Some thoughts for our board

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-17-2004
Some thoughts for our board
4
Mon, 05-02-2005 - 12:45pm

OK gang. It’s been a full year since I started posting on this board. ONE FULL YEAR! Yeah me! Lol


Anyway, I am actually heavier now than I was when I first started posting. Back then, I was gung ho, gonna lose this weight and never look back. Obviously that didn’t happen. I have been thinking about this for quite some time now and a few things have come to mind that I want to share with you.


First, I have made some awesome friends on this board. We have truly wonderful people. Sure, we’re all a little crazy, but that’s normal right??? ;) I have known some people who have been truly successful, but I have noticed many of us are not, and I’ve wondered why that is.


I think the beauty of this board is that we ALL know how the others feel. We feel like hell. Mostly because we’re fat, but some of it is self esteem issues, some of it is health related, and some of it is mentally related. I think the one thing we all have in common is that we want to feel better about ourselves. I see that time and time again in our posts. We just want to feel better, healthier, more attractive.


So the problem? Well, we seem to enable each other. When one of us has a series of down days, or gains, we rally around and say "It’s ok. We’re here for you." But in reality, we’re just making it seem like it’s ok to keep gaining, or to keep failing. It’s NOT OK. We have to take responsibility not just for ourselves, but for each other. When someone says, "I am having a bad eating day." Or "I feel blue and just want to eat." We have to have the power in ourselves and enable the power in others to say "NO! Put that food down! Don’t damage yourself because you’re feeling blue."


Someone has to take the responsibility and that someone is YOU and ME and everyone else! We have to empower each other and ourselves to see that what we’re doing is unacceptable! Because it is unacceptable! We have to be strong and we have to have faith in each other that this journey is not an uphill battle that we are fighting alone. Ultimately, we only answer to ourselves, but we can answer to each other if we take the time to tell each other that what we’re doing is NOT OK. What we’re doing is NOT OK!


I know this may anger some of you, and for that I’m sorry, but I have tried so hard the last month to get people motivated. I started a wonderful challenge that started out with a bang, but only a few people are really participating in, and that makes me sad. It makes me sad to see that we give up so easily on ourselves. We don’t have to be this way.


It seems a few people have found new motivation and I’m glad for that. But I propose this: Stop saying "I’ll start tomorrow." Start right now. You can make that conscious effort to stop what you’re doing here and now. Don’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today.

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Fear

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2003
Mon, 05-02-2005 - 1:46pm

Congrats on being around a year! Man, if we could have a retrospective of what kind of posts this last year brought, we'd be amazed at everything this board has lived through!!!

I know what you mean about "tomorrow"....I've had enough tomorrows in the last few months to last a lifetime. I finally got my behind in gear when the WLW challenge started. Since then, I've finally seen weight come off at a consistent rate. Not fast, mind you, but consistently down. Its made me change my eating habits too (esp when we were challenged to eat 5 fruits/vegs a day).

We DO give up on ourselves too fast. I know I do.....yet, I don't let my kids give up so quickly. I think we feel that everyone comes before us, and we just don't think we have it in us for "one more thing".

Recently, I had a bit of a kick in the behind from something someone said to me....it made me realize that I haven't put myself first for the longest time and now I'm showing the signs of it. I love my kids, and they will always come first, but I've had to start MAKING time for myself. And I have. And no one is suffering for it! Major revelation for me! LOL (of course, that time is 5:00 am, but what the heck?)

Great post, and something I think we all need to hear from time to time. I know I do!
And if I start eating poorly, I'm coming here for a kick in the rear.....I hope you all will give it to me!

Dawn

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-09-2004
Tue, 05-03-2005 - 12:09am

I agree....we have been doing that....I have gained 4 pounds...I have to take responsibility for myself...I was already thinking that I was going to start over with the whole WOE which ever one I decide to go on.

SussieQ

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-04-2003
Tue, 05-03-2005 - 5:39am

Can I just say what an awesome post that was!

 
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2004
Tue, 05-03-2005 - 12:09pm

I couldnt agree more Kerstin.