Year One, Week Thirty-Nine: Conquering Mountains

(Yes, this is an actual photo of our backyard mountain!)

I did something last week that wasn't possible before I started IFing. I climbed a mountain.

The best part? I videoed the trek. 

(Sorry, the link opens a new window because the file won't load here.)

I climbed a mountain

It's the mountain behind our house. It's a 400 ft. elevation at a 10% grade and one-and-a-half miles round trip total. The entire journey took about an hour and a half.

At the beginning of my IF journey, I was considering a wheelchair. And now, though I'm not moving mountains, I am climbing them. 

To be completely frank, I thought this impossible. My husband and daughter thought I couldn't and shouldn't try because neither of them thought I was ready. And ever since we moved here, I agreed with them.

But, after reading a ton of business books so we can start our bakery, my mind has begun rewiring itself for success. And every time I sat outside to watch the wildlife, my eyes kept returning to that mountain in my backyard. 

I can do that, I thought to myself. It might take me hours, but I can do that. I needed to stop listening to others telling me what I could and could not accomplish- including myself.

So last week, I told my husband I would make an attempt.

It was initially an attempt. I'd no idea how far it was, but I know my husband went up there regularly and was back in less than an hour, so it was far enough to be a severe challenge for me, but not so far that I couldn't complete it if given enough time. I was hoping there were enough downed trees to sit on so I could rest once in a while.

This wasn't a race. I was going at my own pace and seeing how far I could go. 

My husband decided he was going with me.

At first, I didn't want him along. This was my journey, my accomplishment, and my challenge. I didn't want him to discourage me, encourage me, or see my failure and disappointment if I didn't make it.

But we are here in the boonies, and some critters would see me as a delicious snack. So my husband accompanied me because it was just plain smart.

I'm glad he was with me. We encountered some muddy patches that needed a little helping hand to get over, but I have to give him credit- he let me go at my pace and didn't say anything about the trek unless I asked him. 

We made it up, over, and down to the house in about an hour-and-a-half. 

The time surprised me. I thought it would take hours. I thought I'd be near death when we got to the back door. I thought a lot of things that are no longer true. 

I did what I thought was impossible. Now it's not only possible, but I didn't die, my legs didn't fall off, and we weren't eaten by a bear. Good times, folks, good times. And now I know to challenge anything I think is impossible.

Like starting a bakery. Or losing weight.

Maybe you're starting your IF eating plan and think you'll never get down to one-hour windows or eating One Meal A Day (OMAD.) Perhaps you're somewhere in the middle, wondering if you're ever going to figure this out. Trust me- you'll get it if you stick with it and tweak your IF journey because it's your journey and no one else. 

Stop listening to the diet planners, the hype, and your Auntie Janice, and start listening to your body instead. And then, keep listening and tweaking; your impossible mountain will be a molehill- at your pace!