Skill-based Fitness

My day is just starting but I’m feeling the need to make my post early. I am having some weird emotions right now so I’m struggling to word things properly, so bear with me as I try to get these thoughts into cohesive sentences! It won’t be eloquent and I won’t be surprised if it doesn’t make much sense.

I’ve mentioned it in passing but never really spoken on it before, but I am a gamer. Well, not so much anymore. I don’t prioritize it anymore and it’s not worth the effort it would take for me to have the physical or mental freedom to do it anymore. I sometimes still play a couple hours on one of my husband’s days off while he and Bryn have Daddy/daughter time but that’s about it. Anyway, I -used- to be a gamer. Even played competitively and streamed on Twitch. When I stopped participating in the world outside, I started living in a virtual one. It was the only way I stayed social at all. I’m getting so far off my point of mentioning this though. Brain, please, just work with me here.

I mention this because this journey has often reminded me of various aspects of gaming. What? Yes. If you haven’t ever really been into gaming, especially on a passionate level, I’m sure that sounds ridiculous. But if you have, I mean even if you are just a phone matching game player, you’ll probably somewhat relate to what I mean. Not just the grind, which isn’t specific to gaming, or fitness, that’s part of pretty much everything in life. What I mean specifically is that this fitness journey is like a skill-based turn style game to me.

If you’ve ever played games, even those match three or puzzle games on your phone, I’m sure you’ve encountered a level/floor/puzzle that was designed where there is only one way to beat it—the hard way. It’s designed to be done specifically within the parameters of the basics. If you try to use a hack, or a bonus, or a boost, it makes it impossible to beat. That’s what fitness feels like to me.

I’ve tried everything before. All the diets, all the programs, all the pills and shots, all the “boosts” and “cheats” to achieve healthy. Not only did they not work out, but they also made it impossible because fitness can’t be completed any other way than the hard way. The yo-yo effects and side effects meant it would be impossible to achieve healthy that way. And that’s because fitness is a skill based “game.” You can’t hack, boost or cheat your way to health. There’s only one way to get there, and it’s the hard way.

At least E2M makes hard things simple to do. Imagine if all those hard levels/floors came with a complete and detailed map. Like “alright, this is going to be hard, but here is exactly how to do it.” Yeah, that’s what Jeff Spoon has given me, a complete tutorial for S+/3 star/KO victory. We can do hard things, especially since we already have the map. I like to think of weeks 7 and 8 as raid weeks. If you’ve never played an MMO, you don’t know what that means, but if you have, I’m sure you got a chuckle out of that.

Alright. Enough nerding out. I probably lost a lot of you talking about that stuff. It’s just an example of how E2M is relatable, even to someone so seemingly far removed from fitness like a gamer. No matter what your passion or hobby, I’m sure you can equate your fitness journey to it somehow as well.

Listen. This picture. I struggled so, so badly with posting this. When I’m standing, the full truth of my body shape is much less difficult to swallow. As vulnerable as I am, posting a picture of me sitting down is HARD for me. My “apron” is a beast of its own. I took this picture with intentions to show it several days ago, but I just couldn’t bring myself to. When I look at it, I still see the size 36 woman I started this as. If it weren’t for having comparison pictures, I wouldn’t believe I had lost anything. Today, I’m doing the hard thing and showing this full picture. Maybe it will encourage someone else, as well. I struggle to accept my ever-changing body, like when I pick up things in my new size and look at them thinking there’s no way they’ll fit me. Like my new bras that came yesterday, and I wouldn’t even try them on because they looked too small. My daughter picked one up from the floor and said “put shirt on Mommy” so I did, and it fit. I cried and hugged her tight. I don’t see my new size; most days I still see me at my biggest. So, part of overcoming that is sharing the pictures, so I can be reminded of the changes and hear them over and over until my brain finally accepts them.

Long winded. Sorry y’all. My feels are all over the place today and I’m rambling. Hopefully the family time at the pool later will settle my spirit. Love y’all and hope you have a wonderful Sunday. I also tagged all my suggested today just to be even more vulnerable. Pushing myself.