Getting fit is not my top priority
I say again….
Getting fit is NOT my top priority.
What?
How can that be?
If I’m not fit and healthy little else matters, right?
Picture: redvrs
If I’m sick or injured or suffer a debilitating illness my health and fitness will jump to the top of my list and I’ll consider it over almost every other factor.
The thing is though, I’m not terribly unfit, nor am I terribly unhealthy – I am what might best be described as ‘out of shape’.
The damnable thing about that is… I can live with being ‘out of shape’ for a while longer.
When I think about it, this may account for my repeated failures to move the last 30lbs.
Yes, fitness is important to me but it’s not the driving force in my life – not most of the time anyway – and over the years I’ve artificially hoisted my fitness goals to the top of my list of things to achieve whether or not they deserve to be there.
The problem being, I then neglect more important issues until they bite me on the arse.
And at that point I find myself in a confused muddle of misaligned priorities, failing to achieve any of my goals.
So I’ve changed my priorities to reflect my situation.
My prompt for this wasn’t the dawning of a new year, it was instead the prospect of having to return to work after my 9 month break.
It’s not something I want to do, as I place far too much value on my current role as stay-at-home dad and the freedoms it offers. But having neglected to keep a tighter grip on my financial situation (misaligned priorities biting me on the arse) the need to get more money coming into the household might force my hand.
On realising the magnitude of the situation, suddenly my mind has been diverted away from wanting to get fit for relatively trivial reasons like how much better I’ll look to the Mums in the school playground (don’t even waste your time telling me how sad I am! I’m fully aware of mypatheticness 
), to how the hell can I avert this catastrophe?
I’ll be honest, my desire to get fit is predominantly driven by vanity, and much less for the long term health benefits – and this is something I’m only just realising.
But this doesn’t mean I have to abandon my fitness goals, it just means I have to be more realistic about them.
At the moment getting fit and lean is number four on my list.
Still, that’s not too bad as there are only four priorities in total. Other matters formerly holding the title of ‘priority’ have been dumped.
My top three priorities relate to trying to maintain my status as a stay-at-home Dad and avoid a return to the Police Force (and I’ll write more about this on my personal blog).
As far as fitness is concerned I’m still going to be eating less, I’m still going to be exercising more, but I am prepared to compromise my fitness goals in favour of the first three priorities if I have to.
This feels like a sensible approach to take and by accepting that there are other more important things to consider right now, I might actually start to get fitter and leaner.
Where do health, fitness and weightloss fit into your list of priorities?
Tara, Dave and I would like to thank you for joining and supporting our little community here at BlogToFit and we look forward to your company in 2009.
We wish you all a very Happy New Year!
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19 Responses to “Getting fit is not my top priority”
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Health, fitness and weight loss have a very high priority for me because, if I don’t make it so, eventually it WILL become a real heath issue for me. There are other issues that I need to elevate in importance, but I need to keep fitness and weight loss very high in importance.
However, if finances and other important responsibilities were at issue, fitness would have to take a lesser importance.
Best of luck in doing what you need to do in the new year (and beyond!)
Mike Goad’s last blog post..Feeding in Yellowstone
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David Fowler Reply:
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:06 am
Mike,
I think I haven’t been good at juggling my priorities. I’ve been concentrating on fitness when perhaps I should have been raking over the finances.
I believe I’ve used it as some sort of procrastination tool to avoid crunching the numbers.
You have the right perspective. Health shouldn’t be neglected, it’s more valuable than money.
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Dave,
“don’t even waste your time telling me how sad I am! I’m fully aware of my patheticness”- don’t take all of our fun away.
Getting in shape for the babes is a totally valid reason to drop those unwanted pounds!
“Where do health, fitness and weightloss fit into your list of priorities?”
I think all that ties together. I am a few years older than you and I have really started to notice the changes in my aging body. I also have come to realize how much my family, not just my immediate one, needs me to be around. So if I had a list, those things are top 5.
Turf Dad’s last blog post..Wednesday Weigh In Week 5
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David Fowler Reply:
January 1st, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Phew! I’m so glad I’m not alone.
The playground is like a fashin show with all the mothers trying to outdo each other with daring low cut tops and hot pants. Oh wait. I might have been dreamt that one!
Wanting to be around or the family is a great motivator. And Top 5 is cool with me.
Now. Back to sleep for me.
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Turf Dad Reply:
January 1st, 2009 at 8:29 pm
It is the least a couple of good looking guys like us can do to keep those fine ladies happy. Its all for them, its all for them. Oh yeah, and Tara too.
Turf Dad’s last blog post..Wednesday Weigh In Week 5
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David Fowler Reply:
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:08 am
Your selfless attitude toward the needs of the ladies is commendable!
Number 4 is higher than it on most people’s chart, I bet.
