Anyone who has read anything on this blog knows I have lost a lot of weight. I accomplished this through exercise and lifestyle changes. No secret formula, no magic pills, nothing but the same tools we all have at our disposal. As strange as it has been to experience people's reaction to my transformation; I think the most unexplained occurrence is that of mockery. Usually this happens among those who have only known me as I am today. The tendency is to poke fun at my eating habits and, here's the kicker, the type of food I eat! I don't understand. Even after they know the story of where I came from to where I am, they still joke about it. "All you do is fill up on vegetables!", which isn't true, but if it was I'm still confused...is that a bad thing? "Oh are you having a carrot stick for lunch?" This statement in itself should help me move on because clearly they don't pay any real attention to my eating habits. I eat plenty of food, in fact, I am certain I eat more than I did before.” You eat constantly, mind you it’s just a cracker here and an apple there", okay…it seems that you are getting it, but not really. I eat "constantly" to fuel the metabolism; I am keeping the fires burning. Envision a car with only a five litre tank on a road trip across the country. How many times will the fuel tank of a machine in constant motion need to be filled? Get the picture?
Next, the opposing reaction from those who have known me for many years; clearly these people only see what they want to see. When sitting down to eat with family and long time friends, I am constantly questioned about the quantity of food I am eating. "Is that all you're eating? You hardly ate a thing!”. Truth of the matter is I had a little bit of everything; I get the benefits of tasting all the great food without piling the food high on my plate to the point of breeching the plate's holding capacity. As I have mentioned in my blogs before the size of the plates is a major component to the problems society faces today. We start a meal with a plate big enough to feed two people from and proceed to fill it up with enough food to feed four. In certain cases, like times when there is dessert available after dinner, I will eat less dinner. If I am going to stop eating when I am full then I better save room for cake! Bottom line the stomach will stretch as far as you want it to. This is not healthy for your body or its digestive processes. One of the changes I’ve made is to NOT jam food into my pie hole until I just can't get anymore in. I eat till I'm full and stop, then eat again when I feel hungry, which can be as little as an hour later, depending on the healthy qualities of the food consumed. But again this continued attempt to have me eat more food in one sitting is frustrating. Spend a day with me and understand how much food I eat, then you will realize I eat plenty, just not all at once. But that would require an actual interest in what I have accomplished and how I did it.
Another fun issue, is clothing sizes. I used to wear shirts that were XL or XXL. Baggy shirts were better to hide the enormous guy beneath them. A while back I was shopping with my wife trying to buy a few shirts that would actually fit me and she continued to suggest I try on the S size. My mind was asking "Is this woman nuts, I can't squeeze into a small?!" I was still dealing with the move to M and not mentally prepared for a further size reduction. I tried the small on and low and behold it fit! Not just fit either, comfortable fit and flattering! Who knew! I wear a medium in some styles of shirts and small in others. But Large is definitely too big. This concept never seems to get through to some people, myself included at times. It almost seems they are offended by the mere suggestion that I wear a medium or small? "C'mon you can wear a large. It's not THAT baggy." Then horrific phrase used in their defence is uttered "I like my clothes to be comfortable"…shudder…big clothes are the most unflattering thing anyone can do. The XLs of the World elongate the body and shorten your frame and more importantly make you appear much bigger than you are. I wore them because I had too and wanted to hide. The uncomfortable feeling being used as an excuse for proper fitting clothes is more in reference to not being comfortable with one's own skin or size than the clothes themselves. For us guys, I think a big part of it is linked to our ego. Big (strong) guys need to wear big shirts; if I wear an XL then I must be a big, strong man! Sadly that is not true for most cases. I know I am stronger today than I ever was, yet I wear clothes that are smaller than I have ever worn, go figure! Now I like how comfortable I feel wearing a medium or small. But again the battle to wear the clothes I want, in the size I want shouldn't be a battle, but it is.
For the most part none of above issues are things that truly upset me, but lately I have been taking issue with those same people complaining about their own health issues and desires for change. They are frustrated with my simple answers and lack of magic. Whoa, what, wait a minute….you are not happy with your health but you are more than willing to make fun of my lifestyle habits? Back up the bus amigo! Perhaps for just a second you should take the time to learn from me. Am I special in some way? I don't think so, but I DID change some very simple things about my lifestyle and have witnessed changes I would never have bet a wooden nickel on. So, my suggestion is shut your trap, buck up and take the challenge to make changes in your life! I've said it before, "If truly want to see change in your life you WILL have to make changes in your life." Usually the changes aren't easy ones either. Suck it up buttercup and realize change isn’t always easy or fun, but perhaps necessary if you truly want to experience change.
I don't know. I guess I feel my accomplishments are not having an impact on enough people. It sounds self centered, but really it’s the exact opposite. I want people I care about, quite frankly anyone really, to be healthy. The hard part is knowing what I have done is attainable by anyone. Again, nothing magically has taken place here. But, there was hard work and specific actions taken. My concern is how long it took me to figure it out and how I see others ignoring the obvious while maintaining the status quo, only to be frustrated and discouraged with their own health. They say, “Lead by example.” There is the rub; I continue to remain diligent about my own health while others around me continue to ignore theirs’. If my example is supposed to lead, how come the followers are few and far between?
It is time for me to learn how to find the value in my own accomplishments and realize how much my own health is worth.
My Two Cents
Jamie
