A friend of mine posted this as his facebook status and it made me laugh out loud: "Excuses are like armpits- everyone has 2 and they both stink." Hahaha
On to today's post. Have you ever belittled yourself to make yourself feel unworthy of attaining your goals? Have you ever thought, "it's ok that I'm cushy, because it just doesn't matter what my body is like?" Do you ever feel like getting a toned physique is vane or selfish? Do you find yourself mentally putting down and criticizing thin people you see day-to-day, mentally rationalizing why they are like that and why you are might have some "extra padding?" This is really hard for me to put into words. I hope you can understand the intent behind this blubbering.
Successful and sustained weight loss is not about vanity. It's not about comparitive greatness. It's not you vs. others; it's you vs. you to become the BEST you.
YOU are worthy of feeling great. YOU are important enough to deserve to be happy. YOU are positively impactful in the lives of others and in making a difference in the world, and to most effectively be able to do so, YOU must be healthy enough to carry on day-to-day with energy and live a long, long life. YOU teach your kids BIG life lessons through your positivity, your enthusiasm for life, your love of healthy foods and exercise, your love of other people, your CONFIDENCE, your energy, your service, your challenging of your excuses, your drive towards your goals, your positive self-image, and your comfort in your own skin.
Weight loss success is not for other people in other circumstances, "oh it must be nice to....,"....blah blah blah....the grass is not always greener on the other side....other people don't always have it easier; no one else is at the helm of your life except you. Sure, you can't control the winds and storms that come, but you decide what direction your life is going to be pointing in. The other day it was so windy when I was out driving around, that I saw a bird in the air flying with all his might into the wind, and he wasn't going anywhere. He was stationary in the sky. At the time I thought it was hilarious and a little bit sad, this lil' guy trying to fly in the wind, but now I'm thinking of it relative to this. Sometimes the wind's at our backs and sometimes the wind's pummelling our face. There are always seasons to our lives. Heck, some of us might think our seasons have Tourettes. But you can control your determination, your attitude, and your direction. Hang in there and eventually the wind will change and you'll get to your destination.
You participate in this challenge because you're BRAVE. You participate in this challenge because you acknowledge you have excuses, but you're focused on finding a way over or around them. YOU are worthy of acheiving your goals. You are worth it. Your happiness and your confidence and your HEALTH. How much to they emphasize this in their emotional de-toxing on the Biggest Loser? It's about your health. It's about your happines. YOU are worth it. You are worth being fit.
Another way to look at it is that your body is a gift. To abuse your body is to take that gift for granted. To use that body like a fine-tuned instrument is to honor that gift.
Check out these stories of people who saved and extended their lives through living fittly and losing weight. It's not about vanity. It's about how you feel and it's about what you've done to improve the quality and longevity of your life. And you are worth it.
- http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/success-stories/50-pounds-lost/losing-65-pounds-saved-my-life/ Six months after her diagnosis, she was 65 pounds lighter and her doctor took her off insulin injections. "I have so much energy now," she says. "Eating right and exercising isn't just about looking good -- it's about feeling good and being healthy."
- http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/bonnie-matthews/gym-saved-my-life [my disclaimer- mental health issues are serious and need professional help, but healthly lifestyles help (not cure)]. Working out not only changed my cholesterol numbers and my blood pressure to normal levels, it has also kept my mental health in check as well.
- http://www.quickandsimple.com/diet-weight-loss/success-stories/diet-weight-loss-davis Everything was shrinking, including her breasts, and she felt terrific....So the next month, ...she felt a lump in one breast while doing a self-exam.....Yet Michelle saw only blue skies: “If I hadn’t lost all that weight, I might never have been able to feel it and catch it in time,” she points out. “Weight loss saved my life!”
- http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/success-stories/100-pounds-lost/losing-100-pounds-changed-my-life/ "I think of my body as a gift," she says. "I'm determined to do all I can to take care of it."
- http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/success-stories/100-pounds-lost/lost-100-pounds/ Though she's thrilled about her new body, her transformation has been much more than just physical. "I feel more energetic, outgoing and confident -- and ready to conquer anything."
- http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/success-stories/100-pounds-lost/lost-227-pounds/ Within two years she had lost a staggering 227 pounds. "I feel powerful, energetic, and feisty," she says.
Sarah, you are amazing. Thanks, I really needed this fantastic post today.
ReplyDeleteWE CAN DO IT!!