Monday, I competed in my second 5K competitive walk this year. While I had my concerns as stated in Monday’s Adulting blog post that brought a great amount of intense fear, I to the contrary (like many things I do) did quite well. I was second in my division and finished 10th from the last. The biggest accomplishment was that I finished the walk in under an hour. Given the challenges of the course in the beginning, this was a huge feat for me and was overly stoked.
Not only to mention the accomplishment of finishing the 5K walk in under a hour, just to finish it alone was an accomplishment within itself. Like many things that can be different and challenging, they present a buildup beforehand of challenging negative and irrational thoughts that are very likely untrue. I am now learning slowly that I cannot let this become a burden in my thought process. Rather, I need to surround myself with positive affirmations and thoughts as I often do on my social media. It helps but sometimes those challenging thoughts present themselves very roughly, I know that I have to fight them because my mind is capable of anything that I want it to do.
Mindpower is everything. It is what can make or break you when you are venturing towards improving your wellness. It can send receptor in your brain to tell you to eat or not eat something regardless if the product’s consumption will be beneficial to your health regime or not. It is much like choosing to walk routinely. If I didn’t have my mother to inspire me to go walking, I probably wouldn’t do it. She knows I need to do it in order to get to a healthier weight and prevent from surging obesity to the point that I wouldn’t be able to move. It has been some tough love. I have had trouble fighting the negative thoughts that pop up in my head and she has been at the receiving end for far too long of my heightened sense of negativity that is subdued once I complete the walking task for the day.
Deep down inside I know I need to walk or at least do something in order to lose weight and I know I need to do the latter as where I am is not at a healthy level by no means. I also know that I cannot sabotage that process at home by constantly ordering takeout and consuming large amounts of soda at one time as this will only deter the progress I have made thus far. At 36, I have finally realized that it takes a hand in hand process of both being mindful or what one eats and having a intense exercise regimen to lose weight and become a healthier person.
I am noticing the changes and others are too. Clothing is becoming baggier and I am losing weight in some parts of my body. It is also easier to navigate in places like steps where it once was a challenge for me. I have accepted that it takes both healthy eating and exercise to produce results in the favor that you want to. In order to do that you have to sometimes do things such as walk on days that may seem easier to just sit on the couch or in front the computer in the air conditioning.
I do have to say that doing any kind of exercise is beneficial to the mind as well. It pushes some of that negative energy out and brings in that positive energy that is so much needed. It may not seem like it at first and it can be very hard to accept, but being able to process extra energy that cannot be expended elsewhere can also be very beneficial to individuals that are autistic or have other similar mental health challenges, Yes the challenging thoughts can pose a small roadblock and they have at times, but you have to fight them because in the end, what you are doing by eating well and moving more is paying off in dividends to your physical and mental health and you will likely live for additional years by doing so.
I know that the future is looking bright for me. I can only grow and do better from this learning point in the juncture in my weight loss journey. It was important for me to discover that I can overcome the challenging thoughts and do things that I think in my head are impossible because if irrational fears that develop in my head. I need to put them aside once and all and go for my dreams.
Dustin's Dynasty 