You Are Enough

By Ted McMullen, Founder and Owner of the Ride and the Fuel

Growing up, I had fairly constant insecurity about feeling rejected by others. Later, through careful reflection and growth, I found that this insecurity originated from my own rejection of myself. My goal in eating and going to the gym was to get stronger and bigger so that I would accept myself, and maybe even get acknowledged more by others. I was looking for external acceptance and completely driven by this feeling of being “deficient”, needing to “fix” myself in some way.

Through a lot of hard work, I was able to understand that the full benefits of both food and fitness come when we approach them from a different place - one of positivity, self-love and self-acceptance.

This “deficiency” mindset is such a common motivation to begin a back-to-health diet and fitness journey. This is what really pushed me to start a restaurant and fitness community that would be DIFFERENT, places that would encourage their customers to know that they are more than enough, just as they are. When someone comes to the Ride and the Fuel with the goal of losing weight, for example, we will work with them to fulfill that goal. However, our greater hope is that they will connect more deeply with our purpose of love and acceptance, perhaps so much that their focus changes from pounds to personal growth and discovering their own self-acceptance.

At the Ride, we feel there is an incredible need for this in the world of fitness because once we discover how to accept ourselves, just as we are, "self-improvement" becomes learning to fall in love with ourselves. Just like in relationships, they always work better if we go into them already fulfilled so we have something to give rather than being needy, always trying to take from them.

In fitness, it goes from, "I want to get in shape so I will love myself" to "I love myself, therefore I want to take care of myself."

This is the inspiration that our instructors are working to deliver as they prepare their playlists, their mantras, and the messaging for their classes. We hope you get a great workout and feel entertained here... and maybe, in the midst of it, you will gain something deeper and more substantial along the way.