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Originally Posted by James Newman
For you, what does it mean to be "Livin' Large?"
For me, it is the transition from a state of self-indulgence and physical degradation to a state of physical edification (strength, wellness) with a peace of mind (read:contentment). It is about living with passion. It is more about DOING big things than being a BIG thing. It is about being larger than life...but not in and of ourselves.
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Strangely, what initiated my latest journey to be fit was a tiny event, four or five years ago. I went downstairs to get my daughter a drink. I came back up and was huffing and puffing. My daughter looked at me like I was crazy. I decided that I'd better get in shape and lose some weight.
I didn't immediately go out and lose weight, but it was the tiny spark that eventually lit a fire under me. Here I am now.
I hope people will share their stories here. You may not think your story is motivating, but it is. There's someone like you, lurking here.
I hope people will share their hopes, frustrations, fears, successes, and all. But, whatever you do, just come off "lurker" status and start posting.
When I posted that I'd lost over 70lbs, I got some message indicating surprise. At work, the newbies never saw the fat me. And, without a mirror to look into, I still think of myself as fat. I even find myself reading articles in Men's Health on how to dress to look thinner... But, there are pros and cons to all of these things, I don't know that I want to ever forget that I was fat.
So, that's one story. Sorta motivational? You got folks who don't buy that you were fat. You got yourself still seeing yourself as fat. Same time.
Here's something else. Losing weight is hard. Eating right is hard (at first). Some people look at their new lifestyle and dread eating that way forever. Believe me, it gets easier. Just like eating too much became a habit, so does eating right.
I spent a good three years counting calories, and thinking about what I shouldn't eat. Now, it's old hat. When people tell you that it's not a diet it's a lifestyle, they leave out the part about your new lifestyle becoming a part of you and no longer being something you have to constantly focus on. At some point, you find yourself focusing on other things, and food will no longer be your focus.
It's weird to write all this, because I feel like no one ever understands. I don't know anyone who's ever gone on a diet and stayed on it. No one.
Sometimes, I look in the mirror and feel like crying. I'm 39 and for 35 years, I was big. It was a fantasy to be fit and slim. But, part of me thought it would never happen and that was why I'd always failed. Once I knew I'd do it, I did it.
(still hard to believe, sometimes)
I've said enough for now.