I’m not surprised. My first thought about you and Tara being involved with this blog is that neither of you are fat. Hell, I’d love to be in as good a shape as you – though I’ll refrain from wearing those Sponge Bob Square Pants boxers you seem to like.
Good luck in all of your goals this year!
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David Fowler Reply:
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:19 am
I feel fat. And when I sit down my belly hangs over the top of my trousers. I know what you mean though. Listening to me whine about 30lbs of fat is possibly laughable to some and I know that I’m closer to being lean than being fat (actually, that’s probably not a bad way to think about it).
No4 is not too bad and I think it’ll move up the rankings as I get other priorities sorted.
Spongebob is the funniest thing on Kid’s TV. Sandy Cheeks.
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For me it’s right up there near the top because if I don’t do something about it, it will affect my family too.
Being overweight and unfit brings me down and I don’t want to give those lessons to my children.
I want them to see me introduce exercise as a daily occurance (and that can mean walking to grandma’s instead of taking the car, or going out to play in the garden instead of sitting in front of a DVD).
I want them to have a healthy attitude to food and not use it as a means of comfort.
For me it is a really high priority, but I don’t see it as taking any time away from working or family or friends as I want it to be part of my life and something I do automatically and not something I do for a couple of months and then go back to old ways.
You’re right DW in that I’m not ‘fat’ but I don’t feel right and I don’t feel healthy and it really brings me down. And I’m not a ‘down’ person so tend to hide it behind a joke.
This year is going to be different, and I am going to succeed.
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David Fowler Reply:
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:26 am
You have it right there. This endeavour should have a high priority but I think my mistake is giving it top billing when it doesnlt really belong there. Coming face to face with the fact that I’m not doing so well on the home front because I’ve concentrated on fitness when I sould have been doing other things first, is a bit tough.
On a day to day basis the priorities change and some days fitness will be at the top, but as a general rule it’s been demoted to 4. I hope it will encourage me to discharge my other duties quickly so do the things I enjoy more – like getting fit.
I like the way you’re setting the example for your children. They see everything we do.
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I tried to separate weightloss, from health, from fitness and it didn’t work because they are all tied up into one parcel for me. When I am over weight, my back hurts. Which is cured by weight loss AND stretching exercises, which would be fitness. And eating properly to lose weight means a healthier me. However, what motivates me at the moment, out of the those three? Weight loss. And that is based on total vanity at the moment.
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David Fowler Reply:
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:31 am
This makes sense to me. It’s all interlinked. I too suffer more back pain when I’m overweight. Losing even a few pounds eases the pain dramatically.
I’ve been wondering of my inability to stick to my eating plan recently has more to do with my other neglected priorities much more than the excuse of the holidays?
I suspect that if my mind is calm because I’m not worrying about other issues, I’ll be better able to tackle the fitness. We shall see.
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Health and finances are my number 1 priority – I will not have health ins. if I can not get my problems healed…and I have run up so many bills for my family in my 60 year odyssey that I must remedy that….plus I just want to feel good and not be fighting with no energy or piles of pills. I have never been a quitter and I will not start now, so I hope I can keep on hanging around here, because doing this alone is just too hard and laughing takes all the aches and pains away…unless I lose my tea out my nose.
And yes! vanity is a wonderful motivator…let the outside match the insides…
I feel better already…
Also swimming helps one lose tremendous amounts of water weight I am discovering! Something similar to horses’, which we have address heretofore.
Happy New Year
Patricia’s last blog post..Ah Ha!
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David Fowler Reply:
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:36 am
Patricia, I’m sure you told me that people didn’t find you funny. I find you hysterical.
If you’re going to lose tea out of your nose, make it a cheap blend. You wouldn’t want to waste an English Breakfast or an Earl Grey that way.
“let the outside match the insides” – I like that!!
David Fowler’s last blog post..Shaving
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hiya all am back after my awal situation. Hope all is well. health shouldnt be a priority is should be a way of life,introducting it to you routine not for it to take over from a routine.(thats the theory!!!)
I fell off the wagon for a bit but am back ready to go also my mum tried to help my health issues with some Reikei to help start the heal process from inside
linz
Linz’s last blog post..Wednesday Weigh-In Blog to fit
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David Fowler Reply:
January 3rd, 2009 at 11:32 am
Well said Linz. The truth is I’m juggling too much and o two days are the same. It’s hard to get a routine going. My problme was I was shoehorning fitness into what felt like an ideal time i.e. 5am (ish) only to realise that time is more valuable spent elsewhere. Exercise will need to be done later in the day.
I’m with you totally. It has to be a lifestyle thing.
David Fowler’s last blog post..Shaving
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I think “mypatheticness” should be in the dictionary. I’d use it.
GreenJello’s last blog post..SOLUTION: "Gay Fetish Sex" Spyware Virus
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David Fowler Reply:
January 4th, 2009 at 8:05 am
It’s a medical condition. It’s surprising how many men have it!
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