In the pictures above, my jogging shoes view such vistas at the beginning and end of what is now a cast-iron habit. Every morning early, I jog, cycle, or hit the gym. Earlier this year I was overweight and struggling to get out the door on any one day. What caused the apparent miracle?
In short: motivation and a fitness habit inculcated by three years of Big Years of exercising. In mid April, something stung me to action on my weight and I began shedding kilograms. Terrified of losing muscle rather than fat, I restored exercise discipline (remember, this year does not involve a Big Year of daily compulsory exercise, unlike 2016 to 2018): 4 jogs a week, 3 cycles, and 3 gym trips. It should have been tough but, I was delighted to find, something clicked and there I was, once more a paragon of virtue. Those Big Years set up the habit; now I just restored it. In the first eight weeks, I only missed two days of habitual exercise. In the last five weeks, under harsher conditions (interstate travel and two colds), I’ve missed one day each week.
I am back and this delights me and man, oh man, how glad am I for those 2016-2018 Big Years!