Tuesday, April 20, 2010

It’s not the Tortoise and the Hare~ Losing and Cruising to weight loss!

It’s not the Tortoise and the Hare~ Losing and Cruising to weight loss!




Everyone puts themselves into two categories when it comes to life and losing weight. And they are always represented by two distinct animals; the Tortoise and the Hare.



The Hare by definition comes out like a blazing comet but once it’s into the race it burns itself out! It doesn’t strategize. No preparing for what it takes to get through the obstacles of the long haul. This is the center of every race, both literally and in the race to shed pounds. It never gets across the finish line. It never completes the race. Does it sound like a diet you’ve tried? It does to me!



Then there is good old Mr. Tortoise. Methodical, consistent, not very exciting and not very dynamic. Kind of similar to losing the weight you’ve always wanted to loose over the last 10 years. Whether they are 10 pounds or 70 pounds. The slow moving method the tortoise emphasizes is the stereotypical experience everyone has after those first few days on a diet. When the excitement of making a new choice and putting together a couple of clean days and finally shedding that initial water weight fades away. We’re left with the monotony of day in and day out. One step at a time. Or, if we’re the hare after those early glory days have pasted we’re exhausted, cranky, stressed, and around 5:00pm on that fateful day when we can’t handle it any more we’re munching on that first bite that leads to the next binge.



Ok. Let’s stop here. Throw out the 2 prong fast/slow approach to life represented by these two species. Let’s try something different. Let’s pick a new animal. An animal that represents YOU! One that feels and speaks for yourself. And only yourself. Because you claim it. For me it’s a mountain loin. Why? First I look at my body frame. Not heavy or thin. I look at my frame. The way I am built. No matter how much I lose I am never going to be a gazelle or a giraffe. What do I see in a mountain lion? Smaller than the other big cats but immense strength compacted into it’s body. Quick, it bursts on it’s pry or to ward off an enemy at the blink of an eye. But it can take hours of methodical concentration to hunt, stalk and neutralize it’s prey. It can run up hill at 45 mph and it can stand motionless watching, observing, and calculating.



Bottom line it’s not a tortoise or a hare. It’s a little bit of both with a grey area in between that makes it unique. Think about it. Go out and find Your animal. Find what is unique about it—and find what is unique about YOU! Re-choose YOU! Let me know what YOU come up with!



Have a great week!

~Cherie