My Big Fat Security Blanket

Somewhere along the road on the Highway to Health I must have missed the road sign that warns "Caution: Major Self Doubt Ahead".

As this new person emerges so does a whole new set of insecurities.

It's like Healthy Me is driving the car ahead of me and I notice that her trunk is stuffed with just as much baggage as mine is. (The trunk of her car...not her "trunk"!)

I have reminded myself a million times that losing weight doesn't make life easier yet I still get disappointed when losing weight doesn't make like easier.

The latest example...

I told you all yesterday that I worked with a friend on Friday. She owns her own cleaning business and cleans both commercial and residential properties. I have worked with her in the past on occasion and have always enjoyed myself. After all, cleaning is one of my favorite things to do!!

When I called her on Thursday to find out when/where to meet she told me that I would be working with her and three other girls. I immediately started to panic.

My stomach hurt. I felt a little light-headed. I wanted to puke.

I was so nervous about meeting these girls. It was like the first day at a new school or starting a new job. Not only was I nervous but I was mad at myself for being nervous. I mean, seriously, I can clean the heck out of some house y'all, so what's the big freakin' deal?

Octavio was at the Third Day concert and the girls were both in bed by 8 p.m. so I had ALL of Thursday night so sit and think about what the problem really was. Once it hit me I was pretty surprised...

I was nervous because I wasn't fat.

WHAT???

I know that sounds a little silly, but hear me out -

Before, that was my thing, my shtick. I was the fat girl.

And if you didn't like me, it was because I was fat and that's your fault, not mine.

The problem was always someone else's fault, the way they saw me, them discriminating against me just because of my weight. That was my security blanket. I had fat to fall back on. My being fat may have been the cause of a lot of hardships but it was also my excuse to escape reality sometimes.

So what happens if someone doesn't like me now? What's my excuse?

It's a scary world over there in Thinville. I am still on the outskirts of the city, kind of peeking through a whole in the fence. It seems like every 10 or 15 minutes there is a tractor driving by heading back to the Fat Farm and it takes a lot of talking to myself to keep me from climbing aboard and heading back.


*on to something else*

I love it when I read something that confirms my own advice or approach. I got the information below in an e-mail from Sparkpeople.com. Just yesterday I updated my layout to include five simple ways to get your heart rate up. Almost all of them are listed in the article below :)

Another Fitness Myth Debunked

Somewhere along your journey to fitness, whether in the gym, reading the latest books, or talking with your friends, you'll hear a lot of advice about exercise--not all of which is true.

Fitness Myth
If you can't exercise hard and often, there's really no point.

Truth
Even moderate activity is shown to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. If you don't have 30 minutes in your day to exercise, try splitting it up into 10-minute segments instead.

Everyone can find 10 minutes to spare sometime during the day! There are simple things you can do to increase your activity without having to go to the gym: take the stairs instead of the elevator, jump rope or do body weight exercises (push ups, crunches) at commercial breaks, take a short walk after lunch. Remember that any exercise is better than none!

Love it!

For all my Crunch Companions out there here's an excerpt from another e-mail I received -

SparkPeople Experts Answer Your Fitness Questions

Question:

What can I do to lose weight in my stomach? I've been doing lots of crunches but they don't seem to help.

Expert Answer:

There is no way to target weight loss to a specific area of the body because your body decides where it wants to put on weight and where it wants to take it off. The midsection is a common "problem" area for many people. The best way to lose fat is through cardiovascular exercise. It is important to do a variety of abdominal exercises (including crunches) to keep your core strong, but until that excess fat is gone, you will not see the muscle definition. So if you're not doing cardio, crunches are not going to help get the 6-pack you've been hoping for. Regular cardio exercise at a level that's challenging for you is your best bet.

Exercise Extra:

"Apple" shapes (fat storage around the belly) have been shown to have a higher risk of certain cardiovascular diseases, whereas storing fat in your lower half, known as a "Pear" shape, is actually a healthier site for fat accumulation.

*Final Note of the Day*

Don't forget to check out Susan and MEchele's blogs!

Susan has began a challenge contest of her own and MEchele has posted her first post after gastric bypass surgery!!


Challenge:

Here is a new core exercise for you! Do the DOLPHIN!

ER ER ER ER CLICK CLICK CLICK :)