I found this post in another site but found it to be exactly what I needed to read. I thought it might be what someone else might want/need to read it too. Warning.... lift your toes off the floor if you don't want them stepped on.
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The harsh reality of any weightloss program is…….
If you don’t have your head in the game you have taken your first step toward failure. All of the pats on the back, all of the “good jobs, All of the try again and all of the support, advice, friendship found on this or any other board or support group means absolutely squat unless your head is in the game.
Have you ever watched a sporting event on television, in person or ever participated in one? How many times have you ever seen a baseball player walk up and smile at the catcher or the pitcher just before he takes his turn at bat? What do you think a professional boxer thinks about before he enters the ring?
The ball player is totally focused on knocking the cover off of that ball. He is determined that the pitcher is not going to throw a good ball past him. He is focused on succeeding before he ever gets to the plate.
The boxer is totally focused on the task at hand. You can see it in his eyes, his plan is to knock the ears off of the person he is about to face.
Neither of them is “hoping” to succeed. How far do you think these people would get if they approached their careers as many of us approach our weightloss journey? This WOL is just that, a way of life. I see so many here that take on all sorts of projects, fight all kinds of battles and face assorted challenges with the same determination as the athletes yet when it comes to something as simple as what we put in our mouth we cave like a house a cards.
The world is full of excuses, “legitimate reasons” not to succeed. I was stressed, I was traveling, I had a hangnail, I had a busy day. Bla bla bla. How many of these reasons would you have used if you had had to take your kid to the doctor? How many excuses would you have if it meant not getting a paycheck at the end of the week?
Everyone has stresses and turmoil in their lives, we all face challenges and at times we all seem to take on more than we can handle. I wont go into a lot of detail but out of the 25 months I have followed this WOL I have lived in a camper for 23 of those months and traveled approximately 85,000 miles. Can’t stay on plan and travel? Damn wish someone would have told me that 140lbs ago.
Hmmm, stress, lets see, wondering where your next check is coming from, divorce and leaving basically everything behind to start over at 43 after 23 years of a tough marriage, too stressed to lose? Hmm wish someone would have told me that earlier.
I use myself as an example ONLY because although I know of several stories of individuals from this board it wouldn’t be right to relay them without permission.
Like I said, the harsh reality is you MUST have your head right or you are doomed for a long trip in this journey.
Is your success, at attaining your weightloss goal, gaining back your health, your confidence and being more active than you have in lord knows how long the least important thing on your “to do” list?
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"the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth"
Last edited by 2cute2Bfat; 03-22-2005 at 04:10 PM.
This post reminded me of a journal entry I made the second week here. Hope no one minds if I post part of it again here...Please remember it's about ME...I'm not refering to anybody else.
"Reading the journals and forums have made me think a lot about why I’m fat. It’s kind of funny in a way that I can’t find a reason why I’m so fat, other than that I’m lazy. I’ve been an emotional eater, what woman hasn’t holed up with a pint of ice cream in times of stress, but I’m really not any more. I have a great life. I’m very happy and content. I have a wonderful, if somewhat difficult, son (no more than any other boy his age) and the World’s Best Husband, who loves me and thinks I’m wonderful no matter what I look like. I have a good, relatively secure job. I have a nice house and enough money to pay for it and the bills and to fritter away more than I should. I have many acquaintences and a few good friends. So why do I eat so much? Why have I allowed myself to be over 300 lbs? I’m lazy. I haven’t thought about it. I haven’t worried about it. I haven’t bothered with it. Even when my blood pressure hit 210/135 and I ended up in the hospital for three days, I didn’t worry about my weight. When my fat clothes didn’t fit anymore, I just bought more clothes. When I couldn’t fit comfortably in theater seats, I just squeezed in and ignored it. There is something very wrong with that.
In all fairness to me...I can spread the blame a bit. To my primary care physician, who only told me to lose weight one time five years ago, when I couldn’t because I had to fit my wedding dress in two months and then who never mentioned it again. To my cardiologist, who was himself quite fat and who, when I asked, “Should I lose weight?” responded, “Shouldn’t we all?” To my parents who always made me clean my plate, even if I didn’t want to. But I’m an intelligent woman and I do know that the majority of the fault is mine. I knew I should lose weight...I just didn’t care.
I’m not sure what changed. Maybe it was my husband saying he, who was 43 lbs lighter than I, wanted to lose weight. Maybe it was me realizing that, at 41, I take more meds than anyone I know. Maybe it was realizing that my Mother has been gone for 19 years and I only had her for 22 and she only made it to 60 years old and I look just like her. Maybe it all just added up until my last weight gain was the final straw.
But whatever it was, I can feel that this time it’s different. I can lose this weight this time and I can keep it off. I can eat vegetables and actually enjoy them. I can drink water instead of soda. I can watch the sizes of my portions and still be satisfied with my meal. This is what I have to do now and what I have to do to live the rest of my life.
When people talk about dying, I’ve always joked that I intend to be immortal. It was meant to be funny, but I really kind of mean it. I don’t want to die - ever - and I certainly don’t want to die young. And I am still young. 41 is NOT old. I’d throw myself in front of a speeding train to save the life of my husband and son. That’s about it. Maybe not heroic, but pretty much anyone else is on their own. So am I going to kill myself with food? **** NO! I may not make it to immortality, but I can live long enought to travel to Greece like I’ve always dreamed. I can be healthy enough to hike in the mountains. I can live to see my grandchildren."
I know, kinda dark and depressing there at the end... but I think it's important to take responsibility for your own problems... Yes, some folks have a harder times than others because of genetics or injuries or other factors, but in the end, we are the only people who can make a difference in ourselves. And I think every one of us can do that if our minds are in the right place!
Now, please feel free to lecture me LOUDLY when I lose heart!
Wow, very inspirational. I don't want to lose the tough love theme, but a thought I had earlier when we were all getting fired up on Leanne's behalf over how the woman at Curves treated her: Do we get angry with ourselves often enough for sabotaging ourselves? I know I don't. Guilt is unproductive. Anger, I think, can be useful. We get angry at the woman at Curves, so we want to tell her how to behave. I ought to be angry with myself--I've treated myself badly.
And you're right, Lilion, no one can do this but me. No one's responsible but me. Feel free to bawl me out any time.
You're welcome Angela.
I am glad I posted it because I LOVE the responses it got.
Lilion... thank you so much for sharing your journal
Anglea .. I loved the reminder of "I've treated myself badly" and it is time to stop.
Judy... I am my own worst enemy. Let me rephrase that... I was... but not anymore. I am going to change. I am going to make this happen.
Tough Love aka Harsh reality
