight; you want your mind, your emotions, and your body to all â??lose weight.’ Weight that disappears from your body but not from your soul is simply recycling outward for a while

but is almost certain to return. It’s self-defeating, therefore, to struggle to drop excess weight unless

you are also willing to drop the thought-forms that initially produced it and now hold it in place.”

â?? Marianne Williamson

 

What is the connection between spirituality and weight loss? Best-selling author Marianne Williamson is about to answer that question for you in her groundbreaking new book, bringing you 21 spiritual lessons to help you surrender your weight forever. These lessons form a holistic paradigm for weight loss, addressing the spiritual, emotional, and psychological elements involved in what Williamson refers to as “conscious weight loss.” If you are a food addict, a compulsive eater, or someone who for any reason sees food as the enemy, this book is for you.

A Course in Weight Loss addresses the true causal root of your weight-loss issues: a place within you where you have forgotten your divine perfection. This forgetfulness has confused not only your mind but also your body, making you reach for that which cannot sustain you . . . and reject that which does. As your mind reclaims its spiritual intelligence, your body will reclaim its natural intelligence as well.

The 21 lessons in this book will take you on a deep, sacred journey. One step at a time, you will learn to shift your relationship with yourselfâ??and your bodyâ??from one of fear to one of love. And you will begin to integrate the various parts of yourselfâ??mind, body, and spiritâ??to become, once again, and in all ways, the beautiful and peaceful person you were created to be.

As Williamson writes: “When it comes to your enjoyment of eating, your best days are not behind you but ahead of you!” So get ready to begin a new relationship with food . . . and with yourself.

Price: $24.95

Click here to buy from Amazon

Lessons Of A Laundromat

The last box is unpacked; pictures, prints and mirrors are hung on the walls; the furniture is where I want it (for now); the bathroom is organized; and the kitchen is user friendly.

Now it’s time to live here, settle into a routine and find a mechanic, a gym, the library, the nearest liquor store, and the post office.

Saturday, out of sheer necessity (i.e. lack of clean underwear), I found a laundromat. Now for most people, going to the laundromat is a no-brainer. You wash, you dry, you read a book to pass the time. For me, it’s outside my safety zone and therefore subject to way more planning and thought than necessary. And yet despite all my planning, I still screwed up.

I’d separated the laundry at home: a bag of whites, a bag of darks and a bag of blankets. I packed my book, my glasses and my phone. I had a $10 bill and went to the bank for quarters. Then I drove to the laundromat, took my bags out of the hatch, locked the car, walked inside, set the laundry on the floor, and realized I’d left my soap and dryer sheets at home.

‘Don’t panic!’ I told myself. ‘There’s a soap dispenser on the wall.’ I put in a quarter and the quarter came out the coin return. I put in a different quarter and that quarter came out the coin return.

“It don’t work,” said a man leaning over the counter. “The change machine don’t work either.”

Erg!

“Do you mind Gain?” asked a woman who was texting on her cell phone. “’Cuz you can use some of my Gain if you want.”

“Really?” I said. “Thank you.”

She handed me her bottle of detergent and said, “I don’t have any fabric softener, though.”

“That’s OK, I’ll go over to the store across the parking lot. Community is a grocery store, right?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said, “but go to Family Dollar or Big Lots. It’ll be cheaper.”

I held out a handful of quarters to pay her for the soap, but she just smiled and said no, and told me which washers worked best before resuming her texting conversation.

After starting my wash, I went to Family Dollar and bought dryer sheets, then I went back to the bank for more quarters. (Seriously? $9 to wash three loads?) By the time I returned to the laundromat, my clothes were washed so I put them in two of the dryers that a man with sunglasses told me were the best.

I sat on the sorting table in front of the dryers and took my book out of my bag. The Gain-sharing lady was folding her clothes and placing them in her laundry bags. I’d brought my laundry bags back out to my car. Duh. How did I expect to bring my clean clothes home if I didn’t use the bags? Sometimes I’m overly efficient and don’t think ahead.

As I watched my laundry rise and tumble in the dryer, I thought how familiar it all felt, even though I was in a completely new environment. I’ve been here before, in new territory, screwing up and learning, namely six years ago when I took this last plunge into weight loss.

Weight loss and maintenance are like moving and living in new surroundings. Moving can take a long time, a lot of planning, and it doesn’t always go smoothly. Sometimes it takes awhile for you to put everything away and discard all the boxes and packing paper, but eventually (hopefully) you get it done and you move on to the next step: figuring out how to live in your new surroundings.

