LA Boxing Post #4: Belonging

Post-workout

In short, I feel quite at home in a boxing gym. Pat H. not only counts my reps (something I'm horrible at doing because my mind is always wandering) and encourages me when I'm reaching fatigue, but he reminds me time and time again that I belong in this gym. I have earned the right to be here. How? Showing up each time willing to learn, willing to push myself, willing to walk away feeling like I've given every ounce of strength and determination.

Boxing is a very good metaphor for the whole weight loss journey. It's not enough to go through the motions. You should be mentally present at the same time. Boxing takes precision and timing. It takes focus. I could throw punches haphazardly, or I could aim and execute. Isn't it the same with diet? I could graze on food willy-nilly, or I could put forth the mental effort of planning my food. I sit on a bike and read the newspaper, or I can put the pedal to the metal.

I keep on going back to the question regarding #GoTheDist -- what does it mean to "Go the Distance" -- and I think that I'm getting closer and closer to the answer. I told my dietitian almost a year ago that this would be the very last time going down this road. I would never be that heavy again. I would never be that unfit again. For me "go[ing] the distance" means seeing this through to the end. It's not a goal weight, or a PR time. There is no finish line for me, except when I'm old and decrepit being able to look back and say "I did what I could." Going the distance means forging forward without regret or judgment. It means pushing through the mental obstacles and excuses. It means being committed to myself for the long run.

I am a fighter. I belong in a boxing gym. Bring it on.

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