The Three Types of Songs on my Exercise List (Day 11)

Good morning! I'm very tired today!
Type One: High BPM
This is relatively self-explanatory. These are songs that it just feels good and makes sense to exercise to. For me, this is a delicate combination of classic rock and trashy pop. "Any Way You Want It," by Journey and "I Wanna Go," by Britney Spears are awesome examples of each. Mostly I have these songs because they're upbeat, they make me happy even when I'm not exercising, and they make good mini-goals (Like, Ke$ha's "Your Love is My Drug," is only 3 minutes and 7 seconds long, so it's really easy to say, "Okay, self, just go really hard for this one song... for KE$HA!")

I would do anything for you, Ke$ha... except... well, just kidding, actually.

Type Two: YOU CAN DO IT, songs.
I feel like I'm going to have to put some lyrics in here, because it's hard to describe the difference between Jada's "American Cowboy," and "Love Drunk," by Boys Like Girls. Both are upbeat, exciting songs, so why do they live separately? Simple: "American Cowboy," along with "Just One Step," from Songs from a New World, "Believe," by the Bravery and "I Can Do Better Than That," from The Last 5 Years are all in my mind dedicated to a person I like to call "Skinny Liz" "Healthy Liz."

So, when I hear the chorus of the very obscure song "American Cowboy," by the equally obscure group Jada, I'm not just listening to the beat and enjoying the music-- the voice of Healthy Liz is speaking to me:

"I know, you know I'm sexy.
What would you do?
Would you sacrifice it all for me?"


That's right. Healthy Liz is hot.  I try not to focus too much on Healthy Liz though. I especially try not to idealize how I looked in high school. I'm 24 and though high school was a lot of fun and I clearly was at a healthier weight, I never felt like I fit in exactly. Current Liz knows a LOT more about life, human relationships, sociology and quite frankly, ME than High-School-Skinny Liz could have ever dreamed. Also, Current Liz is not unattractive.

Amirite?

Sorry. Sometimes I am so cute I can't stand myself. Moving on. Another song in this category that most people wouldn't consider an exercise song comes from my favorite band, Jimmy Eat World. Seriously, if they made a film about my life (unlikely, but fun to think about) a good portion of the soundtrack would come directly from Jimmy Eat World's greatest hits. So, "Chase this Light," goes:

"The beauty is in what isn't said,
I'm rising to my feet,
Because tonight, the world turned in me.
Because right now, I don't dare to breathe.
Oh babe I know it's a light.
It's somewhere for us to find tonight.
Chase this light with me."


Okay, Jim Adkins, I'll chase the light. For Healthy Liz, I can keep chasing the light. This song reminds me to be kind to myself-- the people who love me believe I'm beautiful already, this is about being healthy.

Type Three: (Don't be mad, there's only a few of these) Shame Songs!
I know, I hear you. "Liz! You're a THERAPIST! You KNOW that healthy change does not come from shame! There's whole books on this exact topic! WTF?!"

I hear you. I do.

However, sometimes when I am exercising, I start feeling sorry for myself like "Oh woe am I, the fat lady, my life is so difficult, Oh woe, Oh woe."

And then "Heavy, Heavy," from Dreamgirls comes on, and I remember, "Oh yeah. It was those 12,000 burritos I bought and ate of my own volition and the years of sitting on my butt. That's why."

Maybe a moment later my legs start to get sore or a particularly thin lady comes to work out at the next machine at 300 miles per hour. At just that moment I hear "Poor, Unsuccessful and Fat," from the musical A New Brain. At that point, my irrational hatred for the lady next to me and myself lessens significantly, because I remember that I am doing something and making improvements. I know what I want to avoid!

I might start feeling a little sad for myself again (Perhaps during a Ke$ha-inspired 3-minute push) and suddenly, "Totally ****ed"  from the musical Spring Awakening comes on.

Poor Melchior, he lives in  18th-century Germany. 

 Then I remember, "Oh, yeah. Lots of people have way worse lives. I'm actually in a gym that we could afford to pay for. I have a family membership, with my spouse, who I was allowed to legally marry. We have a lovely little home and two fluffy cats. I am obese because I live in a country where food is abundant. Life is actually pretty good."

And I keep moving. And it's good :)