"It Just Takes Some Time...

...little girl you're in the middle of the ride.  Everything, everything will be just fine.  Everything, everything will be alright...alright!"

Jimmy Eat World lyrics

These lyrics are from one of my favorite songs.  You'd think I'd remember the lyrics a little more often than I do.  I mean, really...I play it in my workout mix 5 times a week.  Just how many times do I need to hear it until I start to really LISTEN to it?!?  Apparently one more time did it for me.  Because today, finally, I listened.

I've got this goal looming large over me that Angie put out there a few weeks ago.  I knew it would be a stretch and I knew when I took it on that I might not make it.  In fact, I'm still not too sure that I will make it.  I've got a lot of pounds to lose to reach the 100 pounds lost milestone and not many days left on the calendar before New Year's Eve.  But I'm much more OK with where I am right now than I was earlier this week.  You see, I figured it out.  I'm still in the middle of the ride.

This occurred to me as I finally was able to do 200 crunches again for the first time since this summer.  When I changed gyms, the different equipment made doing crunches a lot harder.  (It made everything a lot harder, really.  Perhaps the older equipment was just worn out and easier to use at my old gym, who knows?)  The ab crunch machines at the new gym have additional weight/tension added on them that the ones at the old gym didn't, so getting back up to my average of 200 crunches per workout has taken so much time.  And really, that lesson reminded me of this song.

It really does just take some time.  I'm still very much in the middle of this ride.

I'm doing the right things - working out, eating healthy.  I'm doing them consistently, and I'm making positive changes in my life and body because of it.  But I'm not done.  And I shouldn't be treating myself like I am.  It's going to take some time to be where I want to be.  It's OK to still be in the middle of this journey. 

Lately, I've let weight loss become my only measure of success on this ride, and so it's felt like I've been unsuccessful because I've been plateaued for a long, long time now.  But come on...200 crunches is significant!  Heck...it's HUGE compared to who I used to be!  And really, I have friends who are in shape, not obese like me, that can't do 200 crunches AT ALL, much less do that many 5 times a week...which is pretty much what I do in my workout routine.  I may not be where I'm going to be...but I'm no longer where I was.  I'm in the middle of the ride.  I'm making progress. 

Thanks, Jimmy Eat World, for such an amazing song to remind me that everything is gonna be alright.  It really, really is!

Thanks, Angie, for the challenge to keep me moving forward.  I may not hit it, but it won't be because I didn't give it everything I had.  And eventually, I WILL reach the milestone.

Thanks to all of you for encouraging me along the way.  This ride is an amazing one for sure!!!