LIFE IS TOO SHORT
FOR SELF-HATRED
AND
CELERY STICKS.
(Marilyn Wann)
I'm due for my yearly physical, and I just so want to say to the doctor, "Yes, I'm fat. Yes, I need to lose weight. No, you don't need to scold me like I'm a child."
To be fair, my doctor has never yelled or called me fat. Her remarks and her concern are professional and appropriate. It's all me. I'm the one berating myself. I'm the one beating myself up. I'm the one angrily gnawing on celery sticks smeared with hummus with the same glowering intensity I save for despised aerobic activities. (Treadmill, I'm looking at you.)
And for what? So I can sit, cold and lumpy and miserable, on that exam room table, the one covered in what might as well be butcher's paper so I feel even more like a piece of meat?
No more.
Oh, I still need to lose weight - that's a fact. But I can certainly be nicer to myself as I go about it. When I go for a walk after dinner instead of watching some re-run on TV, I can pat myself on the back. When I ask the waiter not to bring the bread, I can treat myself to piece of chocolate later. When I push myself to ride my bike farther, faster, I can revel in the strength and health of my body, then take it for a massage.
Whatever it is we're trying to accomplish, putting ourselves down isn't going to help us achieve our goals. Will being kinder to ourselves get us there faster? Maybe. Maybe not. But I'd rather enjoy the journey, enjoy the scenery, as I try, instead of being stuck on some endless loop of self-hatred, going nowhere. (Again, Treadmill, I'm looking at you....)
I stopped eating wheat and grains. I get my fiber from veggies and fruits, and I also pretty much eliminated starchy carbs (potatoes, too many bananas). I dropped 54 lbs. I'm reintroducing sweet potatoes (since they're so packed with good stuff for your body), and I eat bananas with some peanut butter for protein. It worked for me since I'm a big carb addict. No more bagels or cereal in the morning!
ReplyDeleteWow, Jay - good for you! I've cut back - not eliminated - pasta. I'm Italian, so just...no. :)
DeleteFew people are motivated by negative anyway.
ReplyDeleteI snack healthy, but I still like bagels and bread.
It's funny how negative motivation doesn't seem to work all that well and yet it seems to be the default for a lot of us.
DeleteI eat my wheat or bran cereal every morning, and love to snack on rye bread/peanut butter sandwiches. Popcorn is also one of my favourites. I have a weakness for cashew nuts - not sure how healthy they are...
ReplyDeleteWriter In Transit
I like cashews, too. Most things in moderation.... :)
DeleteYou're right, of course. Although as someone who loves celery and hummus (sorry), they can be part of enjoying the journey too!
ReplyDeleteI probably shouldn't have lumped celery and hummus in the same category as the treadmill. It's actually not a bad snack. :)
DeleteTreat yourself with kindness, Madeline. I think you're on the right track. Oh, and if you stare at that treadmill long enough it becomes self-conscious and vanishes. You'll hear, "Poof!"
ReplyDeleteI think the "poof" sound is really the treadmill trying to breathe under all the clothes draped on top of it. :)
DeleteYou know how jeans are extra tight right after you wash them? Well I did laundry this morning, tried putting them on and said, "Nope. Yoga pants." The good news is that I've started going to the gym with my fiance and I actually really like it. Now if I could just stop snacking...
ReplyDeleteWhat did we do before yoga pants? Oh, yeah - pajama bottoms.
DeleteGood for you for going to the gym and enjoying it! That should balance out the snacking.
There's nothing worse than the treadmill. I will be on there and think surely I've reached at least the half hour point only to find it's actually been about 5 minutes. I gave up trying to use those things. I love to just walk with my dog - I know it's not the best exercise in the world but I enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI'm convinced that time works differently on the treadmill. I much prefer to go for walks outside, too.
DeleteWise words and inspiration. Good for you. You deserve to be healthy and enjoy life. Too often though, once we fall off the wagon and binge on goodies, we give up. I don't think you will give up. You are committed. Kudos to ya', GRRL!
DeleteThank you! I hope I won't give up....
DeleteI always find myself putting off going to the doctor until I lose those "last few pounds." I lost 15 pounds between last year and this year's visit to my ob/gyn and do you know she didn't have a single word to say about it? But if I'd GAINED 15 pounds, I would have heard, "You gained weight. Is something wrong?"
ReplyDeleteThat stinks she didn't acknowledge your accomplishment! If I put off going to the dr because of weight, I'd probably never go. :)
DeleteWe are our own worse critics. Take care of yourself and people can still be very healthy without being thin.
ReplyDeleteI've given up on being thin. My goal now is healthy and strong. :)
DeleteVery good post. Taking care of our bodies is top priority.
ReplyDeleteSarah Allen
(Writing Blog)
Hopefully, I'm getting better at it.... :)
DeleteLife is definitely too short for self-hatred and celery sticks. I've been dancing around to music in my living room (think like Nim's Island), and that is always a guilt free bit of exercise . . .
ReplyDeleteGood for you! :)
Delete