Back to School
Hello Beautiful People,
It's back to school time. Do you remember that Staples commercial with the parents riding on the shopping carts dancing and happily putting items in the cart? The kids are standing there with a sad look on their faces and "It's the most wonderful time of the year" is playing. haha I just loved that commercial.
Anyway, I've been planning on writing this post for a while, but I figured that I would wait until it was timely. Two of my cousins started college a couple of weeks ago. I was so excited for them. It's such a fun time. I loved my time at Syracuse University. LOVED it.
But, if I were to choose a school today would I go back? I'm not so sure. It has nothing to do with the school at all. Not at all. It's a wonderful institution. It's everything I could want...and if it were in a warmer place there would be no hesitation.
When I was looking at colleges I had three criteria: 1- an academic program that was stellar 2- An athletic program that I could follow no matter where I lived in the country 3- someplace cold.
That third one sounds odd right? Well, I did not want to be on a campus with girls walking around in tight shorts and tank tops. Give me oversized sweatshirts and I was happy. I cringed at the thought of going somewhere in Florida or the Carolinas. If I could have gone to Alaska I might have done that.
This makes me so sad for so many reasons. The first, I was not as heavy as I thought I was. Not even close to the image I had in my head. The second, I didn't foresee a future where I would be active and could lose the weight. The third, I actually created a situation where I could gain more weight happily.
Remember, the big bulky sweatshirts could "hide" the fat...but they also made it easier to ignore the weight gain. Wearing clothes two sizes too big is a bad bad idea. I justified it by wearing turtlenecks under them. Because you know how big and bulky they can get. Argh. The turtlenecks also helped "cover up" the neck as it got fatter.
If I were to pick a school today, it would be the opposite. I would want someplace warm. Tank tops are just fine now. Take a look at my arms! I'm not shy. They are nice and muscular. Shorts? Heck yeah, I got some killer legs.
Since I lost the weight I get colder faster. I have lost that protective layer of fat I had back then. I don't know that I could survive another Syracuse Winter. And frankly, the eating would kill me. When the snow is up to your waist for 6 months of the year, it's a little hard to be active outside. And so I would eat. And eat. And eat.
If I were to pick a school today I would look for a place with hiking trails and workout facilities. Now Syracuse had them. In fact, there was a gym in the basement of one of the residence halls that I lived in. It was free. And I can count on one finger the number of times I went there. One (if you missed that). Argh. Time wasted I tell you.
I don't regret my decision to go to Syracuse at all, but I am terribly ashamed that the "cold" was a reason why I looked at it in the first place.
****Please note****
If you feel like you are alone on your journey and you just need some encouragement I am here for you! Shoot me an email and I will do my best to check in on you or give you the words of support you need several times a week. The journey is so much easier if you have support.
jhendersonfit@gmail.com
It's back to school time. Do you remember that Staples commercial with the parents riding on the shopping carts dancing and happily putting items in the cart? The kids are standing there with a sad look on their faces and "It's the most wonderful time of the year" is playing. haha I just loved that commercial.
Anyway, I've been planning on writing this post for a while, but I figured that I would wait until it was timely. Two of my cousins started college a couple of weeks ago. I was so excited for them. It's such a fun time. I loved my time at Syracuse University. LOVED it.
But, if I were to choose a school today would I go back? I'm not so sure. It has nothing to do with the school at all. Not at all. It's a wonderful institution. It's everything I could want...and if it were in a warmer place there would be no hesitation.
When I was looking at colleges I had three criteria: 1- an academic program that was stellar 2- An athletic program that I could follow no matter where I lived in the country 3- someplace cold.
That third one sounds odd right? Well, I did not want to be on a campus with girls walking around in tight shorts and tank tops. Give me oversized sweatshirts and I was happy. I cringed at the thought of going somewhere in Florida or the Carolinas. If I could have gone to Alaska I might have done that.
This makes me so sad for so many reasons. The first, I was not as heavy as I thought I was. Not even close to the image I had in my head. The second, I didn't foresee a future where I would be active and could lose the weight. The third, I actually created a situation where I could gain more weight happily.
Remember, the big bulky sweatshirts could "hide" the fat...but they also made it easier to ignore the weight gain. Wearing clothes two sizes too big is a bad bad idea. I justified it by wearing turtlenecks under them. Because you know how big and bulky they can get. Argh. The turtlenecks also helped "cover up" the neck as it got fatter.
If I were to pick a school today, it would be the opposite. I would want someplace warm. Tank tops are just fine now. Take a look at my arms! I'm not shy. They are nice and muscular. Shorts? Heck yeah, I got some killer legs.
Since I lost the weight I get colder faster. I have lost that protective layer of fat I had back then. I don't know that I could survive another Syracuse Winter. And frankly, the eating would kill me. When the snow is up to your waist for 6 months of the year, it's a little hard to be active outside. And so I would eat. And eat. And eat.
If I were to pick a school today I would look for a place with hiking trails and workout facilities. Now Syracuse had them. In fact, there was a gym in the basement of one of the residence halls that I lived in. It was free. And I can count on one finger the number of times I went there. One (if you missed that). Argh. Time wasted I tell you.
I don't regret my decision to go to Syracuse at all, but I am terribly ashamed that the "cold" was a reason why I looked at it in the first place.
****Please note****
If you feel like you are alone on your journey and you just need some encouragement I am here for you! Shoot me an email and I will do my best to check in on you or give you the words of support you need several times a week. The journey is so much easier if you have support.
jhendersonfit@gmail.com
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