Why I will Never Quit Spinning Class

I 'made it through' another Spinning class this morning...and as usual it was HARD...there were times (as usual) that I thought "Why am I DOING this to myself? Why am I putting myself through this? My legs HURT! I can't breathe! This isn't fun at all!"

Unlike Zumba class yesterday...which WAS fun.

But I don't intend to quit either one, and here's why.

They each serve DIFFERENT PURPOSES. Not just physically....but mentally and emotionally.

And Spinning especially DEMANDS a lot of mental toughness that I never really developed before. What I had to do to get to goal on the 5/1 notwithstanding. (although that is also 'character building', definitely! LOL)....

No, Spinning is not easy. It isn't easy and it isn't fun. And I always have to tell myself "It's OK if you can't keep up...it's OK if you have to rest or put the tension down slightly for a few seconds...you're not at the level most of the others here are at....you are already working out very hard, there's no NEED to pass out!" 

Honest to GOD I've worried about passing out. It has been known to happen in that class. I've never seen it thank goodness, but I've heard it HAS happened.

And I can see why. You really do push yourself to the limit. You're SUPPOSED TO. You can't breathe. You're literally gasping for air. At one point the instructor said, "If you can say your own name at the end of this segment, you're doing something wrong".
Now, that's scary, right?

Maybe that's why I do it. Precisely BECAUSE it's 'scary'.
BECAUSE it challenges me to do what I never thought I could do before. It pushes me to exceed my limits...which means the next time I've established a new 'higher' baseline and that means I'm improving, getting more and more fit with every class.

The bottom line is, I never in a million YEARS thought I would end up in a Spinning class. NEVER.

Yet there I am, every Wednesday.

It's a miracle to me. A small MIRACLE. Just like the miracle when I look in the mirror every day and see this woman who isn't fat anymore staring back at me. It still amazes me. I think it always will amaze me.

When you stay the course and BE PATIENT....(!!!)....when you stay OP 'no matter what'.....when you CHALLENGE YOURSELF to say "NO" to fat brain and "NO" to the food pushers and you stay OP REGARDLESS.....you can amaze yourself. You really can.

So....as much as I keep saying "Find an exercise you ENJOY" and "If you LIKE it, you'll DO it", that isn't necessarily the case with ALL exercise. It certainly isn't true for me. Because I keep scheduling Spinning classes for myself, putting them on my calendar, getting up and out the door early in order to sign up in time, and DOING it....week after week. Even though by the last half of the class I'm thinking "I HATE HER!" and glaring at the instructor (LOL).

She's strong...she can take it. :)

So WHY do I keep doing Spinning?
BECAUSE IT'S A CHALLENGE!

And I submit to you that challenge is GOOD. No matter how old you are, or how heavy you are, or how many times you failed on other plans. I'm not talking about Spinning necessarily now...I'm talking about CHALLENGES in general.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF to do the 'uncomfortable'.

If you're having a craving and you just feel like you GOTTA gotta eat something, RESIST ANYWAY. You won't 'die' from it. Strengthen that NO muscle.

If you're afraid to try a new L&G or MF Meal, DO IT ANYWAY. You might just find a new favorite!

If you're afraid to go out to dinner, get as prepared as you can and TRY IT ANYWAY. You'll learn valuable lessons about yourself whether you stay OP or 'cave'.

If you haven't been able to stay OP for more than a couple days, GO FOR A WEEK AND DO IT ANYWAY....'Challenge yourself' to do it. 

If you're trying to stop daily weighing, put that scale away and force yourself, challenge yourself to STAY off it until your weekly weigh-in.

DO IT ANYWAY. I know that part of you wants to cheat. That may NEVER go away. But the more you RESIST, the stronger you get for NEXT time. And the more you build up the healthy habit of saying NO to yourself! I know you want 'just a little bit more'. I know you want 'just a taste'. I know you feel deprived every time you pass the stupid Easter Candy in the stores (argh). I know everyone around you is eating like krazy. I know there are bagels in break room and someone brought in donuts, too, and it's a BIRTHDAY party, you 'have' to eat a piece of cake (NO you don't, bring an MF brownie instead and tell them you're allergic)..., but STAY OP ANYWAY.

EXCEED your own expectations.
CHALLENGE yourself to see what you can do.

You just might surprise yourself! And on top of that, once you SUCCEED, you just might want to....repeat it next week!  LOL

Keep on keepin' on....

--
Linda

Linda Leiby
"You can DO this!"
Take Shape for Life Health Coach
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