The other day I was pushing through some sprint intervals on a treadmill at my gym. I was in the zone with Taylor Swift blaring through my headphones and sweat cascading off my forehead when one of the trainers walked up to me. When I politely took off my headphones, he said this: "You are looking much better."
I instantly became angry and shot back, "That's really not the best way to give a compliment." I explained that "better" is a half-compliment and should be left unsaid. I went on further in my rant to tell him his words implied that I didn't look acceptable before my weight loss and that I could work harder to look even better. How dare him!
... And then I caught myself and realized I was being one of "those" people...
You know, the overly sensitive, get-offended-at-everything type of person. The type of person that takes personal offense when plus size models aren't featured in shopping catalogues or the ones that cry out in rebuke against any text that subtly implies being fat isn't something to be celebrated.
No, no, no. I will not be one of them!
We live in a society of whiners and wimps. Turn on the news and you will find someone crying about something that hurt their feelings. Most especially when it is weight related.
Point in case, a couple of years ago fit-mom Maria Kang took a picture adorned in a sports bra and spandex shorts. In the shot, she is rocking chiseled abs and sculpted arms with her three toddler boys by her side. Accompanied with the social media post was text exclaiming, "What's Your Excuse?"
Man, did people get their panties in a wad over her clearly meant to be motivational picture. She was quickly labeled a fat-shamer, self absorbed, and arrogant among many other things, not to mention repeatedly attacked for "trying to make other women feel inferior."
Reading through the hate mail on her Facebook comments caused me to repeatedly roll my eyes at all the ridiculous rants of people being "hurt" by Maria's post.
Her statement simply highlights the fact that we all have choices, and any reasoning behind not meeting our goals are just excuses. We choose what's on our fork, and we choose if we take the stairs or elevator, and we choose if we spend our free time on the couch or being active. And those choices lead to our reality.
Well, I may not have her abs, but I'm definitely on the same page as Mrs. Kang.
I strongly believe that life is all about choices and it's such choices, not circumstances, that determine our reality. This ideal absolutely encompasses body physique and weight loss (as it does with all aspects of life); Choose to eat healthy, choose to eat the amount of calories your body needs, choose to be active.
Or don't. It's your choice to make!
My reality is that I made choices which led to me gaining some weight. I put on a few pounds and wasn't looking especially great. So, I made some different choices, lost ten pounds, and because of this, I do look better. But it's just that -- better. Meaning, improvement was made, however more improvement could certainly be achieved, as there is always opportunity to improve.
So instead of crying over the trainer's implication that I used to be heavier than I am now or that perhaps I don't have the body of a fitness model, which I absolutely don't, I will continue to bust my butt in the gym and practice restraint when it comes to nutrition. I will continue to actively make the choices that will lead me to where I want to be.
Your choices, goals, and aspirations are yours. Mine are mine. All I'm saying is, let's all start owning our own choices. You absolutely shouldn't feel insignificant for being a certain size -- and no one should ever be bullied. But, please, let's stop whining and complaining and getting offended over every comment, article, advertisement, and news story that hints at fat not being healthy or ideal -- or any other subject for that matter.