Mental Hurdle - #1

Much of my struggle to lose weight came in various forms of mental hurdles that, as one would expect, have changed quite a bit since I’ve started. When I figured out that much of what was holding me back was myself I took to identifying the hurdle and treating them as a goal.

Through this blog I will be outlining a few of the major mental hurdles I’ve faced along the way. These will not be in any specific or chronological order.

When I entered High School I weighed 200 pounds. With the help of my football rosters and an easy weight gain pattern I’ve remembered this for years. My sophomore year I was 230 pounds. Junior year I was tipping the scales at 260…when I graduated I’d settled into my comfortable 250-255 range.

One of the most interesting mental blocks I’ve faced thus far is shedding my “big guy” identity. It was acceptable to say I was big boned or that my body “likes” being 255. In fact, during high school some of my friends called me Mungo after the character in “Blazing Saddles”. Mongo (not Mungo *note, my friends were good friends but not the sharpest tools in the shed) is a huge oaf and in an infamous scene punches a horse in the face. I played football and many of my friends were big guys so I just felt comfortable at that weight and comfortable with my "big guy" identity.

Only until recently after one of my many inspired talks with Sally did I realize there was a fear of losing my identity. I felt doomed to be what everyone knew me as “a big guy”. After that talk I came to my senses…being the “big guy” or the “big brother” never suited me well inside. I was over it, way quicker than it took for it to be gradually and deeply ingrained in me.

With that hurdle for my former “identity” behind me, my workout and determination became way more focused. I get excited to see people I haven’t seen in a few years, even a few months because I’m a changed man and I never thought it could feel so empowering!