Yet again I had to travel out of town in order to meet some requirements for school. This time was completely different because I was gone for about 7 days. The day before, I spent time at Trader Joe’s getting the food I planned to take with me to Florida. During my run, I picked up Edamame, raw almonds, oatmeal, Larabars, peanut butter, and tuna. In addition to these items, I took my protein powder, vitamins, and a few bananas. These items served as my breakfast as well as snacks throughout the day. The hotel provided breakfast and lunch.
I shared a room with a fellow classmate and warned her before I came that I would have to exercise twice daily and that she was welcomed to come with me if she would like. Might I add that the gym at the Hyatt hotel nationwide is phenomenal! All of the equipment is state of the art and in excellent condition. They have treadmills, ellipticals, and actual machines (leg, shoulders, chest, abs, back). They also have free weights, benches, stability balls, and resistance bands. What else could a girl ask for? The best part about it is that you don’t have to drive anywhere, you just catch the elevator.
I go through my week, eating as “clean” as I could while having to eat out every night. I think I maintained and resisted temptation wonderfully. I stayed true to my exercise regimen with the exception of two nights in which I was just too exhausted to go up to the gym and workout. I was in the gym every morning by 5:30am and stayed for an hour. No excuse not to work out and it made me feel good to do so. I literally packed more workout clothes than I did anything else. It was funny to see my suitcase.
On the last day there, my roommate and I were reflecting on our experience. She has been having a hard time this term and she was venting a bit, which I didn’t mind at all. It was a wonderful learning experience but at the same time overwhelming at times. Then the conversation took a slight turn. She started to speak about her weight gain and the fact that the stress of the program and schedule has made her get out of her normal routine of exercising. I knew in my mind where this conversation was going. Then I heard the words: “Being here with you has made me feel bad about my body”. She did not mean this in a negative light or to make me feel bad. I completely understood where she was coming from. That’s why I tried to warn her of my routine before we got there. Maybe she didn’t think I was as disciplined or as serious as I was about what I told her of my routine before we arrived.
It is never my intent to make someone feel uncomfortable around me or feel bad about their body. The fact of the matter is, that when people speak about their weight around me, I often get uncomfortable because I know that there is a chance they are heading down the road to comparison. I often feel slight guilty when I'm around friends and others comment on how I look when I know the struggles of the people I'm with. It secretly makes them self-conscious. It is always my hope that my enthusiasm for living a healthy life will shine on that person who is struggling with motivation. If the shoe was on the other foot, I can’t say that I wouldn’t feel self-conscious but that’s why I decided to make a complete lifestyle change and do something about it.
It’s funny how your daily routine can make someone feel bad about theirs….
