Never quit trying
I’m sitting at the airport in Brisbane on my way home after a hectic and emotional couple of days watching my Canadian "daughter" Hannah win the Australian Weightlifting Championship in her weight class.
Hannah took gold and her best friend Nat took bronze.
Hannah dropped a couple of lifts in the first section and was very disappointed with her numbers despite winning gold. Nat also missed a couple of her lifts and is still being pretty harsh on her bronze.
Never satisfied! God, we women are SO tough on ourselves!
I threatened to smack them both upside the head and reminded them that sometimes it’s ALL about the outcome (I'm such a warm and fuzzy 'mum' lol).
Which gets me thinking about outcome AND process. This trip has not been about me, I’m the support crew and weightlifting at this level is a young persons sport – many of the winners were still teenagers, it’s been fascinating to me to sit back and watch these young athletes.
This morning prior to flying out we took a quick class at the local Crossfit and that was an 'interesting' experience. It was a partner workout for teams of three so it was perfect for Hannah, Nat and me to work together to get the best time we could. Out of a huge group of participants we finished second and were the first all female team.
I have no doubts about my fitness, I train hard and I try and train smart so I’m confident in my ability. But I look like “a mum”. And I’m judged and assessed as “a mum”. We were welcomed to the box by friendly staff who happily invited Hannah and Nat to join in and then turned and carefully asked me if I’d ever done a class before. Special voice for “the mum” :(
I’m not ripped like many other trainers and it often leads to people underestimating me. Which pisses me off and it's their mistake - BIG mistake. If I cut another 10kg it would probably reflect my muscle but I'm constantly striving to find balance in my health and fitness and I’ve watched first hand how these young athletes eat and quite frankly, it’s not for me.
Literally every single bite that goes in their mouth is weighed and measured. Right down to the low sodium ketchup and tablespoon of coconut milk in their coffee. Every meal. Every snack. Day in and day out. For months and months and months.
If you’re like me, then you watch your diet and you exercise and you look and feel healthy.
But life is about balance.
It’s also about hormones, body changes, sleep disturbances and stress - especially as you get older.
Weight loss is NOT black and white and too many women think it is, they judge themselves too harshly and just give up trying.
Our bodies are complex organisms that fight the status quo, and usually the status quo is a set point on the scales. And trying to shift that set point requires a long term, concentrated effort that often exhausts us to the point of rebellion.
Out with the diet and in with the wine. Family meals and restaurant catch ups with friends mess with our heads – suddenly measuring the ketchup doesn’t seem so reasonable.
And there you go, it’s two steps forward and one step back.
Frustrating much?
I’ll keep on fighting because it’s how I’m made – I don’t give up even when the battle with weight seems overwhelming and never ending.
To make a long story short, I understand your struggle, and I understand your frustration and I just want to tell you to NEVER give up.
Forget what you think other people are thinking about you. It doesn't matter.
It matters what YOU think about you.
The alternative is unacceptable.
No matter how tough it gets or how your weight loss goals might seem impossible, keep working and trying because though it doesn’t feel like it, you are actually always improving by committing to your health.
So even if you’re “just the mum” – be the fittest, healthiest “just the mum” you can be. And I’ll be in your corner cheering you on.