Commitment

When this was shared today by Shaun T -- that's Mr. Insanity to you and me -- I immediately connected.

My first thought was actually about somebody else, who shall remain nameless, not hitting the ball too well these days but not putting in the extra time to get any better, either. Then I thought, no, just look at yourself. You cannot control what that other person does or doesn't do. You cannot force someone to have drive or dedication. As much as we'd like to, we can't.

Just look in the mirror and see what you can do about that person's commitment.

I've been in this place before where I am disappointed that some diet or exercise plan didn't work. Then I remember, oh yeah, but I had ice cream every night! Could there possibly be a correlation?

Usually, it's not so much the "cheating" as the impatience. I'm not seeing results quick enough so I am giving up. So much the lazy way out! I get angry that I failed, gave up, got lazy. But then I end up doing it again down the road.

A month ago, I said I'd commit to this Insanity workout for at least a month. It is totally insane. But after the first week, when it hurt to walk or move, I've been loving it. I don't have the time right now to do it 6 days a week as suggested. And I don't necessarily take all the DVDs in order. I just alternate between 3 of them that each give their own kick-ass cardio workout in their own challenging way.

And "challenging" is putting it mildly. I don't "perspire" as a lady. I just flat out drip sweat. And it is awesome!

Yes, I am insane. Insanely happy that some of my clothes aren't as tight! This is good. This is slow progress, but good. In reality, the workout isn't the hard part. It's the trying to eat right that is pretty tough. I managed 3 weeks without ice cream or any kind of sugar-laden treat. Lift your jaw off the floor. Then hubby got me a piece of cheesecake Sunday and that was worth it! I ate it slowly and appreciated it for its rarity.

Typically, me and "moderation" don't mix. So we'll see how this goes. Frankly, I just want to be comfortable in my summer clothes and maybe even have more energy. If I want King Cone once in a while, I can have it. If I want a big slice of pizza at Polito's (like we did tonight), I can have it.

Just not every day. And not all of it all the time. I don't want to be chastising myself in another month that I shouldn't have given up. And I certainly can't yell at my instructor Shaun T. He would just kick me in the butt if he could hear me through the TV. Now, it will be my own responsibility to kick myself in the butt to get motivated.

We have to do the work to get the results.

Such a simple lesson yet I am a slow learner. Maybe this time I'll finally get it. If not, it certainly won't be the last time I'll try!