Fat Chicks

This is a letter to the two fat chicks trying to run today at Odell Park in Fredericton, New Brunswick....

Whoa....before you think I'm a horrible person and call on the lynch mob...let me explain.

I'm away from home at the Harvest Jazz and Blues festival this week and this week marks 4 months since I decided to take my health into my own hands. Thanks to help from Simply For Life I have an awesome new manageable lifestyle. I eat healthy. I eat smart. I eat sensible portions. And in general the food I eat is waaaaayyy better, way tastier, more enjoyable to eat and..bonus...I feel better and I've lost just about 30 pounds in 4 months. Thirty! I have probably another 30 or more to go but for the first time in my life that seems possible... attainable... Eventual.

I'm a busy father of 5 awesome kids, I work full time at a desk job, I also teach music at a college and play bass professionally.  My life is busy. I always assumed I was too busy to take care of my health. I was wrong.

As I mentioned, I'm travelling this week. When I travelled in what now seems like my former life, I would look forward to easily excusable road snacks (chips, chocolate, pop, lots of coffee) and road eating (nachos, burgers, fries, wings, beer, beer, and beer). Given the chance to stay in my hotel all day and watch Netflix, I'd do it. Duh.

This trip was different, I stayed somewhere with a full kitchen, bought my own food, and have been eating the same as I would at home. I have an arsenal of healthy snacks (apples, bananas, prunes, Kefir, dried beans, etc). Breakfast is either my high fat Greek yogurt and berries or a few eggs and fruit/veggies.

Suppers and lunches? Got a head of cabbage, some carrots and tomatoes, and chicken. I brought my own low-sodium spice kit so I know what I'm eating... Usually a killer chicken stir-fry with brown rice and choice from aforementioned awesome spice-kit.

I went to a concert last night, and had water and treated myself to a cider (drier the better, less sugar). I didn't stop on the way back to my room for greasy food. There was a banana waiting for me on my front seat. Satisfied. Off to bed. Wake up feeling great. No grease-filled hangover. No on-the-road constipation (TMI? sorry...it's a thing...).

So yeah...I feel great. I relaxed this morning, played some bass, listened to some music, and then decided to head to Odell park for a walk. Thanks TripAdvisor!  I have all this excess energy now that makes me want to be physical. Weird. So weird.

So I'm walking at Odell park, I meant to do the 3km walk but..I took a wrong turn... And this lead me to you.

I exited the woods where you both had just finished running, you flopped onto the grass. I honestly thought nothing of it. I passed you by and you said.... and I know this inner dialogue so, so well.... You said ... You self deprecated... You apologized...you pretended...you said:

"Just two fat chicks running....haha...nothing to see here...yup... coupla fat chicks just trying to run....."

And I half chuckled along with you....because I didn't know what else to do. So many things went through my mind. I'm the king of always knowing exactly what to say, but 20 mins too late. I roll it around in my head and figure out what I should have said.

Now...this time after I passed you I figured out what to say pretty quickly....so I actually turned around..and ...and...I lost my nerve...so I kept walking...and I'm sorry for that.  I regret not saying anything.

So...here's what I wanted to say...this will have to do...

you know what? I didn't see fat chicks running .... I saw two beautiful people trying to take care of their health .... trying to do something positive for themselves. Please don't make apologies... the world doesn't need more needless apologies ..it needs more beautiful people like you. So keep running. Do what ever you need to do to show yourself that you're worth taking care of. I know how hard it is. But I now feel how worthwhile it is.

Much love and understanding from a fat, soon to be formerly fat guy walking...