An Argument with No One Inparticular

I always find it interesting how many people want to jump into your life with advice. I'm never certain whether its meant in a genuinely helpful way, or more of "I know better, you're stupid" way. I certainly hope nothing I post here, or on any of my other blogs comes across in the latter way, it is certainly not my intention to sound pious, bitchy, or like I know it all. I am a 45 year old women with a hell of a lot of life experience under my belt, I'm just in a place where I want to turn around and share it. Take anything I say that resonates and ignore anything that doesn't. In my soul, I'm a teacher. I home schooled both my kids, I've led bible studies, taught classes at conferences, it's what I most love to do, help someone get a hold on something in their life they've struggled with and as I usually have a unique point of view on just about anything, I think I have a worthy voice to throw into the mix. That being said, please never think that I think I know it all, because dear god, I don't. I share what I believe, what I've experienced, what works for me... take what you can and know any advice or opinion is given with love and the deepest desire to help.

I've started speaking publicly about my issues with weight for 3 reasons...

1. I need the accountability. I will be more successful in my journey by putting my successes and failures up here for the world to see. It keeps me honest, and it keeps motivated.
2. I believe I've finally unlocked the right door for me to effective and permanent weight loss and to improving my health, my energy and my life. Once i have a handle on something, I need to start talking about it, it crystallizes everything for me.
3. It's simply my time to be successful at this and there will be no turning back this time, so why not share?

I'm not assuming I know it all, but I am pretty closed off for input at this point. I have spent years reading every book and article on weight. I've watched the weight loss shows. I've done the fad diet, mostly in my teens, but I did them. I've also done successful weight loss programs.Where I'm at now, is that to be successful at losing weight and maintaining that loss, you need to see it as a lifestyle change. You didn't wake up one morning after having been visited by the fat fairy and you're now 150 pounds overweight. Your life supported that weight gain and your life will continue to support weight gain, unless you figure out what the exact cause is and change it... hence lifestyle change.

For me, a perspective change is necessary before a life change and in this particular thing, the paradigm shift happened when I started digging around my youth. I remembered being eight years old and wanting to become a vegetarian. My family all laughed at me and made bets as to how long that desire would last. Of course it didn't because I had no real idea how to be a vegetarian and it wasn't as if my mother was providing vegetarian choices for me, so I failed.

However, I am an adult now and in trying to live intuitively I'm reclaiming me. So giving vegetarianism a real shot seemed only natural.

The other component for me was when I realized I'd been using food and my weight as medication, protection and a place to hide. It wasn't real. I am not naturally a size 18 or 22 or 26 and I shouldn't accept that I am. Authenticity is vitally important to me so staying this size was absolutely unacceptable. That's my motivation. I don't have to be fat. I don't enjoy being over weight and I'm not going to be any longer.

I have no idea why I felt so strongly about having this argument, perhaps its because I'm feeling nibbled at by a number of people right now and whereas no one has done anything so irritating as to deserve a tongue lashing, I am feeling a bit irritated, so I gathered all my irritation into this one post. I just know I'm not alone in having spent much of my life letting other people dictate what was acceptable behavior for me and what wasn't. I get to decide now and I decide to be healthy and at a lower weight. Anyone else out there who can identify with any of this, today is the day to take a stand!

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  Confucius

Its time... take that first step, I'll do anything I can to support you, because I know you can do this.