OddHat

My name is Bob, and I'm a fat man. (Hi, Bob)

Right now, a 233 pound fat man. 3 pounds above the goal I set almost a year ago, when I started this blog. 62 pounds down from my all time high. 13 pounds above what I think of as my "Japan Weight", and 19 pounds above the weight I was the last time a fitness hobbyist paid me a sincere, unsolicited and non-back handed compliment on my physique.

By mid October, I will likely hit my fat loss goal, set last year. At that point, I'll decide on my next target. I will not hit my lifting goals; I've spent too much time down with various injuries. So far this last year: Back, neck, shoulder, left bicep, left foot. Still, despite those injuries, I'm overall stronger in the lifts I can currently test than I was one year ago. I have some hope of making more progress this coming year.

Recently I've been thinking a lot about the bridging principle, the idea that making small, incremental improvements is in and of itself a worthy goal. It's very easy, and very common, to demand perfection and then give up when you can't achieve it.

Day One: "The best possible diet is fruit, vegetables and fish."

Day Two: "Nothing but fruit, vegetables and fish today. I feel great."

Day Three: "Damn. Ate some beef. Diet is no longer optimal."

Day Four: "Spent entire day stuffing Big Macs into food processor then sucking down the sweet, sweet juice."

Setbacks and compromises happen. Beating ourselves up over a setback is pointless. Giving up over a compromise kills any progress we have made.

It's better to accept and plan on incremental change, and incremental progress.

Two steps forward, one step back may be a truism, but it does get you where you want to go.

It does take some time.

I've tried for a long time to internalize that lesson. I hope I'll succeed.

I'm not yet where I want to be, but I'm still moving.