If during weight loss I’d gotten frustrated and stopped “putting boxes away,” so to speak, I’d not have known the joy of living fully and freely in my new space, unencumbered by my weight. Living at my goal weight, I’m the same basic person (more or less) that I was before losing weight, it’s just that now, everything’s arranged differently, and like living in a different home, the sun shines through different windows. I still have to step outside my comfort zone and ask for help, choose role models, and be a constant student of nutrition and exercise, but that’s just part of maintaining any structure worth saving.

I returned to the laundromat yesterday to finish washing bedding. I remembered everything I learned and brought what I’d forgotten before. A man walked in with a laundry bag and a $10 bill. He inserted the bill into the change machine.

“It doesn’t work,” I said. “But there’s a bank just down the street that will give you quarters. Oh, and that washer right there? Yeah, it’s the best.”

No matter where we are in our weight journey, we learn and we pass along what we’ve learned. I don’t believe anyone can succeed alone, so I hope you’re asking your questions, seeking out role models, finding the best path for you. Moving’s rough, no doubt, but living in the space that is a comfortable body is worth unpacking every last box.

View the original article here

Lessons Of A Laundromat

The last box is unpacked; pictures, prints and mirrors are hung on the walls; the furniture is where I want it (for now); the bathroom is organized; and the kitchen is user friendly.

Now it’s time to live here, settle into a routine and find a mechanic, a gym, the library, the nearest liquor store, and the post office.

Saturday, out of sheer necessity (i.e. lack of clean underwear), I found a laundromat. Now for most people, going to the laundromat is a no-brainer. You wash, you dry, you read a book to pass the time. For me, it’s outside my safety zone and therefore subject to way more planning and thought than necessary. And yet despite all my planning, I still screwed up.

I’d separated the laundry at home: a bag of whites, a bag of darks and a bag of blankets. I packed my book, my glasses and my phone. I had a $10 bill and went to the bank for quarters. Then I drove to the laundromat, took my bags out of the hatch, locked the car, walked inside, set the laundry on the floor, and realized I’d left my soap and dryer sheets at home.

‘Don’t panic!’ I told myself. ‘There’s a soap dispenser on the wall.’ I put in a quarter and the quarter came out the coin return. I put in a different quarter and that quarter came out the coin return.

“It don’t work,” said a man leaning over the counter. “The change machine don’t work either.”

Erg!

“Do you mind Gain?” asked a woman who was texting on her cell phone. “’Cuz you can use some of my Gain if you want.”

“Really?” I said. “Thank you.”

She handed me her bottle of detergent and said, “I don’t have any fabric softener, though.”

“That’s OK, I’ll go over to the store across the parking lot. Community is a grocery store, right?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said, “but go to Family Dollar or Big Lots. It’ll be cheaper.”

I held out a handful of quarters to pay her for the soap, but she just smiled and said no, and told me which washers worked best before resuming her texting conversation.

After starting my wash, I went to Family Dollar and bought dryer sheets, then I went back to the bank for more quarters. (Seriously? $9 to wash three loads?) By the time I returned to the laundromat, my clothes were washed so I put them in two of the dryers that a man with sunglasses told me were the best.

I sat on the sorting table in front of the dryers and took my book out of my bag. The Gain-sharing lady was folding her clothes and placing them in her laundry bags. I’d brought my laundry bags back out to my car. Duh. How did I expect to bring my clean clothes home if I didn’t use the bags? Sometimes I’m overly efficient and don’t think ahead.

As I watched my laundry rise and tumble in the dryer, I thought how familiar it all felt, even though I was in a completely new environment. I’ve been here before, in new territory, screwing up and learning, namely six years ago when I took this last plunge into weight loss.

Weight loss and maintenance are like moving and living in new surroundings. Moving can take a long time, a lot of planning, and it doesn’t always go smoothly. Sometimes it takes awhile for you to put everything away and discard all the boxes and packing paper, but eventually (hopefully) you get it done and you move on to the next step: figuring out how to live in your new surroundings.

If during weight loss I’d gotten frustrated and stopped “putting boxes away,” so to speak, I’d not have known the joy of living fully and freely in my new space, unencumbered by my weight. Living at my goal weight, I’m the same basic person (more or less) that I was before losing weight, it’s just that now, everything’s arranged differently, and like living in a different home, the sun shines through different windows. I still have to step outside my comfort zone and ask for help, choose role models, and be a constant student of nutrition and exercise, but that’s just part of maintaining any structure worth saving.

