Me, Nikki, Zogie, Brandon and Jim (from left to right) - The "Crew"Weigh In: 313.5
Calories Consumed: 2461
Calories Burned: 4279
Workout: 40 minutes today, 1250 for March
I've been thinking a lot lately about how my weight loss is affecting my life, and those around me. Today, I had a good conversation with a friend on the phone. Before I rant about this - for those who don't know my personal life - I've got a pretty good group of friends, and to put it nicely, we're all overweight. We've been a pretty 'big' group pretty much our entire lives, and when you're in a group - it's somewhat of a safety net.
I talked a few weeks ago about the day that I 'skipped' on the White Castles - a day that before my weight loss journey TRULY started, I would have taken a MAJOR role in the dismantling of the Crave Case. But that day, I felt like the odd man out. Like I wasn't 'part' of the whole. I felt like I was 'outside of the circle'.
Now, my friends NEVER pressured me into eating the White Castles, and it's not something where I'm fighting them to support me - if anything, they've been completely awesome about it. But I just felt like I was watching it from the outside. And you know.. this has been on my mind - and getting back to my conversation on the phone with my friend today, I'm feeling better today.
See, as I said, my friends and I have always been big. I'm not just talking about tall, but we've been BIG. We used to wear our "Big Daddy" shirts with pride, and laugh when we talked about the day that about 7-8 of us XXXXLers were walking towards the "All You Can Eat" pizza joint in the middle of the day, and the shop owner saw us in his parking lot and LOCKED the doors. It sounds like a punchline of some comic's skit, but that really happened.
But how do I, someone who has been guilty of the same exact thing for years, tell my friends that we need to work on our health? I mean, I can do it for myself, but I've got NO right to tell others, especially those close to me, how to live theirs. Tonight on the phone, I was told by one friend that another went to the doctor, and the doctor gave him the 'you won't last long like this' talk. It was the same one I had months ago - something that changed my life.
This same friend and I were talking today, and I can not tell you how happy I am to say that he told me that he signed up for a gym membership today, and is now working with a friend to knock off some major weight. And then he said something that really.. I mean REALLY meant something to me.
"You were part of my motivation to do this".
My weight loss journey has inspired a lot of people I've been told, but it takes it to another level when it happens to someone who I consider myself family with - minus the family tree. I want him to succeed the way that I have, plus some. So - you know who you are - if there's ANYTHING that I can do - ask. Don't think, just ask.
For any of my other friends who fall into this category and who may stumble across this blog, I'm not sure who all reads this.. I can't tell anyone how to live their life, or to even point at MY life and try to compare, but we've been friends for our entire lives.. and if in your head you're even thinking that you want to change your life to make sure we live long enough to have these friendships last forever.. I hope you feel the strength to do something about it.
I would NEVER have found my success (so far.. there's so much to go still) without a solid support group - my wife, my friends, my family, my blog replies, the FAT Coalition, CC.com.. you name it.
If you want aboard, just let me know.
Ok.. I've got that off my chest. As far as my workout and such, it went well - only 20 minutes in the gym due to time restrictions, but a 20 minute (approx) bike ride, and I intentionally pushe my calories over 2000 today. Tomorrow's a MAJOR weigh-in, so I'm really looking forward to it. A final rush towards March 31st.. let's see what we've got left.
Catch ya'll tomorrow.
2 comments:
"I can do it for myself, but I've got NO right to tell others, especially those close to me, how to live theirs."--
I disagree about this. It is certianly best, socially, if you inspire them to change, rather than telling them to. But I think you have a right to. The more you affect this change for yourself the more 'authority' you have on the subject. Telling people close to you that you think they are living poorly or unhealthily isnt fun (I have done this) but sometimes it needs to be done, or at least should be.
Im for anything that can get people to change habbits like these when they are still far from the brink of disaster. Its just hard to judge what will get a person to change. My dad's near heart attack was part of what got me here. My grandmother was told to quit smoking by my parents or they werent going to let us spend a lot of time with her. Some people get inspired. Others change cause of some nasty thing someone said.
Everybody has a different stimulus that will get them going towards health and mabey you can help them there. Keep being inspring, but I think you have the right to sit someone down if you think one of your friends would benefit. Afterall the people who are closest to us, care about us the most, and should be the ones to tell us when we err, the just usually dont because they are scared it will cause problems in our relationship.
my 2cents as it were
I agree Rob. The best way to inspire is by example.
The only way these people are going to make this change is if it's something they want for themselves. They know, as we all did for so many years, that they are unhealthy. They don't want to change right now.
I think that all you can do is be a good example, show them that it's possible, it's not as horrible as they think, and tell them how great it feels. And most importantly, be ready to help when they ask.
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