Things that make you go, "Hmmm."

Re: Title - I know that can be a tired cliche, but it works for this post.

I came across a couple things in some chick lit I've been listening to lately that made me stop and think for a minute. (I may even have actually went "Hmmm.")

(Yes, I listen to books instead of reading. I'm finishing up my own manuscript, and whenever I sit down to read a book, I feel guilty that I'm not using that time to write a book. Plus, by using audioboooks, I get to enjoy novels at times when reading wouldn't be possible, e.g., driving to/from work, doing dishes, cooking, cleaning the house, folding laundry. It makes these things more tolerable.)

Anyway, one novel (Secrets of a Shoe Addict by Beth Harbison) has a character who is an emotional eater. She recently gained back some weight she had lost the year before using Weight Watchers, and was lamenting the gain along with the fact that she was tired of being single.

As she thinks about the dating scene, she knows that first impressions are so important, and she makes the statement that being overweight gives the "impression of a lack of self-care."

That struck me. Is that really the impression I want to give? A lack of self-care?

Another novel (Second Chances by Jane Green) features a character who is a recovering alcoholic. She's active in AA, and mentions one of the premises of AA being that members acknowledge that they are powerless in and of themselves to overcome their addiction so they rely on the strength of a higher power to get them through each day.

Though I'm not an alcoholic, this section resonated with me because a long, long time ago, I used to attend OA (Overeaters Anonymous) meetings. I remember admitting that I was powerless over food and that I needed to rely on my higher power (God) to get me through each day. Why have I forgotten that? Why am I jumping from diet to diet, from diet book to diet website, even going so far in my desperation to read through an entire ad for some crazy weight loss drug and actually consider ordering it?

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (New King James Version)

That is more like a "thing that makes you want to thump yourself on the forehead and go, 'Am I an idiot?'"

Another thing that caught me by surprise didn't come from a book, but through a game of soccer with my son. We went to a park on Sunday afternoon, and he had a soccer with him. He asked me to play, and I declined. After watching him for a few minutes, I felt bad that he was off playing alone and I was just being a lazy bum, so I played for a bit. And get this ... I actually RAN. Yep, I ran, sometimes quickly to try and catch up with him, sometimes at a more leisurely pace, but run I did.

And I survived.

And here's the real kicker: I actually enjoyed it.

There was one moment when my son was running off to get a ball that was out of bounds, and while I was waiting for him, I noticed a burning in my chest that I remembered getting back in high school when I used to run and was rather fit. It wasn't completely uncomfortable, and it made me realize that I baby myself way too much when it comes to exercise. I tell myself I can't run on my treadmill because I'm too fat, so I engage in a more leisurely walk instead. I tell myself I can't take the four-mile walking route because it'll be too much for me - after all, I'm fat and out of shape - so I do the two-mile route instead. I tell myself I can't add another level to my step aerobic bench because I'm too out of shape, it'll be too hard.

But shouldn't exercising for the sake of losing weight BE kind of hard?

Big, significant "hmmms."