Are You Interested or Committed?

I am often asked, “What did you do to lose weight?” and “how do you do it?” So now I’m asking, “Are you interest or committed?”

Interest-(n) the state of wanting to know or learn about something or someone, (v) excite the curiosity or attention of someone

Commitment– (n) the state or quality of being dedicated to cause, activity, etc.

Over the years, my interests have varied.  Anyone who knows me can testify that I have also had a plethora of fascinating ideas. There was the time that I thought about becoming a bartender, or the time I considered moving to South American for a summer Spanish immersion program. I even embarked on writing material to perform standup comedy. Once I contemplated starting an online adult store.  Then there was the time I researched and ordered the blueprint to build one of the first automatic car washes in my county. Oh yeah, there was also the time I was planning to sell refurbished items on craigslist; specifically golf clubs. I can’t forget about all of my sports endeavors which included practicing for an adult softball league and quitting before the first game. Or the time I took roller skating lessons with my husband and quit after a hard fall on my butt. I bought a nice tennis racket and took lessons just so we could play doubles with another couple. I could go and on, but I’m sure you get the picture. Some of these interests emerged out of a desire to be sociable and active.  Others were simply the result of my entrepreneurial spirit. As with many of my interests, they all took off really quickly and with much dedication, but would soon fizzle out after a new idea emerged or a family activity would take precedent. Before I knew it, I no longer had the time or interest to continue. Now these former interests are all tucked away in my memory bank and appear when someone says “Sharon, remember that time when….,” and we all enjoy a good laugh.

A few years ago I became interested in improving my health. Initially, I joined a gym and went a couple of times. I stopped showing up for a while but continued to pay membership fees. Later I decided to go back to the gym when time allowed.  I eventually joined one of their summer running groups, but pondered quitting after realizing how slow and out of shape I had become. It seemed every time I seriously considered quitting (keep in mind that these were my personal thoughts but never shared out loud) someone in the group would say something encouraging and give me a little support during our runs. However, at home, my eating habits pretty much consisted of a lot of soda and fried foods. By the end of the run group I learned about a healthy living support program also offered by the gym.  With the urging of the running group leader I decided to attend. During that program, I learned more about exercise and making healthy food choices. At home, my food habits were slowly changing from primarily fried foods to alternatives such as baked and steamed. Ultimately, I began to look forward to what I initially thought were grueling workouts and began to embrace healthy new ways to eat old foods. My grocery shopping habits changed and I spent more time in the fresh produce section and less time on the frozen food aisles. I began preparing more meals at home for my family and not making a quick stop at a burger joint or fried chicken establishment. I started scheduling my workouts as a priority, just as I had done in the past with work meetings, outings with friends and other social commitments. I decided I would still workout even if a friend called to cancel at the last-minute. I would no longer arrive at the gym only to sit in the parking lot and talk myself out of going into the building. I was no longer concerned that my boobs would knock me in the face as I ran on the trail. I didn’t concern myself with how weird it may seem to someone if I wasn’t wearing perfectly matching attire from head to toe. That’s when I realized I was no longer interested in healthy living.  I was committed to it!!

So the question is, Are you interested or committed to healthy living?