S.W.E.A.T

I have this thing about sweat. I hate it. It’s gross. I hate how I feel when I sweat. But tonight it felt so good! I was able to exercise for the first time since my surgery. I wanted so bad to get on the elliptical and see if I could just jump right back in where I left off 3 weeks ago, but I’m still on restricted activity, so I walked on the treadmill instead. I walked for 30 minutes at 3.0 miles per hour for a total of 1.5 miles. And the sweat felt good. While I was walking, I couldn’t help but look around the room and see all the different people there. There was quite a mix of people all at varying degrees of fitness and health. There were, of course, the macho jocks trying to impress whoever would notice them, middle aged men and women just trying to shed some of the excess holiday weight, thirty somethings, young teenagers and of course, the thorns in my side since I started exercising 2 years ago…..the skinny girls. You know, if I’m going to be really honest, I don’t like them. They make me feel intimidated, inferior. But then I got to thinking, I don’t know what price they have paid to get to where they are. And their journey is not my journey. So, as hard as it was to do, I just started focusing on myself and how far I’ve come already. As I looked down at my feet, the realization came to me that each stride I was taking was bringing me one step closer to where I want to be. And that made me feel proud. Maybe one day I’ll be a skinny girl too and maybe I won’t. And you know, I’m ok with that. But one thing I will be is healthier than I was before. But I don't think I'll ever get used to this sweating thing!