I think I'll begin with Friday. I promise I'll hold off on the compliment quotes for a while...after this. I went to a conference on Friday, and there were a lot of people there that I've worked with in the past. I hadn't seen several of them since around the time that I started blogging here (end of March). While I don't think that I've really lost that much weight, they all seemed kind of shocked at my appearance. They kept talking about how thin and trim I was, and more importantly how happy I looked. Seems that I've lost quite a bit of weight in my face too.
My brother and sister are staying with me this weekend, and there has been a bit of snacking and big meals. I grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, and brats for dinner last night. I also threw some zucchini on the grill and diced up some potatoes and onions and baked them. Everything was good. I couldn't finish my hamburger, but I ended up eating all the leftover zucchini. I feel that I did ok. The bad part was the Chips Ahoy and ice cream. I was afraid to weigh myself this morning, but I did and it wasn't so bad. I didn't lose anything, but I didn't gain either. Still at 137. This seems to be an average low for me. I did have one point where I hit 133 for about 30 seconds, but I haven't been below 135 in forever.
I only went to the gym twice this week, but I did a semi-workout at home yesterday. I'm really determined to work on my upper body right now, although I did some lower body stuff too. It's just so easy to do upper body at home I think. We did something called the crab dip at the gym on Thursday. I've been doing this at home using my fireplace. I think this will do wonders for me. I dropped out of the July push-up Challenge, but I've still been doing them here.
I was giving some thought to the Summer Sizzler Challenge. I'd like to see the challenge continue on a smaller scale. Choose one category every month. Maybe it's a weight loss challenge or maybe it's a certain exercise? Any thoughts? We could rotate who chooses?
Now I have something that I just have to vent about. My sister and I kind of got in a fight this weekend about another one of our sisters that really needs to lose weight. Her husband is also very large (at least 100 - 150 pounds overweight imo). We were looking at pics from last year and I said something like I didn't realize that I was almost the same size as the other sister back then. My thoughts were very positive like whoa, she could totally lose the weight if she just made the simple changes that we have all done. I know it's not that simple of course, but it really was not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be either. Well, my younger sister started "defending" them saying they weren't that big and that they are cute (as if I were attacking them). She then was saying that the husband is just solid (like mostly muscle or something). Oh, I was getting so mad. They are clearly unhealthily overweight. I couldn't believe the lengths this younger sister was going to trying to convince me that they are fine. Then she said something that really pissed me off - that I just look down on everyone that is overweight now that I've lost weight. That is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. Why do people have to hate? :) I would say that almost all of my friends have weight to lose. I don't look down on any of them. I remember what it was like. It's not been that long. I also know what could happen to me if I gave up.
Pretty much the only emotion I was feeling when talking about my sister and her husband was hope. Honest. I remember when I felt that there was no hope for me, and I was feeling so hopeful for them. I don't care how much they weigh, but there is no way that they are healthy the way they are now. I guess I just kept thinking about Billy's self-limiting beliefs. They could both say, "Well, I've been overweight my whole life, so this is just what I am," or "This body type is just in my genes." Maybe their kids will also have similar things to say in 20 years like, "Everyone in my family is overweight, so why try."
I don't know why this bothered me so much, but I was seriously irritated that someone would accuse me of looking down on overweight people...just because I watch what I eat and exercise. This sister is very young and has never had to worry about her weight yet and doesn't understand what the big deal is I'm sure. I didn't have to worry about it either until I was 21. It's all fast food and fun at that age.
Ok, I guess that's all for now. I really need to get out and run.
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6 comments:
It's funny how successes can bring out the insecurities in other people. I'm sure that there are people who look down on others who need to lose weight, but you DEFINITELY don't seem to be like that at all. I understand how frustrated it is for someone to accuse you of something that couldn't be further from the truth though. Just don't forget, people (including us) read our own thoughts into what other people say, and respond accordingly, so I'm sure that's part of what's going on.
Good for you with the compliments at the conference! People who havent seen you for a while are a better indicator of how much weight you've lost than you are. But you have lost a lot of weight, and I'm sure you are (and should be) proud of yourself!
Kristen, your caring and concern was most likely misinterpreted as judging. When you have a success that makes such a huge impact on your life, you wish the people you love could feel it for themselves. This isn't a bad thing. Your heart is in the right place.
I don't look down on people who are overweight, but what I do is see in them something that I hated in myself. I see weakness, carelessness, unhappiness, and sloth. (I'm not talking about overweight people who are trying to change here).
It's hard for me to look past those things in those people. The things that I had to recognize in myself and make myself loathe enough to never want to go there again. It doesn't mean I think they're bad people, but it just means that they haven't "seen the light". It's almost like if you were a Born-again Christian or something, once you "saw the light" or whatever you just want to get other people onboard with it.
But I can definitely see how that could get very annoying for them ;)
Sometimes I see people out and about (mainly girls about my old size) that I just want to go up to and tell them my story to let them know that they can change. Thank God I do have some filter left and I don't do this, but I think that would be so awesome if I could give someone else hope and help them change their life.
Billy, you're so right - it is like when people become "born again". It's hard to understand why everyone else doesn't want a piece of that.
Kristen you do give people hope. It was reading on all the FAT coalitions blogs that got me really motivated. Sure I have wanted to loose weight but starting the blog and feeling connected to some cause or bigger meaning has certainly helped. The fact that there are several of you that have been successful says it can be done. I am sure you inspire more people than you know.
Where to start? I think it's unfair to assume that all overweight people are 'weak, careless, unhappy and slothful'. Not to mention judgmental. I am a firm believer that you don't know someone else's story, so you can't judge them by looking at them. I gained weight due to a stressful time in my life, and I wasn't lazy, slothful, etc. I did eventually lose the weight, but I would never simplify someone's struggle with food/weight by using those words. I think that we have to be careful, having lost weight, not to judge others who haven't quite gotten there yet. It's a dangerous road.
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