There’s this lady at the gym. I know nothing about her, not even her name. She keeps to herself, usually in a small free-weight area. She carries a few extra pounds (as do I). She never makes eye contact with those around her. And she never smiles. Ne-ver…until a few days ago.
We were working out in the same area. I’m not the most outgoing person you’ll ever meet, but the awkwardness of ignoring each other finally got to me. I caught her attention and gave her a little smile and head nod. She returned the gesture with a huge smile that exuded warmth and kindness. I complimented her on how hard she works out. She thanked me and told me that while she does her cardio and lifts heavy weights (true), when she gets home she overeats. I told her a little bit about my story with weight loss and fitness and we parted ways.
Later I wondered why she would open up to someone she didn’t know. I hope I helped her a bit. She certainly helped me. Her honesty caused me to look at my own behaviors of late. I’ve been eating a bit too much on the weekends. I’ve not been keeping my food journal as I once did. While all of my clothes still fit, I see that I’ve become complacent. I still have a long way to go before my physician and I are satisfied so there is no room in my life for complacency.
Since that conversation I’ve been keeping a food journal and making sure portion sizes are appropriate. The next time I see that lady, I’m going to tell her how much she helped me.
Maybe I’ll even catch her name.
482gr8 