This week in both my podcast & on my web show I discussed a topic brought on by someone I've come to admire (and became my FB friend, for what it's worth), Erik Chopin. For those that may not know who he is, he was the 3rd season winner of the television program, "The Biggest Loser", losing a whopping 214lbs which I believe is a first for the program (a contestant losing over 200lbs).
After winning, within 2 years he had gained back all of the weight he lost. He said that he just began to lose focus. The hoopla of winning died down & he began to rest on his laurels. Then the "passes" began to show up more frequently. "Passes" included allowances for over-eating ("Oh, I'll just train for an extra hour at the gym this week"), for not exercising, & finally for gaining weight ("I gained 4lbs? No prob, I'll bang them off next week!"). It got to a point where the passes overtook him and he could not cash the checks his mind had written. Falling into depression & old habits, he stopped going to the gym out of embarrassment, and after 2 years he had lost - he had gained all the weight back. Everything he had worked so hard for, the progress he had made, the inspiration he had given others was gone.
He's thankfully working his way back and warned the current contestants of his downfalls. It was hard enough to lose the weight the first time and he mentioned that it seems even harder the second time. Every day is an uphill battle. Having to lose weight in the "real world" is a lot different than losing it in seclusion on a television program.
Another couple of friends of mine that you might remember, Matt Hoover & Suzy Preston Hoover, were previous winners on the television program "The Biggest Loser" as well. Both of them have also fallen victim to the "passes" mentality but not to the degree of Eric. In his book, Matt talks about letting himself go and gaining back 80lbs & feeling like a hypocrite since he had based his business on inspiring people to lose weight but he himself was gaining it back. Both he & Suzy are on their way back, Matt has been training to do triathlons & even an Ironman competition in Hawaii. But for them as well, every day is an uphill battle.
I face my own uphill battles everyday. Some days I conquer them, some days I have defeat but rise again to fight them the next. Yesterday I faced a literal & figurative uphill battle on my bike. Literal in the sense that near my home there is a rather large "stepped" hill that had beaten me once already on my bike. I got 3/4 of the way up and had to get off the bike & walk because it seemed so difficult to keep going. Figurative in the sense that as I approached the hill my mind was filled with negative & self-defeating thoughts, telling me that I should just give up 3/4 of the way up like last time & try it again some other day.
The thoughts became louder & more pronounced as I began to climb the hill, deep down inside I knew if I stopped where I did last time that it would be my brick wall or glass ceiling. It would be the point that I would always think was the spot where I could make it and no farther. I pushed myself & the bike as hard as I could, each "step" slowing my progress even further. But I crept on, looking I'm sure like I was traveling in slow-motion. Cars passing me, people gawking, but I continued undaunted.
With the last revolutions of my pedals I had reached the top. Taking a brief moment to look back at my triumph, I pedaled home with a wide smile on my face. I pulled into my driveway exhausted & high off of the victory. That battle was won, that mental roadblock defeated.
Some days are full of battles, some we win & some we lose... Ultimately when we wake up each morning to fight again, we've already won.
MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
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