There’s No Time Like The Present
Posted: May 20, 2015
Last week, we talked about the Top 5 excuses for quitting a weight loss or shape-up program in the summer. This week I’d like to give you one good reason for joining one!
Of course, I’m kind of assuming you might need lose some weight, get in shape, or maybe even both. If so, then read on!
If you’re at your ideal weight, feeling great, and already in shape, then you can probably skip the article this week. Everyone else, listen up!
There’s usually NO better time than right now.
Especially if you’ve been thinking about it for awhile. How long have you been putting it off, anyway? How long have you known you need to do this?
When I was a youth, I had serious asthma and had to avoid most activities. One thing they encouraged though, was swimming. So a couple times a week, I went swimming at the local college pool.
They had two diving boards. One was a low one that everybody jumped off. A much higher diving board was at the other end of the deep area. Only the experienced kids jumped off that one.
As the year progressed, I kept looking at those chosen ones, courageously climbing that tall ladder. Some knew how to do an actual dive, but many just walked to the end and just jumped. That’s what I wanted to do.
One day, I’d made up my mind to do it. I was already cleared to swim in the deep end. I just had to go up the board and jump off. So off I went, taking each rung one slow step at a time.
About halfway up, I started second guessing everything. I suddenly realized that it was MUCH higher than it looked from down there.
It seemed like it took forever to get up there. As I stepped onto the board, my legs locked up and my heart was pounding. I couldn’t make myself go forward.
Fear had overwhelmed me, and it stopped all progress. After several minutes, I finally made it to the end of the board. But I just couldn’t do it. The fear of jumping from such a height had overcome my desire to do it.
I slowly backed up and finally made my way back down the ladder to safety. But the cost was high. I was crushed. Certain that everyone was watching, I headed back to the shower room and went home.
It ate at me. Every time I went swimming, I’d watch the other kids, and remember my colossal failure. I was embarrassed that I couldn’t do it, and I was ashamed that I wouldn’t even try.
Finally, one day, I’d had enough. I was determined that one way or another, this would be the day. Live or die, I was jumping off that board.
I made my way up and walked out past the safety rails. As I looked down at the water, it was still really high. For just a moment, fear threatened to lock me up again, but I remembered how it felt, doing the walk of shame back down the ladder.
So I jumped. I had about a second to scream and then I hit the water. Then I did it again about ten more times. After that, every time I went back, I always jumped off the high dive.
That summer taught me that sometimes, not trying is worse than failing. And for some things, you just have to hold your nose and jump in.
If this is your time, you might consider taking the plunge into Biggest Loser “25” which starts Monday, June 1st at 5:30 pm. You’ll be doing Boot Camp workouts on M/W/F’s and assigned Cardio workouts on the other days.
You’ll get lots of help with food, and with the free MyFitnessPal phone app, you’ll finally be get control over this thing. Let me know ASAP if you’re ready, and we’ll jump in together!