This morning I rode my bike to a nearby Lake. This is a great Sunday ride for me because there is a road that on other days is quite busy where on Sundays it’s no problem, so I like to take advantage of the early quiet Sunday morning. Of course when I get there, it is a beautiful ride around the Lake which is roughly 4 miles. The whole ride is about 16 miles and on the way back there’s a bit of a hill to climb.
I find myself playing this little game as I go up the hill where I pick a spot just ahead (maybe a driveway, tree or mailbox) and make that my goal. Typically when I ride I have a goal to go for distance or speed and today I was thinking that when I’m on an incline, the goal is not necessarily the distance or the speed, but rather just not getting off the bike to walk it up the hill. 😉
The mantra in my head at this time is "Don’t Quit" – round the peddles go – "Don’t Quit" – a little further up the hill – "Don’t Quit". AND of course in just a bit of time and with legs burning, I’ve made it to the top AND it feels so awesome!
After clearing the top today and then coasting for a bit I was thinking how making it up this hill is such a metaphor for the weight loss challenge and our quest to lose weight. Every month and week so far this year, I’ve had goals that I’ve been trying really hard to attain, but because this journey is NOT fast and NOT necessarily easy (who said that it would be, right?) sometimes the goal of the DAY is just NOT to quit! Do you know what I’m saying here?
I don’t ALWAYS feel like exercising when I get up in the morning and I sometimes do want that pizza or sweet, BUT I know that I will not quit at this, so any concession I make does not lead to throwing in the towel. Sometimes we DO exercise when we don’t "feel" like it and we DO use restraint when we want to make an unhealthy food choice because like riding your bike to the top of the hill, it is the little choices that we make along the way that will get us to the top – to our goals – to health and freedom!
I predict the view’s gonna be great! Are you with me?! 🙂
Don’t quit! Keep going!
