No more excuses

Remember that one time you woke up and thought to yourself, "It's a great day to be fat!"?

Me neither.

I'm probably going to get a few angry comments for what I'm about to write, but this little blog of mine will be a completely disingenuous endeavor if I don't share my true feelings ... about EVERYTHING as it relates to how I feel about weight loss and my body image.   

I frankly am fed up with all of the new age, self-love garbage out there that tries to encourage us to settle for less than our best.

"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me."  

BARF.

If you are going to get real about changing your body and improving your health, you had better be prepared to pass some harsh judgment on yourself.  Stop listening to those Pinterest signs that tell you to just learn to love and accept your fat rolls and that everybody's bodies are different, so you're OK the way you are.

GAG.

Is it all right for OTHERS to judge you based on the size and shape of your body?  Absolutely not.  They likely will now and then, but that's something you'd better be able to live with if you're going to just accept yourself the way you are.

But YOU judging you is another story.  Not only is it OK, it's necessary.  

OWN what you're doing to your body.  

OWN what you're doing to your spirit.  

OWN the fact that you are driving the nails into your own coffin with each Oreo you stuff into your pie hole.

OWN what you're teaching your children about being unhealthy and sitting on the sidelines.

OWN the damage you do to your marriage and/or other important relationships by being less than the person you are meant to be

Giving up and settling does NOT equal loving yourself.  How does shortening your time on earth with your family and diminishing your own quality of life equal self-love?  

Telling yourself you're OK the way you are is just a big, fat, lame excuse.  If you're like me, it's one of MANY excuses that has gotten you to this point in your life.

The theme running through the current season of The Biggest Loser is "No Excuses."   I like it.

Nine years ago, I lost 60 pounds and I felt great. I looked great.  Because I was still young-ish and had been pretty lazy and eaten pretty badly for my entire life, the shock of adding exercise and portion control to my lifestyle caused the weight to just melt off of me.  It took work, but it was relatively easy and quick.  I kept it off until a couple of years ago, when I let the stresses of life get the better of me.  I gained it back and then some.  

When I decided a year or so ago to start again to try and take the weight off, I found that my body was not responding like it had that first time around.  It was hard.  I was working hard and eating right and the weight would not budge.  Not only have I been unable to lose, but I've slowly gained.  I'd be lying if I said I haven't shed many tears and felt much frustration over this.  I can honestly say that I probably work out harder/more  often than most thin people I know, and I probably eat better than most, too.  Many people have suggested that it may be out-of-whack hormones that are thwarting my efforts.  From what I've seen with other women, I believe this could realistically be the case.  

BUT ...

Fixing my whacked hormones costs money that I don't have right now.   I could toss my hands in the air and feel sorry for myself and decide that this is just my lot and it's not my fault and I need to love myself the way I am.  

OR ...

I can work harder than most people have to in order to see the change I want and need, whether I think it's fair or not.  I can love myself enough to do that. 

No excuses.

Stop lying to yourself and saying it's OK to stay where you are.

It's not OK to sit on the couch while your kids are begging you to run around with them.

It's not OK to put yourself at risk for stroke, heart attack, diabetes, cancer, and premature death.

It's not OK to wear clothes you hate just because you think they hide what you don't want the world to see

It's not OK to watch life pass you by because you're too fat to get out there

It's not OK to be unhappy when YOU have the power to change it

Love yourself enough to hate what you've done to your body.  

I don't care if you're fat because you have evil hormones or your mom was an alcoholic or you're stressed out because your dog doesn't like you.  Take your hormones and your mom and your dog for a nice long walk and get over it.

No more telling yourself it's OK.  No more excuses.

You don't have to be a supermodel or Olympic athlete or Sports Illustrated cover girl.  Whatever your best is, find it and become it.