As I sit here writing, I’m acutely aware that around the corner is “Quitter’s Day,” the second Friday in January when most people have abandoned their resolutions, and I’m about to quit.

Two weeks ago, I urged you to toss out old-fashioned New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I encouraged you to set goals that were specific, attainable, and measurable.

Did I take my own advice? Of course not.

Before I tell you about my New Year’s goal, let me offer a brief refresher. I’m halfway through a year-long physical challenge, and you’re due a more detailed update. When I started this journey, I was overweight, and easily winded just walking around the block. I’ve worked my way up to walking three to six miles almost every day, with occasional running.

I’ve also learned it’s OK to take a rest day. In fact, the body needs rest days. Psychologically, this concept has been challenging for me. I’ve struggled to take any days off because if I take more than one day off at a time, I’m prone to quit altogether.

As to “dieting,” I haven’t followed any plan. I decided to watch portion sizes and eat sensibly. My family generally eats a vegan diet. I say generally because vegan options may not always be readily available. So, we’ve become more flexible with eating vegetarian when out and about. At home, we’re fairly strict with vegan cooking.

Since last June, I’ve also been hardcore about avoiding junk food, though I’ve allowed desserts on special occasions or holidays. And I took a getaway with my mother, during which we shared three desserts one night and she’ll tell you I somehow still found room for one more afterward.

After months of sensible eating coupled with regular exercise, my resting heart rate is lower, I’m sleeping better and I now fall into the healthy weight category for a 5-foot-5-inch woman. I started at 150.5 pounds and now weigh 123.5. Most of my clothes no longer fit.

Suffice it to say, slow and steady is winning this race. And my black bikini is patiently waiting for me to turn 50 in July.

And yet …

While I’ve lost a lot of weight, things are jiggly. Maybe you remember how I hate my arms? I don’t hate them as much anymore, but there is a lot of wiggle action.

So, you can understand my enthusiasm when I came across a vegan “Buns and Guns” eight-week challenge. In eight weeks, Jennifer Lopez’s butt and Linda Hamilton’s arms coupled with vegan recipes? And a grand prize of $20,000? Yes, please!

I signed up and downloaded the rules, the plan, the workouts, and instructions for how to get the perfect tan (huh?!). Then I read about the before-and-after photos and videos. I turned red. It probably makes sense that to show a transformation of the gluteus maximus you need photographic evidence of said “buns.”

But I was convinced I had it in the bag. Eight weeks to buns of steel and arms like the terminator. I can hear you snickering. I forgot my own advice: choose goals that are “attainable.” Maybe this goal is attainable, but probably not 2.5 months after an abdominal hysterectomy. Additionally, my lower back has been hurting for the last month. I should have known a weight-lifting plan was out of the question.

On the first day of the competition, my back hurt so much, I could only complete the two sessions of cardio. On the second day, I tried to lift a 40-pound bag of pellets for our pellet stove, and I pulled something related to my recovery from my surgery. (I’m OK!) My youngest came home and asked if I lifted, and I burst into tears. On the third day, we went to the gym. Determined to do the Day 3 workout, I grabbed the 45-pound barbell to do barbell squats, and my squat didn’t qualify as a squat. I was ready to quit.

My son told me I couldn’t quit. He reminded me that maybe I couldn’t do the workouts as prescribed, but surely there was something I could still do? And he found some exercises that didn’t aggravate my back.

I found strength in remembering that anything worth achieving will always be hard but having unrealistic goals sets me up to fail. So, I reassessed and refined my goal: toned arms and buns by July through an exercise plan that won’t put me in traction. Meanwhile, I’ll make a call to my doctor regarding my back.

If this Sunday after Quitter’s Day, you’ve been close to quitting, or even quit already, remember it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. A modification of your goal doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’ve learned from your mistakes. And that will undeniably contribute to your (and my) success.

I’m counting my butt on it!

Hilary Koch lives in Waterville. She can be reached at: hilarykoch@pm.me

 

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