Week 2 Thursday

So, I am officially sick, and staying home from work. I didn't do much else today besides lay in bed, sleep and eat chocolate. (I ate other healthy things as well) This is an unusual feeling but its not just my body, my mind is sad for some reason as well.

I trust though that it will be over in a few days, and I'll get back quickly into working out. Overall I am happy with my progress so far.

I've been reading a book called The 100 Thing Challenge. Its about a guy who lived with less then 100 things for an entire year to cure himself of American Style consumerism that was cluttering and distracting his life. I've started downsizing as well. I got rid of my fat jeans yesterday, when I'm feeling better I'm going to make a move towards useless clutter. Having all this stuff is as bad as being overweight, its a weight on my mind all the time.

Living simply is another theme of this blog: My weight struggle is complex because I want to have what I want when I want it, be it ice cream or fast food, or unhealthy choices. It takes effort and self denial to get to my ideal weight (never have before) in the same way that living simply without clutter or excess baggage takes discipline to avoid all of the 'good deals' and 'needs' and 'wants' and 'I would be happier if I had...'

The name of this blog has something to do with this as well. It seems a little like opposites at first but the more I live it, the more I think life is the two things at the same time:

Fresh: not tired or fatigued; brisk; vigorous... in how we bound through parts of life, getting excited  or making progress in weight loss, or finding a new freedom here, or reaching small goals 
and 
Travail: painfully difficult or burdensome work; toil... things that don't work out right, struggles, dark secrets, or the discipline and training it takes to become strong and fresh.. welcome to another viscous circle.


I do not think it is possible to become fresh without travail. The less a person exercises for instance, the weaker and more fatigued they get. But as a person buffets their body and brings it under their control the more it is able to serve them, and the more fresh times they will have. Its a strange enigma, wherein only the elementary idea of it has dawned on my mind. 


Hoping that you all are making good strides in your efforts! We can do this thing!