I returned to the laundromat yesterday to finish washing bedding. I remembered everything I learned and brought what I’d forgotten before. A man walked in with a laundry bag and a $10 bill. He inserted the bill into the change machine.

“It doesn’t work,” I said. “But there’s a bank just down the street that will give you quarters. Oh, and that washer right there? Yeah, it’s the best.”

No matter where we are in our weight journey, we learn and we pass along what we’ve learned. I don’t believe anyone can succeed alone, so I hope you’re asking your questions, seeking out role models, finding the best path for you. Moving’s rough, no doubt, but living in the space that is a comfortable body is worth unpacking every last box.

View the original article here

Lessons Of A Laundromat

The last box is unpacked; pictures, prints and mirrors are hung on the walls; the furniture is where I want it (for now); the bathroom is organized; and the kitchen is user friendly.

Now it’s time to live here, settle into a routine and find a mechanic, a gym, the library, the nearest liquor store, and the post office.

Saturday, out of sheer necessity (i.e. lack of clean underwear), I found a laundromat. Now for most people, going to the laundromat is a no-brainer. You wash, you dry, you read a book to pass the time. For me, it’s outside my safety zone and therefore subject to way more planning and thought than necessary. And yet despite all my planning, I still screwed up.

I’d separated the laundry at home: a bag of whites, a bag of darks and a bag of blankets. I packed my book, my glasses and my phone. I had a $10 bill and went to the bank for quarters. Then I drove to the laundromat, took my bags out of the hatch, locked the car, walked inside, set the laundry on the floor, and realized I’d left my soap and dryer sheets at home.

‘Don’t panic!’ I told myself. ‘There’s a soap dispenser on the wall.’ I put in a quarter and the quarter came out the coin return. I put in a different quarter and that quarter came out the coin return.

“It don’t work,” said a man leaning over the counter. “The change machine don’t work either.”

Erg!

“Do you mind Gain?” asked a woman who was texting on her cell phone. “’Cuz you can use some of my Gain if you want.”

“Really?” I said. “Thank you.”

She handed me her bottle of detergent and said, “I don’t have any fabric softener, though.”

“That’s OK, I’ll go over to the store across the parking lot. Community is a grocery store, right?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said, “but go to Family Dollar or Big Lots. It’ll be cheaper.”

I held out a handful of quarters to pay her for the soap, but she just smiled and said no, and told me which washers worked best before resuming her texting conversation.

After starting my wash, I went to Family Dollar and bought dryer sheets, then I went back to the bank for more quarters. (Seriously? $9 to wash three loads?) By the time I returned to the laundromat, my clothes were washed so I put them in two of the dryers that a man with sunglasses told me were the best.

I sat on the sorting table in front of the dryers and took my book out of my bag. The Gain-sharing lady was folding her clothes and placing them in her laundry bags. I’d brought my laundry bags back out to my car. Duh. How did I expect to bring my clean clothes home if I didn’t use the bags? Sometimes I’m overly efficient and don’t think ahead.

As I watched my laundry rise and tumble in the dryer, I thought how familiar it all felt, even though I was in a completely new environment. I’ve been here before, in new territory, screwing up and learning, namely six years ago when I took this last plunge into weight loss.

Weight loss and maintenance are like moving and living in new surroundings. Moving can take a long time, a lot of planning, and it doesn’t always go smoothly. Sometimes it takes awhile for you to put everything away and discard all the boxes and packing paper, but eventually (hopefully) you get it done and you move on to the next step: figuring out how to live in your new surroundings.

If during weight loss I’d gotten frustrated and stopped “putting boxes away,” so to speak, I’d not have known the joy of living fully and freely in my new space, unencumbered by my weight. Living at my goal weight, I’m the same basic person (more or less) that I was before losing weight, it’s just that now, everything’s arranged differently, and like living in a different home, the sun shines through different windows. I still have to step outside my comfort zone and ask for help, choose role models, and be a constant student of nutrition and exercise, but that’s just part of maintaining any structure worth saving.

I returned to the laundromat yesterday to finish washing bedding. I remembered everything I learned and brought what I’d forgotten before. A man walked in with a laundry bag and a $10 bill. He inserted the bill into the change machine.

