QUOTE THAT MOVED ME THIS WEEK: ”Boring is not very marketable. Boring does not sell magazine subscriptions, advertisements, or DVDs. Boring is silent, unwavering progress. Boring is sticking to the same routine week after week, month after month. Boring means not freaking out when stepping on the scale and the number is slightly off. Boring means making small, repeated improvements to an otherwise unmoving and determined schedule. Boring is replacing grand declarations of drastic change with tiny habit changes over long periods of time.”
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/11/15/are-you-boring/
I just loved this blog post. I am SOOOOO Boring! There is nothing exciting about me. I eat the same “type” of breakfast most days. My favorite lunch is leftovers from dinner. I do the same weight routines. I wear the same workout clothes. It makes me laugh to write this out because I fit this description very well.
But, I am so boring that there are times that I think I am not doing enough. Then I read this and am reminded……
“Be Boring. Boring leads to weight loss. Boring leads to strength and power. Boring leads to increased productivity. Boring leads to success and habit change that actually stick. Boring actually works. Sometimes, boring can be f***ing awesome. This is one of those times.
Go be boring.”
Awesome advice!
On top of being boring, here is another story. This will show you how out of tune I can be with social media sometimes……The other day I was getting the little guy ready for bed in his bathroom. I was wearing a nightgown and looking at how long my hair was getting. (I would like to donate it but my husband would like me to keep it long so, for now, I will be keeping it). Anyways….I was looking at my hair and then decided to take a pic of it. In the photo viewer of my phone I saw by backside in a way I have never seen it before. I’ve never looked at my shoulders, arms, waist, butt looking for muscles. I’ve been FEELING my changes under the fat that is slowly melting but I still thought I was a ways off from seeing definition. Can you imagine my excitement when I saw this? I had to flex and take a pic!
I wanted to see what the pic would look like with the baby wipes cropped out of it (Ha!) so I uploaded it into Instagram and edited it to look like this:
I love the way my backside is looking! YEAHHH! I was so thrilled. All this time the only person to really comment on my back has been my husband but I didn’t think to take a picture. I love this picture now because it was such a WOW moment for me. It was immediately saved into my photostream and I posted it for my friends on MFP.
I went to Instagram the next day because I FORGOT that these pictures can be viewed by others (friends and family) who follow me. I was surprised, touched and giddy by the comments that were actually waiting for me on this app! I am very appreciative and I decided then that I wanted to use this app to document my fitness life in photos. I updated my profile page which has probably been blank for a couple of years now….and I thanked the friends who cared enough to give me a shout out.
I am coming out of my shell in many ways. I’ve always been an outgoing person but I’ve always kept my weight issues and attempts at weight loss a private matter. My husband was my first supporter this time around. Then came my MyFitnessPals. Then came sharing my story (hesitantly) on Twitter. My brother found me there and has been supporting me (as well as a couple of my Facebook friends too, plus one Twitter friend, then came my MFP supporters who read my blog)! Then my professional bodybuilder friend, Cristina, wanted to share my story on her Facebook page and I was shy about that but said yes. Now…..Instagram. I realized that people I love want to see this part of my life too…..the part I have been the most reluctant to share. The part of my life that comes as a shock to people who haven’t seen me in a while because I do look different now. There are lots of secret doors to view my fitness world but I’ve been keeping the door softly closed for the past 9 months.
I’ve been reflecting so much on why I’ve been so reserved among my friends and family…..especially on facebook….and even in person.
I think it started off because I was afraid of losing weight and then gaining it back again for ALL to see. Then…(a different perspective)…..I was afraid of alienating friends with weight issues by talking about my new love of fitness. Strange? Not so much because I remember vividly how others’ successes made ME feel. Yes, I admit it…..I blocked them on my news feed. I didn’t want to hear about their happiness. I wasn’t entirely “un”happy. I just was easily annoyed. (I know….I feel bad for feeling that way) and I don’t want to ”annoy” anyone (I’m strange, I told you!). And lastly, the reason I’ve been reserved everywhere BUT with my MyFitnessPals is because I didn’t think anyone would understand how difficult this life of obesity can be. I didn’t really want my family and friends to “know” how bad I had gotten. I was totally embarrased and the last thing I wanted to advertise was a blog where I feel I can really be myself. Oh no!
But, I feel ok now. I feel more at peace. I am looking at my past 36 weeks with much more objectivity and less emotion. I don’t feel embarassed as much. I feel stronger. I feel better prepared for negative commentary should I ever receive it from people who should be supportive of me. I am not changing as a person. I am showing signs of strength. My roots are getting deeper and I am less weak physically and emotionally. I’m not going anywhere.
I feel that this picture I posted on Instagram was a huge stepping stone for me. I am so proud of where I stand. If anyone out there wants to see where I am going, I encourage them to join me. People can join me in the ride or they can step aside.
Thanks for reading my blog. I look forward to continuing to share my life with you in words…..and now…in pictures.
My username there is melissamcgraw
Melissa
