I tried, in vain I felt, to put some perspective on it...but it didn't seem to really have much impact. Then it struck me.
I said, "You're married, right?" She said, "Yes"
"Happily?", I queried. Again she said, "Yes."
"And what about your kids, are they doing well and are they healthy?" She looked at me kind of strangely, smiled and said, "Sure...they're fine. Why do you ask?"
I stepped closer to her, looked into her eyes and said, "You're a beautiful, happily married woman with healthy and happy kids. The rest is just bass fishing."
Now she looked really confused, shook her head and replied, "What on earth are you talking about?"
I told her a story I had heard about several years ago.
It was a news story about a professional angler who had appeared on TV regularly and won a lot of big time tournaments. He had apparently been enjoying a large degree of success when something happened that changed, and more specifically, ruined his life.
It appeared that right before one of the major tournaments he was accused of using illegal bait. I never found out whether or not this guy was guilty or innocent, and it doesn't really matter as that is an ancillary portion of the story.
What I do know is that the guy became so intoxicated with worry, anger and stress about the accusation that he ended up becoming depressed, taking medication, splitting from his wife and even losing his home.
I remember reading this story and thinking, "Dude, it's just bass fishing. It ain't cancer, it's not the war in Iraq or starving children in Darfur... it's just bass fishing.'
This guy had become so enamored with his sport that, what probably begun as a fun and relaxing hobby, had in turn become his entire universe; it had consumed him and become everything. It was more important to him than his wife, his family and his home. It was also apparently more important that his health and his sanity.
What I really wanted this young lady to recognize was that her energy wasted by focusing on this "number" was nothing more than bad information or opinions of others akin to bass fishing.
It was an opinion. And in my own opinion, it was a very bad one at that.
Here's the way I see it: the scale has a purpose - it's to measure meat and produce. That's it.
If you're really concerned whether or not your fat loss efforts are taking shape, do these 4 things:
1. Grab a tape measure. Measure your arms at the biceps, your waist around your belly button, your hips around your butt and your thighs, about three inches above the kneecap. Check each of those locations once weekly and keep track of them for 30 days. See what happens.
2. How do you look in the mirror naked? That's where you will see subtle changes in your physique. Bumps going away and new lumps of muscle appearing.
3. How do your clothes fit? When they start getting baggy, celebrate. If they're not, tighten your diet and increase your training intensity.
4. How do you feel overall? How is your eye color, the look of your skin, your hair. These things are indicators of overall health and if you're going to look good you might as well be lean AND healthy.
I once had a good friend who's uncle was a Battan Death March survivor. He told his Uncle about a "problem" he was having, to which his Uncle replied, "Is someone going to kill you?"
My friend said, "No."
"Then you don't really have a problem," was all his Uncle said.
Sometimes it's just bass fishing.
Steve
Your Prograde Professional