“It doesn’t work,” I said. “But there’s a bank just down the street that will give you quarters. Oh, and that washer right there? Yeah, it’s the best.”

No matter where we are in our weight journey, we learn and we pass along what we’ve learned. I don’t believe anyone can succeed alone, so I hope you’re asking your questions, seeking out role models, finding the best path for you. Moving’s rough, no doubt, but living in the space that is a comfortable body is worth unpacking every last box.

View the original article here

Lessons Of A Laundromat

The last box is unpacked; pictures, prints and mirrors are hung on the walls; the furniture is where I want it (for now); the bathroom is organized; and the kitchen is user friendly.

Now it’s time to live here, settle into a routine and find a mechanic, a gym, the library, the nearest liquor store, and the post office.

Saturday, out of sheer necessity (i.e. lack of clean underwear), I found a laundromat. Now for most people, going to the laundromat is a no-brainer. You wash, you dry, you read a book to pass the time. For me, it’s outside my safety zone and therefore subject to way more planning and thought than necessary. And yet despite all my planning, I still screwed up.

I’d separated the laundry at home: a bag of whites, a bag of darks and a bag of blankets. I packed my book, my glasses and my phone. I had a $10 bill and went to the bank for quarters. Then I drove to the laundromat, took my bags out of the hatch, locked the car, walked inside, set the laundry on the floor, and realized I’d left my soap and dryer sheets at home.

‘Don’t panic!’ I told myself. ‘There’s a soap dispenser on the wall.’ I put in a quarter and the quarter came out the coin return. I put in a different quarter and that quarter came out the coin return.

“It don’t work,” said a man leaning over the counter. “The change machine don’t work either.”

Erg!

“Do you mind Gain?” asked a woman who was texting on her cell phone. “’Cuz you can use some of my Gain if you want.”

“Really?” I said. “Thank you.”

She handed me her bottle of detergent and said, “I don’t have any fabric softener, though.”

“That’s OK, I’ll go over to the store across the parking lot. Community is a grocery store, right?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said, “but go to Family Dollar or Big Lots. It’ll be cheaper.”

I held out a handful of quarters to pay her for the soap, but she just smiled and said no, and told me which washers worked best before resuming her texting conversation.

After starting my wash, I went to Family Dollar and bought dryer sheets, then I went back to the bank for more quarters. (Seriously? $9 to wash three loads?) By the time I returned to the laundromat, my clothes were washed so I put them in two of the dryers that a man with sunglasses told me were the best.

I sat on the sorting table in front of the dryers and took my book out of my bag. The Gain-sharing lady was folding her clothes and placing them in her laundry bags. I’d brought my laundry bags back out to my car. Duh. How did I expect to bring my clean clothes home if I didn’t use the bags? Sometimes I’m overly efficient and don’t think ahead.

As I watched my laundry rise and tumble in the dryer, I thought how familiar it all felt, even though I was in a completely new environment. I’ve been here before, in new territory, screwing up and learning, namely six years ago when I took this last plunge into weight loss.

Weight loss and maintenance are like moving and living in new surroundings. Moving can take a long time, a lot of planning, and it doesn’t always go smoothly. Sometimes it takes awhile for you to put everything away and discard all the boxes and packing paper, but eventually (hopefully) you get it done and you move on to the next step: figuring out how to live in your new surroundings.

If during weight loss I’d gotten frustrated and stopped “putting boxes away,” so to speak, I’d not have known the joy of living fully and freely in my new space, unencumbered by my weight. Living at my goal weight, I’m the same basic person (more or less) that I was before losing weight, it’s just that now, everything’s arranged differently, and like living in a different home, the sun shines through different windows. I still have to step outside my comfort zone and ask for help, choose role models, and be a constant student of nutrition and exercise, but that’s just part of maintaining any structure worth saving.

I returned to the laundromat yesterday to finish washing bedding. I remembered everything I learned and brought what I’d forgotten before. A man walked in with a laundry bag and a $10 bill. He inserted the bill into the change machine.

“It doesn’t work,” I said. “But there’s a bank just down the street that will give you quarters. Oh, and that washer right there? Yeah, it’s the best.”

No matter where we are in our weight journey, we learn and we pass along what we’ve learned. I don’t believe anyone can succeed alone, so I hope you’re asking your questions, seeking out role models, finding the best path for you. Moving’s rough, no doubt, but living in the space that is a comfortable body is worth unpacking every last box.

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