Even when you’re done…you’re not.

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Y’all can likely imagine my joy followed by spats of nervous bowel when the glorious MizFit asked little ol’ me to write a guest post for her blog which is simply fitness blogging extraordinaire!  Sort of like being asked to write an article for the New York Times, or something.  I hope that I will exceed her expectations and yours.

Even when you’re done, you’re not…

Imagine that you are participating in your first 5k…you’ve trained for it, you are ready.  You run it with all your heart and soul and you are doing fabulous.  You’re running at a consistent pace, you only struggle a little, but yet you are really tired, sore, and ready to put this one in the books!  You pass the 3 mile mark and can see the finish in the distance.

You see the banner.  You see the timing clock.  You see your friends and family cheering for your great accomplishment.  You will do it.  You will reach your goal of completing your first 5K!  You anticipate the well deserved reward of a rest, a hot shower, and a good meal.  After all, you’ve worked very hard to get where you are and you deserve to bask in the glory of your victory.

Now…I want you to imagine that nearly after just crossing that finish line, there is a coach there…telling you to keep running…run another 3.1 miles even.

You look aghast at this person.

“But, I just finished!  I reached my goal?  Why do I have to keep running?”

And this coach says, “Just because you’ve run 3.1 miles today doesn’t mean you’ll still be able to run 3.1 miles tomorrow?  You have to keep working at this.  You have to maintain your conditioning.  You can’t just reach your goal and put your feet up with a tall drink.  You’ll lose it if you don’t use it!”

How exasperating!

You put your all into your effort and then you realize that you have to keep putting your all in to keep it going?  But, but, but, what about my reward?  What about all my hard work…my heart and soul I tell ya!?!

See…that is just the thing about losing weight and getting fit.  It is the same as training and running your first 5K.  You put your heart and soul into your methods.  For me, it was counting calories and tracking my caloric burn via a Bodybugg and maintaining a religious caloric deficit (oh…and daily scale checks…don’t be hating).

This is how I went from 236 to 168 in about 5 months.

I made my goal.  I crossed my finish line.  I had a normal BMI, normal bloodwork, could wear size 34 pants…I made it baby!  Also, I did run, 5Ks, 10Ks, even up to 8 miles at my top.  (and that was from doing the C25K, graduating 03/24/2010)

But…and while I maintained for a few months, I’ve also gained back a few pounds during the summer months.  I haven’t run in awhile.  The 34s started to snug on me.

And you know…that is okay…it isn’t the end of the world and it is easily correctable.  It just confirms the biggest fears I had when I started this journey; that keeping it off would be harder than taking it off.

I want you to know though that it is worth it.  The effort, that is.  I’m worth it.  You are WORTH it.  It really doesn’t matter what it takes to get to goal…in my humble opinion anything is fair game.  We all have our opinions, but then again what works for one doesn’t for the other.

Also, while you can take some time to bask in the glory of reaching your goal (and you should freaking shout from the rooftops) and that taking some time to rest and build back a little of the heart and soul you poured into your efforts is anticipated, you will still need to KEEP GOING.

I know…that sucks…to KEEP GOING.  But, it is what it is.  You don’t have a choice really.

You have to keep Getting Better and Better unless you want to get bigger and BIGGER all over again.  This is what I’m learning…this is what I’m living.  So…that is my duty…to get back to it…to get going and keep going…back to getting better and better

**MizFit note. As always I beg to differ and clarify that Im the one honored by Kyle’s post. I found myself nodding in agreement the entire time (you?) as nary a day has passed in the 16 years since Ive gotten “fit” that I have had to consciously MAKE THE CHOICE to keep going.  Thanks Kyle!

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Comments

  1. Awesome post – this really speaks to me 🙂

    I find losing weight to be not all that hard (when my head’s in the game), gaining weight to be really REALLY easy, and maintaining to be almost impossible. Same with exercise – building up fitness is totally doable (and so rewarding), if you put the hours in, losing it is easy peasy, maintaining is dull (yeah this attitude needs to change!!).

    So right now, I’m losing some weight and building my fitness levels back up – but I will remember this post when I reach my goal!

    • Keep fighting the good fight Joanna…I knew when I was losing my weight, I was most afraid of the maintenance phase. After all, this wasn’t my first rodeo so I know the pitfalls and what I’ve allowed myself to do in the past. There is probably a good Latin phase for Ever Vigilant or something that I’ll need to look up.

  2. Love that post really spoke to me, even tho i have a long way yet to go.

    Something I tell myself all the time, I’m not loosing weight I am changing my life for the better and it never ends.

    • Thanks! Don’t get me wrong…this is a big struggle for me lately…the clothing is getting a wee snug lately and I haven’t been exercising like I should. I know that I have a horse to get back on before I’m under it.

  3. I. Have. Chills.

    I didn’t know Kyle’s post was forthcoming! I am a lover of The Kyle.

