The attached video is my postpartum jelly belly.
Let's face it. We all get fat from time to time. I grow a food baby every time my wife gets pregnant. When I found this video, I barely recognized my old self. Kristen and I had a good laugh about the belly slappin'! Not a flattering display of self control. I've lost the "baby weight", and I don't slap it anymore.
It's strange that we feel shame about our bodies. But it's natural for most of us. The perfect magazine and movie bods can distort our idea of how we "should be." We all know that's a bunch of bull! Looking like a model doesn't make us a better or nicer person. As I think about it, the nicest people I know, the most giving, kind, and loving people in my life are pretty round. (Sorry skinny people). My wife is an exception. But like it or not, most of us feel embarrassed to some degree about our fatness.
We all have a fat guy/gal and skinny guy/gal inside us. (BTW, no bodybuilder ever wants to be called skinny) But for this line of thought, it works. In my video, It was easy to see I was ashamed of my lack of self discipline. I had let myself go. The inner fat guy had beaten the skinny guy into submission. That never feels good. We need to know we are in control. When I'm brushing my teeth and see a pair of man boobs jiggling, I know I can do better!
Transformation Is Empowering
Committing to your own transformation is like handing the skinny guy a billy club and a can of pepper spray. The fat guy is a bully. He needs a good pounding. You can't sweet talk the fat guy, you need to pull his oversized shirt over his head and hockey punch him as hard and fast as you can hit! Make no mistake about it, in the beginning, it's a street fight between the two. The fat guy seems to win more often.
True commitment to change is the spirit and mind making a power move. The spirit tells the body who is in charge. That's basically it. The spirit is intended to rule the body. That takes commitment.
To me there is nothing more awesome than the light in the eyes of the transformers. Seriously, think of someone who has lost a bunch of fat, run a marathon, or any other gut busting challenge. There is a sense of pride, confidence and happiness, having conquered the flesh. They seem more alive and vibrant.
I'm pretty sure I'll get fat again. But I will transform. I know that I never have to stay fat. The power is always there to transform. And once we do it, we know how. Losing weight is not such a giant obstacle.
Not everybody is in need of a transformation. But if you aren't satisfied with your current size, shape or conditioning, I want to remind you that YOU have the power to shape it. If you are frustrated with your current bod, it might be time for a transformation. It's pretty fun!
Consider it.
