This last week while doing my morning workouts & devotionals the word scars kept coming to my mind.  My heart has been consumed with thinking about where I have been and who I used to be.  It came to me just the other day that those old pictures of myself I used to hate to even look at, are surfacing more and more.  I see the old me and have to ponder because even though I wasn't "sick"... I was sick, broken, and hurt.  Through losing my weight, like I've said before, found a new self respect for myself.  And that is why I currently do what I do now.

 

 

 

Some of my clients are complete beasts and want to workout to continue bettering themselves, they need challenged.  But there are also many of clients who have had dramatic pasts that have hurt them.  They maybe have had surgery, divorced, abused, numerous health concerns, and/or life had just got the best of them and they stopped taking care of themselves.  Those clients are working out for dear life.  They need to eat right and SAFELY exercise to heal their bodies.  They need to do it to be around to see their children grow up and their grandchildren graduate.  But how?

 

I looked up on Cleveland Clinic and this is what it had to say about scars:

 

"The skin is a seamless organ protecting our body from infection. Throughout our lives, we have experiences that injure our skin, leaving behind a scar. Scars depend on many factors. These include: the depth and size of the wound, your age, genetic factors, and even your sex and ethnicity. There are four main types of scars and various treatments can help reduce their size and appearance. Before you begin, however, remember this basic truth: scars will never completely disappear.

What are the four main types of scars?

1. Hypertrophic scars: These are raised, red scars that are similar to keloids (see below), but do not extend beyond the original injury site. Possible treatments include steroid injections and laser surgery.
2. Keloids: These scars protrude from the skin and extend beyond the original injury site and are due to overproduction of certain cells. Over time, keloids may affect mobility. Possible treatments include surgical scar removal, laser surgery or steroid injections. Smaller keloids can be removed with cryotherapy (freezing therapy using liquid nitrogen). You can also prevent keloid formation by using pressure treatment, silicone gel. Keloids are more common in darker skin types, specifically people of African or Asian descent.
3. Contracture scars: These scars cause tightening of skin that can impair the ability to move. These can happen after a burn. Additionally, this type of scar may go deeper to affect muscles and nerves.
4. Acne scars: Any type of acne can leave behind scars. There are many types of acne scars, ranging from deep pits to scars that are angular or wavelike in appearance. Treatment depends on the type of scars. "

This is how I view fitness.  We all have levels of scaring and we all have levels of fitness.  Some are in decent shape and have minimal scaring.  Others of us have DEEP, DEEP scaring like the Contracture scars and to progress from just the deepest scaring we have to take baby steps towards fitness.  It will take determination, willpower, but ultimately: GOD to heal you.  "Willpower and discipline are important and vitally necessary to a successful life, but willpower alone won't be enough. Determination gets you started and keeps you going for awhile, but it is never enough to bring you across the finish line. Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV) says, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord of hosts. (From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2006 by Joyce Meyer. Published by InProv.)

 

How do you start?  Acceptance.  Accept yourself as you are.  Humble yourself and realize that it's going to be hard to and ask for help.  As I see and meet new people who have set a goal to lose weight and get healthy for 2013 I see my old self in them.  Uneducated in what a "Fit and Healthy" lifestyle looks like and how they plan to get there.  I ask them to let me help them.  Some desire and commit to my help, while other inform they can do it themselves.  However you plan to reach your goal is your own decision, I'm here to help if you want to take it.  But realize those scars will never go away, they will just empower you.  Every morning I wake up, I look at the scars from my gallbladder being removed at the age of 10, the scars from my two hip surgeries down my leg, the numerous stretch marks on my body from being 100 lbs over weight and tell myself today is a new day.  I will get up stronger and more determined to live a life pleasing to the one who created me.  I will no longer feel sorry for myself and my past.  My past doesn't define who I am.  I define who I will be in the future and that goal is to be a stronger, fitter, healthier me. 

 

This weeks success is recognizing who I was and setting my eyes on who I desire to be in the future.  No matter what, I desire to be a vessel of God and encourage others on their journey.

 

BeBlessed

A