If you are anything like me, life sometimes gets into a series of goals: You want this unreachable thing, you work, you try hard, you scrimp and save, you make little adjustments here and there...depending, of course, on what each specific goal may be. And then, after following your plans, after all that effort, you finally reach that goal. You're ecstatic, you can't believe it, it's amazing, astounding, and just a whole lotta WOW that you never thought could happen.
And then......what comes next? What do you do? How do you take all that time and energy and everything else that you've been pouring into this one thing, and channel it all to something else? Well, for the first time ever, I'm encountering this problem of "now what?" just slightly BEFORE I get to check off that goal.
See - I am about to turn in the Clydesdale Card. I think I've talked about it before, but for those not in the know - "Clydesdale" is what cyclists understand as a rider of 200 lbs or more. I won't go into it any more than to say that it's not an insult....most of the time. But it does mean that with time, attention, modification of the diet, exercise, and good old fashioned hard work, I've lost about 25% of my body weight. You can say that in becoming 3/4 of the man I used to be, I've actually become quite a lot more. It's been a long journey to get to this point, so now what??
Most of my health philosophy is centered around one phrase: "Fit, not fat." So, I really don't care, necessarily, if I weigh 200 lbs or 230 - as long as what comprises that weight is the stuff I WANT. Muscle and other good things are a-ok. In my current state, I've built a lot of muscle over the years, and lost a lot of fat. Even with the gains in muscle, I've still dropped 65 lbs. Yup - that's how bad off I was when I started this journey. And now that this step is coming to a close, it's time to think about the next thing.
Maintaining the weight, and keeping the focus of "fit, not fat" means getting what I have in better shape, maybe even a bit of bodysculpting, etc. Let's face it, it would be very nice to be that guy on the beach with the 6-pack abs. It's not necessary, but I would NOT complain. To that end, I've been increasing my practice of yoga, and it's really helped a lot. My strength and flexibility have improved, and on the whole, I'm happier and more balanced. It's to the point now where I notice a lot when I miss my regular practice. My body physically longs for it. That's a good thing, and as I develop the strength, flexibility, and balance, I look forward to where it might lead me.
So, NOW WHAT? I keep on. As summer winds onward, I look forward to some outside time, some really good vacation time coming up, time in the garden and time in the workshop. I look forward to the next phase in my journey, and to sharing it with any of you who care to come along for the ride. It's been pretty fantastic thus far, and the next chapter promises even better things.
Thanks for reading,
Me
