Are you "WEIGHTING" to get Healthy this Holiday Season?

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?

Do I really want to be healthy?

I decided to do something about my weight. I joined a program and have a health coach, meals, a text book, and a work book. I decided to go the whole 9 yards. Yet, tonight when I was going through the text book I had to answer a question:

"If you had a choice to live in Optimal Health, would you take it?"

I panicked inside. My anxiety went from 0 to 10 in the blink of an eye.

You might be asking why? The answer is an obvious yes, right? Who wouldn't want optimal health? And I'm already making drastic lifestyle changes to get me there, so shouldn't the answer be easy?

The problem with me answering "yes" to the question is I'm honest, and lately that's included being honest with myself.

Maybe if I reword the question, you'll understand why I wasn't able to say yes right away and remain honest with myself.

"Are you willing to do whatever it takes to get yourself into a state of optimal health?"

Now, all of us will have health problems. For example, I was in a car accident. My body is still messed up. I won't have PERFECT health, even if I do everything I can do. But think of how much closer I'd be if I just changed a few of my behaviors!

The problem is I'm not sure I'm willing to change those behaviors. I'm not sure I'm willing to do whatever it takes.

A very good example for me is exercise. It bores me. The idea of going to a gym is almost painful for me. Sitting there on a treadmill, an exercise bike, lifting weights etc. All boring. How am I supposed to get motivated to leave my house to go somewhere boring? Especially when it is not only boring, but it costs me money. Not happening.

Not all exercise is boring, but the kinds that aren't boring are competitive. I'm VERY competitive. So competitive in fact that if I can't at least do as good as other people, I don't want to do it at all. And well, right now I suck. I'd make a fool of myself. Before I join some community team or even go play basketball with friends, I want to get into shape...but doing that by myself leads back to boring.

A nice cycle, right? Everything that is fun, I can't do until I get the boring out of the way. And I just don't seem to be able to do the boring.

Seeing my problem with saying yes yet?

Do I want to be healthy? Theoretically. Enough to Make changes in my life? So far, not enough.

So I'm making a goal. My goal is to be able to say yes.

Like I said, I'm trying hard not to lie to myself. Before I'm willing to say yes to all of it, I have to show myself I can do it in one area. The area of choice: exercise.

Long term goal: Say YES! I want to be healthy and am willing to do everything it takes to get there!

Short term goal: Exercise at least 5x's a week.

Yup. As much as I hate doing it, I know it's good for me. I am deciding that the benefits out weigh the boring-ness.

I'm done "weighting" to be healthy.

And as I get more healthy, who knows? I might even start doing the exercises that are fun too. :)