No I Won't Do That.

It wan't all that long ago when someone was talking to me about wanting to lose weight.  He had previously gotten some news from his doctor about how he was heading straight into major medical issues and a certain early death.  This had scared him briefly into eating right and attempting to exercise.  He had lost weight but began abandoning those healthy practices and had regained what he lost and, like so many do, put on even more.

This guy is relatively young, but is quite large and has a genetic history that sets him up for a pretty shitty prognosis.  His genetics he can't control, so the cards were stacked against him and being morbidly obese really puts a bullseye on him.

He shared with me that he knows that he knew he needed to lose weight but "I'm not going to eat like a damn rabbit the rest of my life!  I can't just sit around eating lettuce and carrots, you know?!"

"Well then," I said, "looks like you're going to stay fat!"

As soon as those words left my mouth I wanted to take them back.  Because I instantly realized how bitchy and judgemental that sounded.  And I truly didn't mean it that way.

I was projecting the anger I still have against myself onto this guy.  It took me 38 years to get my head out of my ass.  To realize that I was murdering myself one disgusting forkful at a time.

I had all kinds of conditions and excuses.  I wasn't giving up Mountain Dew, no way, after all that sweet nectar got me through college!  And sweets?  I deserved a dessert at night, right?  Exercise? No way was I going to run! Running is for idiots and besides, I have pulmonary stenosis that makes it harder for me to breathe when my heart rate soars than a regular person.

Poor me.  These were all the things I would not do to get healthy.  Funny, you never once heard me say what I would do.  That's because I was only willing to sit on my ass eating crap food waiting for doctors to discover an invention that allowed me to continue that behavior and get to a healthy weight.

But now I see it from the other side.  Yes, it took and continues to take tremendous efforts and sacrifice to not be obese.  But the payoff is so worth it.  Even with the stuggles I go through my life is so much better now.  And I have such regrets.  What if I had been a normal weight at age 18? Or 22 or 25 or 32???  How much more full my life would have been.

So I was frustrated with this guy, because every year that passes, every additional pound that he puts on - it gets harder and harder to take it off.  I want him to do it NOW to not wait until he starts really suffering serious physical health issues.

But I can't do this for him - and I can't insult or bully him into changing.  No one could do it to me years ago or now - when I know what I need to do and don't.

I can be an example.  I can help educate.  And hope that one day the light bulb turns on like mine did!!  He'll learn - rabbit food ain't so bad!!