Day 124.....Drop and give me TWENTY!!!!

Day 124....Drop and give me TWENTY!!!

One night I was working out at the gym and I got a text from my friend Shannon. I told him I was at the gym and for some reason I can't remember, he told me to WORK HARDER!! I guess in his mind, if I can be texting while working out....I wasn't working out hard enough!! He text back and says, "Tracy, drop and give me twenty right now!" Yep, that is Shannon alright!!

He is super supportive, has taken on a coaching role, is very knowledgeable regarding nutrition and supplements, takes no excuses and tells it like it is. I am so lucky to have this GEM in my life and part of this journey!! He.....maybe......didn't want this role, but he is a fellow colleague and he can't run away from me. Ha ha ha!!  I ask him for advice, pep talks and cautiously ask him about why I cheat!! I say cautiously because I don't always like his response. Again, he tells it like it is, pulls no punches, and accepts no excuses. He is constantly reminding me that I need patience...this is a grind and it will not happen over night. I need to remind myself of that ALL THE TIME!!! I think the sense of urgency comes from, the "WHITE KNUCKLE" feeling of "If I don't finish this journey in the next couple months, then I am going to lose the WILL POWER, I can only hang on for so long." That is the trap that all of us have dealt with at one time or another....for me.....it has been that way with every weight loss attempt I have ever been on. I have heard that this is not a "diet" it is a lifestyle change. I get it, I get it......but NOPE....I never really got it, and I still don't; however, I think I am finally getting to a place where I am starting to learn though. "This journey will take a long time," I say this to myself all the time......but what does that really mean? Do I really understand it? What I think now is.......this journey has no end. This journey is about living NOW. Yes....I have a weight loss goal and would do ANYTHING to get the weight loss phase over with and that is where I am struggling.........but I really think that the January flubs/cheats/struggles have taught me a lot about this.

Anyway, back to Shannon. I have to say that it was his encouragement one day as I was eating my Simply Fresh, pre-packaged, pre-portioned meal and he says to me........remember, he pulls NO PUNCHES and tells it like it is........"Tracy, why can't you make those same type of meals yourself, save some money and make them a bit healthier?" I looked at him like he was nuts, I got defensive and I rattled off a WHOLE bunch of excuses why food is so scary for me. He looked at me and probably repeated himself with a look of "Give me a break, you are not that WEAK!" That conversation led me to accepting the idea of working with Scott, the nutritionist.  THANK YOU SHANNON!!! I know that I seek your counsel often, but you are so wise and I have learned a lot from you. I would LOVE to meet your beautiful wife and children one day! They are very LUCKY to have you!!!  Invite me for dinner one night!