006. Small Wins

Sooo, I'm dying.

...Just kidding. I'm only really sick, but I figure now's as good a time as ever to write a blog entry, right? I've had this little gem in my head for quite a while and every time I went to write it, either my internet would crash or my computer would shut down in the middle of the night or the plague would strike, or...I don't know, but for a while I was thinking maybe I just wasn't meant to write this entry. Obviously, since things keep getting in the way, it just wasn't a good idea. Aaaaaaaaand then I thought better of it and now here we are.

Something I've [clearly] been thinking about a lot lately is the matter of small wins. What exactly are small wins, and how do they REALLY help us out? But the more I think about it, the more I realize that small wins are exactly what ALWAYS get us to wherever we need to go.

Think about this for a second. Bill Gates didn't create Microsoft at the snap of a finger; the first climber of Mount Kilimanjaro didn't start out on Mount Kilimanjaro; everybody's favorite, "Rome wasn't built in a day." And whoever came up with that phrase was completely right--it takes TIME and PATIENCE to get where you want to go.

How does this apply to fitness and weight loss? Ohhh, patience young grasshopper. ...Actually, there isn't really any patience necessary for this one, because it's very easy. You can't go from 600 lbs to 200 lbs in one workout. That should be pretty basic, but so many people overlook it. The ol', "I've got too much weight to lose to do anything at this point." Members of my own family have completely given up on the idea of losing weight due to a knee problem (even though they acknowledge that this knee problem is due to excessive weight on their frames--go figure).

When small exercises are suggested, like maybe power walking on a treadmill accompanied by a light weights circuit, I get a firm "no." When even smaller things, like walking around the block, are suggested, I get the same "no." They're basically looking for me to say "hey, count to 10, go to sleep, and you'll wake up looking like Christie Brinkley!" ...but lets be serious, looking for the quick fix is NOT going to work, people!!! Take things in striiiiiiiiiiiide. Start out by making teeny changes in your diet--like passing on the cookies at dessert, for instance. Then throw in a bit of light exercise. Then graduate to a slightly more advanced program.

And you know what? This entry's called small "wins" for a reason--CELEBRATE when you overcome each task! Celebrate when you get to add something new! The more you celebrate, the better you'll feel; the better you feel, the more your progress shows; the more your progress shows, the brighter you'll shine.

Have a good day!
<3 Jillian