Thank you
. I don't have much time, so I can't be here has often as I'd like. However, it's comforting knowing that you've done a great job answering various questions these past few days. This thread is a blast to be a part of.
On a side note, and not health related (sorry to deter), my build thread was deleted for some unknown reason :(. That was a big loss for me. I worked hard on that and I hope it can be recovered somehow. I noticed it was gone when I tried to post up pictures of some new modifications I had done today. I don't want to start a new build thread. What a bummer.
Also, I'm truly proud of all of you for continuing your efforts to live a healthier life-style, and doing this for YOU. Intrinsic motivation is very powerful (as is extrinsic), and it is the true clincher for life long devotion to health and fitness. Keep it up everyone! CFD, keep at it man, and you'll get there. You just found that "fire" you needed to take it to the next level. Life is funny sometimes, because little experiences like yours make you realize one or more reasons why you enjoy these fitness ventures, and why you seek them in the first place. There are so many different motivators that vary for each and every person. The key is for people to find their "fire", and to review it when motivation starts to dwindle, or start creating new goals, small short terms goals, and larger long term goals.
Without getting into too much detail, here's just one of my motivators.....I had the pleasure of working with individuals in one of the few facilities around the United States that specialize in providing therapeutic exercise and stretching for the physically disabled. It changed my entire life and outlook. Every time I walked into that facility, something or someone gave me a new appreciation for life and movement. At first, it was emotionally difficult to see various people struggle to perform the simplest movements that the physically able individual performs each and every day, such as holding a spoon to your mouth, picking up a pencil, turning your house key, getting up out of a chair, walking, conversing, brushing your hair or teeth, etc. Over time, speaking with these individuals, and providing therapeutic exercise for them often made their day, as well as mine. Many physically able people take movement for granted, and I sometimes did as well. We worked with people of all ages (young adult to the elderly) with all types of disabilities such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Stroke, Myocardial Infarction, paraplegic, quadriplegic, etc. Each and every person had knowledge and experience that everyone could apply to their own life. Many of these clients NEVER would have thought they would be in the position they are in now. I had one client that had a stroke and I was helping him learn to walk again, as he experienced a good deal of drop foot, and this exercise was very difficult. Imagine how it must feel to be used to quick treadmill walking or running that many people experience with relative ease (even though challenging), to now having great difficulty walking on a treadmill at a half mile per hour or less. He had to work unbelievably hard just to get walking again, and we were so proud to see how far he progressed. He also surprised himself more than a few times I'm sure. One day when we were walking on the treadmill, he explained to me that he planned to retire (he must be in his late 60's now), and read the newspaper in the mornings with his wife, and watch his grandchildren grow up. Now, his plans been altered. He now works out regularly in the facility to improve his health and overall lifestyle. He had a mixture of long and short term goals that would ultimately allow him to perform the activities of daily living on a easier scale. He explained how fortunate he felt to have such a great family and that his wife stayed with him through the entire process, and his children were a great help as well. He also knows it's crucial for him to continue his efforts in exercise and nutrition to live the most productive lifestyle possible, and he's very grateful to have a facility/staff to aid in the process. There was also another client that had the goal of learning to walk after his accident, and he only had a relatively short time to do so. This individual had the most amazing reason. All he wanted was to make sure that he could walk his daughter down the isle when she got married on that special day. Everyone that I had the pleasure of meeting while I was there absolutely changed my life, and I learned a great deal from their positive attitude and motivation to always do my best regardless of what curve-balls life throws at you. That's what they did, and they had a more difficult circumstances than most would. I looked at myself and other able bodied individuals in a different fashion after that. I started to realize that movement is precious, and many times we don't realize is enough until it's taken away from us, or something occurs to give it a second thought. Life is short, and it's essential to take care of the only body you'll have. If you treat it well, it usually treats you well. Find movement activities that put a smile on your face, and appreciate it for all it has to offer. It's truly a miracle.