    And Kyle? You knocked the cover off the ball with this one.

    Thanks to both of you for the great post! (suckhole fillage even over herrrre)

  4. Wow, I so needed to read this today. Seriously, I really needed it so thank you so much. I am at my goal for just over a year, losing 75 pounds and fighting to lose every single one of those pounds! I am now active, running, roller skating, hula hooping, whatever I can do to move, although I’ve been sidelined for now from running and had to cancel my plans to run my first 5K. Anyway, I digress. Sorry.

    I got on the scale this morning and saw a number that made my eyes pop. Now, it’s nothing outrageous, but a number that has brought me back to reality, to the fact that I am not at the end of my race, that I need to continue to do the work to maintain my weight and my healthy lifestyle.

    So thank you so much for your post. Time to get serious again. This is the rest of my life, right now!

    • You are so welcome! Congrats on a major achievement and count me in the same boat with you. Thankfully my scale is still packed up from a recent move, but my pants are telling the real tale. I’ll try and join you in getting serious too!

  5. I’m still in the losing phase of all this, but still this post spoke to me. I’ve been letting the exercise slip the last few days, and I know I need to get back on track. It really is a choice that has to be made every day.

    • You are so welcome Laura…I’ve had a great Friday and looking forward to the remainder of the weekend…hope yours is great too.

    • Thanks Miz…

      Lovers of the Kyle…hmm…L O T K…

      Lovers after the Kyle…L A T K.

      Lovers after the Kyle’s Eloquence?… L A T K E.

      Whose hungry now?

  8. Wow, I really do need that coffee this morning. Thought I commented already but don’t see it. Anyway, special thank you today for helping me realize what’s going on. Even though I’m at goal, having lost 75 pounds, I still need a kick in the pants sometimes.

    Special thanks to you in today’s post on my blog. I really enjoy reading your blog every day.

  9. Great illustration. And just like a never ending race, it gets a little wearying sometimes. But what other choice do we have, except to keep pressing on?

    • Thanks Debby…oh boy am I tired…I’ve taken a little too much time “off” lately…and it is starting to affect me. Time to get back to it.

  10. OMG! Yes! This is the post of the year! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost the weight only to gain half or more back again! For whatever reason, I would be faithful to my eating habits and workouts until I lost all the weight, then I thought I was safe, I was DONE!

    Only recently has it hit home that I have to keep doing my workouts every day, keep an eye on what I’m eating and how much every day – for the rest of my life. I decided this time I wasn’t going to do this again! It was too painful and difficult this time to get the weight off and get fit and healthy. I’m in it for the long haul this time!

    Thank you so much for sharing!

    • Wow…thanks Tricia…very flattering. As a yo-yo dieter, I’m all too familiar with this pattern and I struggle with it every damn time. Keep hauling!

  11. Love this post! I am doing my first 5K next Saturday and I keep telling myself it is only the beginning of the start of my fit life. This post rings so true we are always working and it is a lifelong journey!

  12. Great post, Kyle. Loved this line: “You have to keep Getting Better and Better unless you want to get bigger and BIGGER all over again.” I’m finding that getting better means getting better at the infinite small things that I’d always passed over before (as in REMEMBERING to remember them and to be on the look out for them). Thank you for this, Miz and Kyle.

    • Thanks Lynn…you are so right about the little things…it makes all the difference. Of course, I try to hard to hit the home runs when the base hits is what really wins the games…without getting too many outs.

  13. This is a great post about fitness. The training never ends. There is always something we should be preparing ourselves for. I personally like to train for all kinds of things. Sometimes in doing so I sacrifice my performance in the previous endeavor but it keeps fitness fun for me.

    • I think the training is probably as “fun” as the activity itself. I’m a process/method oriented guy which is why I really liked C25K. I really need to get on a new running program as I’m not really training for anything now…I’m not doing too well left to my own devices.

  14. I’m at the gain-back stage too and need to kick it into gear to lose the gain, plus the additional weight that I need gone. Thanks for reminding me to keep at it!

    • Tara…I’m with you there sister…I haven’t seen my scale, but can guarantee that I’ve put back on some danger pounds. And for me, it isn’t the pounds I’ve gained, its the worrisome behaviors that have returned too. We’ll get back to it together.

  15. Kyle! I love him!!!

    Great post – so true. Hitting that realization that you HAVE to keep going…that there is no “done” is the key. Well written, my friend!

    • I’ve been a little too absent lately because I know I’m not doing as well as I should be…welcome back to the community.

  17. I found myself nodding as I read this too. I’ve only been at my goal weight since February, but none of what I did to get to my goal weight stopped. It’d be all too easy to put the weight back on if I stopped the exercise, calorie tracking, food journaling and daily weighing. I went from 272.5 lbs to, currently 133.5 lbs. All the work was worth ut, and it’s worth it to keep it uptoo1

  18. This is such a great analogy and so fitting for me because I have found that keeping it off, for me, is a much harder race to run than losing it in the first place.

