No Pain...

No pain, no gain.  We have all heard this cliche at one point or another.  Most have probably used it.  I heard it just last night, but it began to have new meaning to me.

I watch The Biggest Loser.  I have from the beginning, and I love the show.  On the night of the season premiere I was out of the house and had Greg tape it so as not to miss a thing.  Later that week when I sat down to watch it my reaction took me by surprise.  I cried through a great deal of it.  Last night the second episode aired and I didn't outright cry, but still was teary and pretty emotional about it.  I could really identify with what it was these people were feeling.

No pain, no gain.  The first application of this is pretty obvious.  Last night the contestants were feeling some pain!  A good number of them actually throw up repeatedly during the first few workouts.  I can't even imagine how hard I would have to work to make myself throw up.  But they chose to stay.  Sure, they have all sorts of incentive, and don't want to throw away a huge opportunity, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve huge credit.  If I was still obese, not used to exercise, and thrown in to a workout that reduced me to tears and vomit, I might just have walked away.  The fact that they stayed, when they could have chosen to walk out that door speaks volumes to the commitment they made to their own journey.  It makes me look at myself and my commitment to my journey.  I don't know that I would have been ready to face what they did at the beginning.  But I feel committed, even to the point of sacrifice.  And yes, I have definitely had some sacrifice.  But that is another blog.  So, what are you willing to sacrifice to commit to something you want?

No pain, no gain.  The second application is more emotional.  These people have had some pain in there lives.  Again, I am not the type to feel people are victims as far as weight goes.  Gaining weight is a choice and not the end result of all that has been done to you.  That being said, without pain there would be far fewer fat people.  I know I for one find eating very soothing.  When I am bored or lonely, I like to eat.  It fills my time.  When I am sad, I like to eat.  Lets face it, eating is pleasurable. It feels good, it tastes good, and it takes your mind off other things.  It has really been a struggle to divorce my eating from what I am feeling.  I am constantly asking myself, "Are you hungry?  Do you need to eat now for the sake of keeping a good plan for the day?  If not, do you want to eat now because you 'feel' like it?  Why?  Bored, lonely, sad?"  Now I do one of two things when I am bored, lonely, or sad.  If I can , I go workout.  It is something to do, there are lots of people at the gym (or trail, or park), and I always feel better afterward.  If I can't go workout, I let myself feel bored, lonely or sad.  As much as I have avoided feeling these things over the years, I have found it is not the end of the world.  Somewhere in the back of my mind a few years ago I began to realize I had become quite numb to many things.  I have spent so much time avoiding feeling things that are painful, that I also became numb to much joy too.  Inch by inch, I am reclaiming my ability to feel things both good and bad.  What don't you want to feel?  Are you ready to face it head on?

No pain, no gain.  Over the years it has felt so inspiring to see the Biggest Loser contestants go from morbidly obese to healthy and strong. It has a happy ending.  In the past when I watched the show, that is what I enjoyed.  It gave me hope for what I might be able to do.  But it never made me cry until last week.  I thought it would be different watching the show from the other side.  I have lost my weight, so why be so emotional about it?  First off, I felt the pain of where they were.  I had not allowed myself to feel the fullness of the disappointment I had in myself went I was at my heaviest.  Watching them come face to face with the reality of their situation brought to mind the sharp disappointment I had always refused to let myself feel at my own weight gain.  Secondly, I knew a little of what they had in store.  They were going to turn their lives upside down.  Given the intensity of the program they are on, they would feel all of my exhaustion, sore muscles, and emotional turmoil times about 100.  Third, and the part I love, I cried for their hope.  That is why they were doing all of this.  After all of the disappointment and failures, they had caught a glimpse of hope.  There is another way, it can be better.  They knew this time it could be and would be different.  They knew deep in their heart something had changed and it was time to leave the excuses behind and take hold of the opportunity in front of them and succeed.  Deep down in my heart I have this same hope.  This time I knew weight loss would be different and that hope has been fulfilled.  I have other things that need to change.  I love God and walk with him daily, but He wants more of me than I am giving right now.  I want that too.  I can feel the hope I have buried deep inside fighting to have it's say.  There is a choice here.  I can extinguish the hope of more,  and avoid the pain of change and failure and disappointment.  Or I can cultivate that hope and do the hard work, allowing God to break me down so He can build me back up.  I am sure it will be painful, it will take recognizing and feeling things I would rather avoid, and it will take some major priority changes.  Is the gain worth the pain?  Most definitely.  How about you?  Is there a hope deep down that there just might be change in store for you?  What is it worth to you to have it?  Are you ready...