Monday, August 13, 2012

Cranky Shelley Dispenses Some Tough Love

My inner cranky person doesn't come out that often, but when she does, look out.  Whining, excuses, and yoyo weigh-ins have hit a nerve with me lately, and I'm unleashing the crank.

It's time to get busy and lose the weight you want.  NOW.  Do it now.  Today.  Stop making excuses - I swear, if I read "I was on the road and HAD to stop at a fast food place for lunch" one more time, I'm going to scream.  No one is forcing you to do that.  Plan ahead.  Make better choices.  Alternatively, go hungry - are you really going to wither away and die if you don't eat lunch?  Probably not.  And if you're hungry, maybe that will remind you to throw a couple of healthy snacks in your bag to tide you over for the next time.

Stop waiting until whatever is over - a celebration, a crummy job situation improving, kids moving out, health issues resolved, after that vacation...I could go on and on, but you get my drift - there will always be things that you can use as a reason for not starting or continuing with your diet, but if you aren't careful, another year is going to go by, and you'll still be waiting...unhappy with how you feel, dreading having to dress for a special occasion, and sitting on the sidelines of life.

Begin a healthy lifestyle today.  You can plan yourself to death, read a million books (and blogs) about dieting, make your grocery list, look into joining a gym, but none of that is going to help until you actually start, so start already!  Jump in with both feet.  Go for it - there is no perfect program, and you will not do everything exactly right.  But if you're not doing anything to make the change, than nothing is going to change.  I hate to break it to you, but most often this is going to involve saying no to a lot of the stuff you're currently eating.  I can guarantee you that 99% of the time, you'll get another opportunity to eat that same food in the future, if you want.  Yes, it all tastes good, but having a fit and healthy-sized body feels even better.   

Those of us who are, or who have been overweight have used food as pleasure too often.  I'm sorry, but the hard truth is that if you really want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to let go of enjoying every morsel of food so much.  I know that for a lot of you this is not what you want to hear, but I believe it's truer than anyone would like to admit.  So stop focusing on bacon (easy target - I could have listed MANY foods here) and start focusing on how good your body feels as you get the excess weight off.  Is it hard to sometimes go to bed at night with muscles sore from working out, or with a slight grumble of hunger in your stomach?  Sure.  But when you wake up with energy, like what you are seeing in the mirror, and don't dread putting on clothes because they aren't strangling you with tightness, then hey - the trade-off is worth it...and it keeps getting better.

Food is good.  Having a healthy body is good.  Can the two coexist?  Yes, but you have to be willing to make some better choices.  And keep making them...or you're going to be on the weight-loss roller coaster forever.

36 comments:

  1. Great post Shelley! I couldn't have written it better, it's all so true.

    However personally I don't agree with skipping meals. Lots of research have proven that skipping meals only gets you making (most of the time) unhealthy choices later.

    I would promote: 3 healthy meals a day. If you want to skip anything, skip the snacks (even the healthy ones) between meals. Many, many, many years ago people lived on 3 meals a day.
    Although I don't skip my snacks (fruits) on work days. At weekends I often skip them because either I forget or don't want them.

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    1. I agree that skipping meals is not great - maybe I should have written "delay" instead...

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  2. WE LOVE WHEN YER CRANKY.
    CRABBY.
    honest raw and blunt.

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  3. These are some inspiring words!
    Something for me, because I am also losing weight ;)
    http://kyleolsonsblog.wordpress.com/

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  4. Okay - I had to laugh at Miz's comment! This was my favorite line:

    "But if you're not doing anything to make the change, than nothing is going to change."


    You couldn't have said it any better!

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  5. Thanks for the reminder that I will probably have the chance to eat "that food" again. I need to learn to pass on the treats.

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  6. I love it when Cranky Shelley comes to town. Kickin' ass and takin' names - way to start the new week. Thanks - I needed that.

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  7. A grocery store is ALSO a "fast-food" restaurant.

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    1. Great point, Jill. Although you can't do drive thru... ;)

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    2. Absolutely!! I have learned to stop into grocery stores when in need and grab a pre-made salad or use the salad bar or SOMETHING. There is always a better choice.

