Wednesday, October 3, 2012

This. Isn't. Luck.

Something has been on my mind for a few weeks now, but it’s recently boiled over & now I have to talk about it. And here it is:
I’m not “lucky.”
Since July, I’ve lost almost 15 lbs. I’ve lost almost 10 inches off my body, which I know for sure because my trainer measures. I’ve made an effort to eat cleanly & not overindulge (grief over Monty excluded). When I dine out, I make responsible choices & avoid pizza/pasta. I don’t chow down on the bread basket. I do yoga at lunchtime instead of using it as a social hour. I’m close to doing an unassisted pull up. I run long on weekends.
I’m not “lucky.”
It seems like the more weight I lose, the fitter I get, the more people want to say things like “You’re so lucky…” or something like “I don’t have the kind of time you have…” or even “I could never eat like that.” Recently, I was told it’s impossible to watch television without snacking! And then there was the shock that I don’t drink anything but water (or a sports drink when the situation calls for it).
The same people who make these ridiculous exclamations are the same folks who want to waste my time asking me exactly what I’m eating every single day… as though they’re asking because they want to make the commitment. I’m asked at the most inconvenient times to rattle off my entire meal plan, what type of exercise I do, what type of gear I like to use, & even how long it takes to see results… But you know what? They don’t want to make the commitment. They want to pass off their failure as one thing: that I’m lucky & they’re not. But you know what else?
I’m not “lucky.” I’m busting my ass.
I have to be vigilant. I have to remember the piece of office birthday cake isn’t worth the amount of time it’ll take me to work it off. I have to remember that pizza tastes great but sticks with me for about 2 days. I’m the person making the frantic phone call to my trainer when chocolate cake with chocolate icing is offered up at retirement parties & I need help avoiding temptation. I spend weekends running & recovering. I wake up at 0500 to play frisbee with Penny, then do it again 2 more times in the evening. I spend weekdays lifting weights instead of watching TV, though I suppose you could do that at the same time if you’ve got weights at your house. 
What I want people to know & accept is that everyone can do it. You just have to want to do it. And if you don’t to… if you simply don’t have it in your guts, then that’s fine too. Just stop complaining about it! Stop bothering me about what I’m doing, how I’m eating, & what I’m wearing. Accept yourself & be happy… & stay out of my way. Stop trying to convince me that one slice of cake won’t kill me. Stop trying to talk me into having lunch at a fast food place. Stop trying to suck me into your lifestyle because you can't hang with mine.
I know this sounds pretty harsh. It feels harsh to write. Since July, I’ve noticed this mentality a lot more. Maybe I’m more focused on it because I’m so committed… I don’t know. I know it’s driving me crazy, though, because even though I’m asked, I don’t think people respect how difficult this is. They just think, “oh, she’s lucky.”
Lucky doesn’t make your ass smaller. Commitment does. Get committed people, or get out of my way.

6 comments:

  1. "Lucky doesn't make your ass smaller", that should be a motivational poster.

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    1. Now that you mention it, I'm considering making that the bi-line of my blog.

      26.2 to Go... because luck doesn't make your ass smaller.

      Just screams T-shirt, doesn't it? :D

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  2. well, you can also refrase that "They just think, “oh, she’s lucky.” with "oh, she likes running/exercising/anything else that requires commitment". Just because "I like it", it doesn't make it easy, or just natural...you know, it requires commitment to get up that early, run that long, and don't stuff my face with pizza & cheese... Or, there's also the "judgmental" approach - "come on, you're obsessed with running/exercising, it's not healthy, just don't go out today, and maybe tommorw,or forever, come on, let's eat just a 14592947329 Kcal snack, it's perfect after that cigarette..." (and YOU want to judge my "unhealthy" habits, right)

    :)

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    1. Oh man... I'm an ex-smoker & can remember lighting up the minute I left the gym. It's weird how you can be a fit smoker. It is possible, though obviously not the best thing for you.

      I had to write this post; for about the past month, I've been dealing with this mentality. I don't come down on people for living the way they do. I'm all about life, liberty, & the pursuit of your own happiness. This lifestyle, while challenging, makes me happy because I'm seeing bona fide results. It's amazing how people can affect us negatively, even when they don't necessarily mean to be negative. It just popped me off enough to write about it.

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  3. I so agree with you!! I've lost 40 pounds in 3 months and it's because I'm very dedicated in what I eat. I count every single calorie and it's worked! I have to admit, I'm horrible in the exercise department. Very horrible. /hugs to you. I know how hard it can be.

    When I get to my goal weight, I'm going to have a cheesy gordita crunch. Mmmmm.

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    1. 40 lbs in 3 months? HOLY CRAPBALLS THAT IS AWESOME!!! I know you & the hubby are working the action together, which makes it even awesomer (word?). Even if you're not getting to the exercise portion just yet, I think the hardest part of change is the food... especially for Americans. We do everything big & don't think about what real portion sizes look like. So if you're doing that, you're already doing great! It's all about in-versus-out for those calories. If you're not expending any via exercise but still have a caloric deficit, then it's a spot-on way to make it work for you.

      So proud of you! And don't be surprised if you don't even want that cheesy gordita crunch by the time you get there... because you'll be so used to living this way, that you might not want the temptation to go back! :D

      We. Are. Awesome. :D

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