Vincit Qui Se Vincit

..."One Conquers by Conquering Oneself". This is the motto of a local, independent school Kingswood-Oxford. I was there earlier today speaking with their Director of Communications about Capitol Squash stuff and, in the building where he office is located, the school motto is imprinted on the carpet in the lobby. I thought it was quite appropriate considering my current goal of trying to choose me on a more regular basis when it comes to my physical activity health and my diet.

Why is it SO difficult to choose to eat properly? Why is it that the food that is so very terrible for you tastes the absolute best? There is nothing that tastes better to me than my mother's fried chicken, pork chops, macaroni and cheese, and cornbread. There is no beverage I would rather have than a tall, ice cold, glass of milk to accompany a double serving size of M&Ms and/or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I crave Pizza Hut pizza and chicken nuggets from Wendy's. Burger King's chicken fries are so tasty and delicious and are even better when paired with a bacon double cheeseburger and a chocolate shake. But all of these foods, as wonderful as they are to the palate, are TERRIBLE for your figure and health. Is it even possible to count the amount of fat and cholesterol in the aforementioned foods? Probably not.

Why is it also so difficult to choose exercise over sitting on the couch and lounging after a long day's work? Historically, people moved around far more than we do now. The sedentary lifestyle is not the one with which humans were initially born; over the years we've become a bodily weary people. The endorphins released after a workout are exhilarating! The feeling of knowing you've done something good for yourself is amazing! Getting the motivation to get up and actually DO those things, though, is tough! Why is that? It's crazy because we all know how good exercise is for us. We also know eating well is good for us. So why do we consistently make choices that go against the very kernels of what is best for us?

Is it because we're lazy? Unmotivated? I argue, for myself, up until recently I didn't want to be slim enough. When you get to a point when you are REALLY tired of the extra rolls around the midsection, the extra jiggle around the thighs, and the turkey chins for triceps, you'll get the energy to be and do better but, as we reference the title of this post...

Vincit qui se vincit. You have to conquer the self that tells you that watching CSI: Miami or Beyond Scared Straight is better and more pleasurable for you than running on the treadmill or hitting up the elliptical or a Zumba class. It is that lazy self that relishes your flab and high cholesterol and propels you toward the couch instead of your closet to get and put on your workout clothes. That is the self that must be conquered. But as much as that self inspires you to be lazy and eat the convenient, tasty food...

.....it sure puts up one hell of a fight when you try to will it away.

But that's ok. Your will power, desire to be more fit, and your stick-to-it resolve MUST be stronger. Like any other muscle, you have to exercise it in order for it to be stronger. And sometimes will power loses the fight; that's ok. You can't beat yourself up about it. It's like pulling a muscle in your leg; you rest it for a little while, but soon you have to start stretching it and working it out and soon it's back, stronger than before.

When we conquer the voice that says "Buy large amounts of chocolate and fried goodies," we conquer the part of our being that has kept us fat for so long.

What have you conquered today?