I've talked with a lot of people about getting healthy in the last several months. My own path to health has inspired some, made others curious, and probably seemed silly to others. But it's started some interesting conversations. It seems like since October I've been hearing excuses for why people are going to "weight" to get healthy.
"Thanksgiving will be hard."
"The holidays are a bad time to start a diet."
"I just have so many family/friend parties, it's too much temptation."
"I don't want to offend people by saying no."
And they all end with "I'll start in January."
My question is simple: Why "WEIGHT"???
The reality is the HoliDAYS are just that: DAYS. Yet I've met so many people who are putting off taking care of their health for 3 MONTHS because of 3 DAYS!!
I overheard on the radio the other day that the average 5 lbs that people used to gain during the holidays is no longer accurate. Now people are gaining 7-10 lbs. And most aren't losing it the next year. That's 7-10 lbs in 2 months every year, not to mention whatever else they gain during the year.
People are "WEIGHTING" to get healthy this holiday season.
Are you one of them?
Every other year of my life, my honest answer would have been yes. I even wrote a poem about it when I was about 12.
I am so awfully bored
I have a lot of food to hoard
So I'll stack it neatly in my room
And dread the awful doom
Of getting fat by gaining lard
So I'll be on my guard
By trying not to eat so much
Though I know it can't be such
I know I'll eat over my share
Even though, in the end, I really will care
It happens when Holidays roll around
And temptation is to be found
Oh, I am so awfully bored
And I have a lot of food to hoard
(Dec 31, 2000)
Yes, as a 12 year old, I was already living the unhealthy lifestyle that got me in the place I was a few months ago: Overweight, unhealthy, and discontent.
This year is different though. I'm at my ideal weight. I am healthy. I'm happy with who I am and where my life is headed. And I'm not going to let 3 little days get in the way of me staying this way!
Thanksgiving is a good example: I was so motivated by being almost where I wanted to be weight/size/health wise that I stuck to my program like glue. My family thought I was a little crazy, but I did it. And when everyone else was sitting around lethargic or complaining about stomach aches, I was bouncing around feeling great. That next week, I lost the weight to put me where I wanted to be and I moved from being on the full program to being on transition.
Even though I'm not on the full program anymore I'm not worried about Christmas/New Years. I know that they're just days. Even if I "mess up" I'll be in a better spot this New Years than I was even as a 12 year old (and by the way, I only weigh 10 lbs more than I did then--I definitely wasn't healthy!!). I stopped "weighting" and started living.
What are you going to do?
