An update is in order... and a few thoughts.

Where to start, where to start.

Well let me begin with this little success story.

Over the last year, many people have commented on how impressed they are with what I've done and how I've maintained the weight loss and yadda yadda yadda. Many also say they wish they had my motivation and that they plan to start taking better care of themselves... rarely is this followed up with any substance. One excepttion: This awkward, weird but very sweet man has come up to me five or six times asking me for advice, tips on how to eat, how to workout, etc. I genuinely wanted to help him, until I got the feeling I should just tell him to see a nutritionist, educate himself, and do it his own way. So I failed to answer him at all.

Recently, a friend crossed paths with him and noticed he'd lost a bunch of weight. When she asked about it, he claimed that I had motivated him and set off a light bulb about his need to take better care of himself. Eventually I congratulated him on doing something good for himself, and having chosen to do it in a very healthy way that isn't focused only on losing pounds.

The reason this struck me is because I had come to the conlcusion just weeks before that despite everyone's supposed "inspiration" drawn from me, no one can do this without finding their very own kick in the ass (motivation). So that is some great news.

This very same piece of news is what brings me back to you, fair readers, today. While I feel sufficiently in control of my weight and health these days, and don't particularly feel the need to blog, if there's any chance it might help anyone, it's worth it for me to do this. Why, you ask? Because I am becoming increasingly intolerant of people's need to starve, deprive and hate themselves over a few extra pounds (most people's case, but not all I know), and their unwillingness to use education and common sense to do something about it.

People repeatedly set themselves up for failure. So for anyone reading who intends to or is in the process of trying to get in shape, please look up the concept of SMART (or see one of my very first posts ever, on that topic).

In my opinion, the people who do these things are concerned with vanity, not health. People truly concerned about their health would not feed themselves none of this or none of that for weeks at a time, or workout until they burn out, if they didn't hate themselves deep-down.

If people could force themselves to say every day that having extra pounds does NOT define you, but your ACTIONS do, maybe they could try to make 1 healthier choice that day. Saying no to today's little treat or simply postponing it. Taking the stairs all day instead of the escalator. Making a lunch so you can eat at your desk and take your lunch to get fresh air, think a little and walk around. Read a few pages of a book instead of watching TV... and so on. Basically it's alllllllll about small choices. Small, everyday stupid little choices that compound and lead to a huge wave of change in your life.

So, stop being stupid and lazy. Start caring about yourself enough to do just what you are capable of doing for now. Don't push too hard. Be nice and dust yourself off each time you "fail". You will fail. But don't be defeated ever, until you are dead. When you're old and can't do 1/10th of the things you can do now, you will be happy you made those small choices.

Okay, stepping off my high horse to get back to my own daily battle to fight for my health. And if you try to say to me "I wish I could lose weight as easily as you", expect a solid punch in the face.

:)