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    3. So true! I'd pick a grocery store for veggies, fruit, and cooked chicken any day over fast food if I couldn't pack my own.

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  8. Hmmm. Now google is suspicious of me cause I'm commenting on my kindle?

    Anyway, I said AMEN!! Especially on that advice to make better choices AND keep making them. Its just a waste of time to change the way you're eating to lose weight if you don't intend to keep it up.

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    1. Exactly - it's silly to lose weight if you're not willing to do what it takes to keep it off.

      Google doesn't like the Kindle, eh? Who died and made them the boss? ;)

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  9. Well, if anyone has the right to say all this, it's certainly you. The woman who has lost 100 lbs. and maintained it and knows just how hard both sides of the equation are. Which is why we love you, both cranky and regular Shelley!

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  10. I didn't know I loaned out my cranky pants! LOL.

    Yeah, I get that. It seems like people do hardcore 'dieting' and restrictive and then fall off the wagon. They try to make changes that are too hard to sustain for a long time. The worst part is when someone gets fanatical about their new program and then a few weeks later they are talking about being a failure because they can't stick to it.

    Although, I really do like to enjoy every morsel of food I eat. As soon as I start eating stuff I don't like because I should (tuna fish, I am looking in your direction) - then I have a tendency to get on a binge of something else. I try to make all my food be stuff that I really enjoy eating.

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    1. I agree with you on the hardcore/fall off...moderation is so much more reasonable.

      I do enjoy my food, and I definitely don't eat something if it's not working for me (like my squishy tofu dinner a couple of weeks ago), but I don't go all "OMG THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER" about everything I eat, if that makes sense.

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    2. You all know how I love to enjoy my food. But sometimes I will make something that is not stellar but is still nutritious, and I will eat it just for the discipline of NOT having every bite be taste perfection!

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  11. Yes! And thank you, I needed this. I have not compromised, but it would be easy to right now. No emotional eating allowed!

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  12. Ahh yes thank you.

    I read a lot of blogs on my phone as I'm trying to wake up and this stuck with me all day. I'm currently fighting the urge to snack on the frosting can for my daughters birthday cake later in the week. It doesn't help that my children are being nutso. 9 more days til school!!!

    And yes again thank you.

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  13. Thanks for this one. I needed it. I've told myself these things a million times. Reminders are good. I loved the part about planning yourself to death. So true. You have to stop planning and start doing. And.... I didn't think it was that cranky.

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    1. Thanks...and good to know that there's room for more crank, lol!

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  14. Thanks Shelley...I actually needed to hear this one today...I have been on a weight loss journey for a few years and since the injury 12 weeks ago I have been struggling. Having to be on bed rest and limited activity for so long has been difficult and I have used the excuse to eat more than I need or want! Blessings!

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  15. OUCH! This one hit me right in my hurty spot! But I needed the reminder, so thank you for that. :)

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  16. Well said. I think those things many time when I am reading a blog, seeing someone fail over and over, make the wrong decisions whiles being bummed out they are still stuck in a bad place.

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  17. Ow, don't yell at me. LOL! Just kidding. It is all true, so very true. And if I might add something - anyone who is having trouble with emotional eating should really think about seeking help for it. There is no shame in seeing a nutritionist or a therapist to help with the underlying issues, and you might end up feeling a lot better mentally as well as physically.

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  18. I've been enjoying your weight loss related posts, Shelley! Getting back from vacation also means getting back to Google Reader, so I read the last three posts all at once. Your advice is sound, and I know I can trust it because you are living proof of all that you preach. Thank you for keeping it honest, and for giving specific wisdom from your own journey. xoxo

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  19. Hi Shelley,

    I have no idea if my comment will post, as I'm going back and reading your whole blog. But this one REALLY spoke to me. THANK YOU!!!I'm one of those plan, plan, read, gear up....fail to execute - type people. I just need to get over myself, get out of my way, and DO IT. So thank you!

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    1. I get email notification of all comments, so I saw this one - glad it spoke to you, and good luck, Jess!

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