Responsibility 199, what is it?

Responsibility 199 is a belief; I believe that to be healthy and to increase my longevity I need to weigh 199 pounds or less...
Responsibility 199 is a need; I need to reduce my weight, reduce my percentage of body fat, and the elevated threat of disease my present condition presents...
Responsibility 199 is a mission; I recognize that achieving 199 will be a challenge, perhaps the hardest I have ever undertaken...
Responsibility 199 is a commitment; I acknowledge that I must commit to action, commit to change, commit to myself and those I love to achieve this mission, to increase my longevity...
Responsibility 199 is ME.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

In Short, In truth, Here I am

I've received a bunch, I mean a BUNCH,of inquiries as to ny whereabouts. I chose to reply to one of them, using that reply to organize my thoughts, and then after sending that email share them with all here via this post....

Hi Jody, thanks for checking up on me; I hope all has been well with you!

In short, everything is Ok here. Family is happy, healthy, everything is well with our home, work and school lives.

In truth, after we returned from vacation in early July I struggled to get my mojo back for forgoing ahead with my mission to slim down to 199. For a couple of weeks I kept doing the things I had been, but oddly the exercise was harder to get through, the meal discipline was harder to manage, the balancing of me-first in with my non-me priorities was harder to execute.

Even as I sit here and type now, I do not know why what was so easy, so enjoyable a year ago; I do not know why it suddenly got so hard. The best I can rationalize is that I was beginning to mentally burn out to some degree. Seeing that I knowingly decided to step back and take a break from what was proving difficult, I have no doubt that was it.

So here I am today, the weekend drawing to a close, August days away from closing as well. I've stayed away from the scale as its been a source of difficulty; difficulty in not seeing number continue downward. Today, I would guess it is 10 pounds greater than where is was a couple of months ago. Exercise has been very sporadic, my eating has been inconsistent from day to day.

Over the past couple days I've caught myself thinking more as I did a year ago. We (my wife & I) have put conscious effort into reversing the difficulty and regaining momentum. Over the next week we look to work on our consistency a day at a time. This morning we got off our butts and got them moving again in a big way with a 6.9 mile walk along a nearby forest preserve trail.

What is most frustrating is even through this difficult period, we have not forgotten how important it is to get healthy, to stay healthy. The reasons I started this mission some sixteen months ago have not changed. While the challenges and results of what we do vary from day to day, month to month; the reasons for living healthy lives are constant.

Understanding this, we must now harness the importance of these reasons in order to reclaim commitment and resume consistency.

I'll check in on your blog and those of others who I've missed this week!

p.s.. the picture at the top there is of my wife & daughter exchanging a tearful goodbye as we dropped her off at college nearly three weeks ago.


Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

22 comments:

  1. I sincerely hope you recapture, redefine, and rework yourself into the highest state of "mojo" you have ever known. Wishing you success, health, fitness, and more....

    Nice to see you back.

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  2. I'm glad to hear from you. I had wondered and missed you:) I can certainly empathize. I so often wonder why sometimes I have mojo and other times it has mysteriously vanished. For me, my own recent trip was a struggle, as was returning home. You are so right about consistency and commitment. So let's you and I get us some!

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  3. I miss you and glad you are around.
    It - the ease, and greatness - came and went for me, too...
    In the form of a Cinnamon Roll (from Hades)!
    Of all the things!

    Back on the track we go!
    It's all good - and a poke for you, Kind Sir!

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  4. Patrick, I was one of the ones who left a note and I'm so glad to hear from you. There is definitely an issue of sustaining progress. I have faced it myself, but am cautiously optimistic that I can move forward successfully. Please use us, your support network, to your advantage. You have been very inspiring to many of us, including me. You can do it.

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  5. This happens to the best of us. It's a bump in the road. I know how hard it is when you've lost that exercise mojo, but I know once you get going again, it comes back with a vengence.

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  6. Me too, similar struggles. It's a bummer, but I don't know of a single person, hero, athlete, star, etc that has a winning season every week, month, every year.

    I can offer no advice. I am not on a roll right now, but I believe that there is no mojo or magic to this. It is simply a series of good choices. Momentum and some supportive accountability make it easier. You can do it, Patrick.

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  7. Patrick I am so glad you are okay. I agree that it is a bump in the road and so easy to get off course. you just need a winning day at a time. I understand the feeling of sometime needing a break, wishing you a quick return with your mojo back dear friend. I think you have been very missed here in blog land. The picture of your wife and daughter is beautiful, capturing a wonderful moment. be well.

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  8. I applaud your honesty. We all have times like this (me more than most!)
    Hope that you get back on track soon.

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  9. I think Alan is spot on with his comment. We're all here to help each other and if we can do anything to help you then we'll definitely do it.

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  10. Patrick, I am glad to see you back and heading in the right direction. Hope your enthusiasm for reaching your goal comes back. We are here to cheer you on. Don't go away.

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  11. Welcome back, Patrick. As you said, burnout can hit us all after we have been on the journey for a while. It happened to me and it took Allan's journey and blog to get me going again. Find some friends who are still fighting the good fight and let them help motivate you. You don't have to battle it alone. I wish you the best.

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  12. Even during those times we "think" we are off our game, we are growing, learning and evolving. Glad to see you back to blogging. Take care. :)

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  13. HI!!!!! Well, I wrote you a personal note back & here it is below BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WRITING & NOW POSTING AS WE ALL CARE!!!!

    Hi Patrick! So glad all is OK! So much to respond to here & I want to take my time at that. Right now I am a sleepy head! ;-) I will say that what you are going thru is very very common - the burn out & often when people start gaining & giving up because the realization that this journey has to be life long. I am so glad that you are getting back to it with your wife. Both of you doing it & supporting one another is the best way! 10 pounds ain't great BUT Patrick, it could have been more so get that off & keep it going cause you know how to do it! Be back later!

    Just to add to that before I get some sleep & write to you more later - So many comments saying what we all feel - it is HARD stuff. We are all here for one another. IT IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE & I am still learning too!

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  14. I've been concerned for you because I feared that your absence was a sign of struggle.

    I'm glad you're back. Perhaps that is the first step in turning things around for you. I hope so.
    Lori

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  15. We missed you, Patrick! Glad you're turning it around and haven't lost sight of your healthy goals, even if they've been a bit out of focus.

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  16. Missed you and your positivity so much! I find that most people who disappear have fallen off the wagon. They don't want the accountability. Blogging consistently is what has made me stay with it...even if only maintaining. I hope you're able to get your mojo back.

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  17. I've missed reading your posts. I went on vacation back in March/April and it really took me a long time to get myself back on track. I thought I was fine when I came home and was able doing things fine, but I really wasn't. It wasn't until the middle of July that I really was able to get back on track and for things to seem easy again. Hopefully you get back on track!

    Sarah
    notaneffingdiet.blogspot.com

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  18. I have missed you, glad to hear everyone is ok... I was wondering

    MOJO, if we could only make it and sell it, that would be a find huh???

    Hope to see ya back soon. E

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  19. I'm so glad you're back, Patrick. I missed seeing you on Twitter & reading your blog. Let's do this thing already. Football season is just around the corner!

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  20. I've missed you and glad to hear from you. We all go through times where things are just harder than before. It's not that we're doing anything wrong or failing, it's just life. My goodness you've had so very much on your plate this year it's no wonder your brain needs to reboot.Just focus on enjoying your life,but be healthy and the weight loss and all of that will resume. We need you around here, Patrick. Please stay. Best wishes to your daughter. Big step, huh?

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  21. Hope you can find your Mojo again. It's not always easy facing ourselves. Good to see you back.

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