    • Yup…we have that in common. For me, my challenge is the kinds of behaviors that got me fat in the first place are surfacing again. Time to kick it back into gear.

  19. Great post, Kyle. Good advice for those of us who are looking at goal weight like a holy grail to be acquired. I guess once we touch it, we have to keep juggling to keep it, right?

    • Thanks Mr. Clyde…I really need to get back to active blog reading…If I did, I’m sure I’ll hear that you are doing awesome on your iTouch challenge.

  20. Yeah no one told me I’d have to keep this up. But it is a great thing to push myself because I like a challenge. That’s one thing that helped me get to goal in the first place 🙂 Off to stalk Kyle’s blog and find out this awesomeness.

  22. Great post! Gotta keep going.

    I like continuing on by switching up the kind of exercise I do. Keeps my body on its toes and keeps me interested!

    • Yup Lori..and I still think it is somewhat unfair sometimes. I wish I was born with that athlete’s gene so it wouldn’t be such a daily struggle, but it is what it is. Thanks!

  25. Thank you Kyle. This post was just what I needed this morning. After a lax and busy summer, my pants too are a little tight. Thanks for the reminder that it is a lifetime journey and doesn’t end with new pants or a finish line.

    • Thanks Peggy…you and I are sharing the same story then…I don’t want to buy new pants, but I know they are snugging on me lately. Back to it!

  26. Kyle, you’ve done it again. It makes perfect sense. It’s simple. This is exactly why we all love you!
    Rae
    xx
    PS – this is my first time on your blog Mizfit. I clearly have a lot more reading to do!

  27. Yes, keep going. The keeping going is worth it, too.

    I can say that after over 3 years of maintaining my losses.

    Bask in the glory, and keep training.

  28. Wow, did I need this post today! I never expected maintaining the weight loss to be so much harder than losing it in the first place. As a person who thrives on to-do lists and goals, I don’t know what to do when everything is “done”. We must keep going, keep LIVING.

    • Since I’ve lost and gained back several times, I know how tough it is to keep it off.

      For me, I am learning that I need to find new methods and structure since that is what I had to lose it in the first place.

      Off to research some training programs…

  31. Yes…I find the trickiest thing is to keep going. Sure there are spurts and stops, but in the end it’s all about dusting off the old shoes and making sure you still look after yourself. It’s a wierd transition over though…

  32. Your mantra is mine too! I have been at this a long time & the one thing I know for sure, you have to keep at it & keep trying & keep changing things up to “maintain” or get better.

    With age too, things change which brings another whole host of issues to deal with.

    I have always said I am a work in progress always & I live by that & never giving up trying to stay fit & healthy.

    Good for you & keep up that mantra of going & getting better!

  33. It’s always a little discouraging to know that it’s going to get harder but I guess it’s also good to know that ahead of time.

    I try to look at the whole thing less in terms of getting to a goal weight and more of getting healthier, fitter, better. There is no end to that goal.

    • Kendra…there are times when I’ve been bitter that what isn’t easy for me “seems” to be easier for others. I’ve read some articles from athletes, though, that admit that they struggle at times to get out there and keep on training.

      You’ve got the right outlook…the healthy one.

  34. I found out (the hard way) that once you “reach goal,” you need new goals.

    “Before enlightenment: Chop wood, carry. water.
    After enlightenment: Chop wood, carry water.”

  35. I love the idea of just working on getting better and better rather than focusing on the negative aspects. And I love that exercise with all it’s crazy endorphins and whatnot becomes self-reinforcing. It never is as hard as it is at the beginning. Thanks for the reminder and the inspiration!

    • Thanks for your insight…I’m glad that came through because I’ve had a tendency towards negativity and I really want to be a more positive person…and I’m really working on it.

  36. Love the name…Crimea River!

    yes…I do need some new goals…I’ve always said metaphorically, that I need a new mountain to climb…and then I’ve climbed two of them so far!

    I really need to get back to chopping some freaking wood too.

    Thanks for the enlightenment.

  37. Kyle has followed me since day oneof my mission.

    If he says he is going to get back to it, to get going and keep going, then I’d say we can expect to read some successfull posts from him soon as it will be done.

    Have a good day, Never Forget!

  38. I’m with you 100%, Kyle. You have to get better and better. I find that when I just try to “maintain” it’s pretty much the beginning of the end. In fact, that’s the whole reason why I STARTED blogging. I knew it would motivate me to get stronger, fitter, and more athletic overall.

    I’m definitely a person that’s either moving forward, or backward, but never staying the same!

  39. I just finished my first 5K, and I after the initial elation of finishing it, I had a bit of a “what now?” moment.

    I think the key for me will be to always have a goal I’m working towards. The weight loss is a big one right now, but that won’t last forever. Every race I run will be a goal, but I will need to have something else I’m working towards when that’s done.

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