A Journey with Sam Ganges

For the last three months I have been up every weekday at 4 a.m. to sweat away in the dark coolness of early morning. My muscles are gently awaken by the slowness of a yoga a.m. routine, only to be jolted by Jillian Michaels. Then it’s 200 crunches with Tony Horton. After that my morning begins. It’s my time for me. Alone in the darkness I sweat away all signs of sleep to find myself awake and ready for the day.




This morning ritual hasn’t changed; however, a new one seems to be taking hold at night. Liam is my partner in all meanings of the word. He too embraces this journey, encouraging me every step of the way. The last two nights we’ve been hitting the gym together. I call it my bonus workout. Though I will not relinquish my mornings sweating in solitude, these evenings workouts provide me with the emotional bonus one needs on this journey; support. As the sweat cascaded down, the salt stinging my eyes, Liam’s voice saying, “You’re doing great baby,” whispered in my ears. Through the deep breaths I smiled; one of those full faced smiles. We hadn’t spoken for thirty minutes. He was on the treadmill jogging; I was finishing my cardio circuit on the bike. Even though our minds drifted inwards, I knew he was there with me. Liam was providing me with the support and encouragement we all need.



It made me think of the importance of friendship on this journey. Our relationships with others propel us into greatness. You don’t have to be a Psychologist to understand that concept. We are social creatures and thrive with interaction with others. The social side of our lives largely impacts the personal. Why else do we so a group of heavy female friends or a heavy set couple? Why else does an obesity issue run in families? It’s not simply genetic. That would be far too simplistic of an answer. Then we could learn to target the “fat” gene and create a genetic antidote. I would argue that the social is a huge reason for the lifestyles that we live. Family, friend, lovers, coworkers…etc all have a large impact on the choices we make. We can say we’re immune and are our own person…blah blah…and we are. We are our own person, able to make our own choices. However, it’s important to site the impact others have on our lives.



Nobody ever truly loses weight on their own. It’s important to embrace and see the strength gained through sharing your journey with others. Friends can hold you accountable, support you, or encourage you. Today I leered like a hungry tiger at a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting. “Can a cupcake be lunch?” I asked Liam. He smirked and said, “What would Jillian Michaels say?” Enough said. I needed that reality check, which he supplied in making a good choice. It just illustrates my point of welcoming companions on your journey, the helpful kind like Sam Ganges from “Lord of the Rings” that will push you to do the right thing.

Liam and I enjoying a dinner out