Pressure & Pizza

Have you ever noticed the amount of reading material available to you in the four feet of check out line in Walmart?  As I stood simmering in the check-out line the other day I had ample opportunity to take notice of the selection available to us.  Naturally most of the magazines were geared toward women.  I didn't pay much attention until I focused on the cover of Woman's World Magazine.  In big bold flashy letters I read, "LOSE 9BLS IN 2 DAYS" with a thin, smiling woman holding a scale looking as if everything in the world was wonderful.  I started reading other headlines at that point and was honestly amazed at how many of them had to do with woman losing weight, toning up, slimming down, taking of unwanted hair, adding wanted hair, improving your sex life, attracting good men, dumping bad men, organizing your house, organizing your life, cooking low-fat, cooking no fat, cooking delectable cookies and cakes for everyday of the year!!!  Who knew we needed so much help?

When you set a weight loss goal and you give it your all to achieve there is of course a measure of pressure that comes with the territory.  You pressure yourself to achieve your personal expectations and you pressure yourself to meet the expectations of others.  Its just a part of the process and can be a good thing as long as it is used properly.  The problem comes when you start falling prey to the social pressures bombarding us everyday.  It is so easy to turn on the tv, pick up a magazine, or listen to the radio, and feel like you have to do more to improve yourself, change who you are so that you will be more "acceptable" in the world around you.  How many times do we hear the phrase "Quick Weight Loss" in a day, or a week?  I have fallen prey to this phrase several times.  I even spent $500 a few years ago on one of the "quick weight loss" programs and made it a whole 2 weeks before I couldn't do it anymore.  Granted I did lose 14lbs in two weeks but the plan was so strict it was impossible to live by.  It was then I started Weight Watchers and until Thanksgiving rolled around that year I did pretty good.

The fact of the matter is you are already good enough.  You are BEAUTIFUL and SMART and FUNNY.  We should never stop growing and improving ourselves in all areas of our life, but it is imperative that you understand that the person you are on the inside is what really matters.  Do I want you to be healthy? Do I want you to have confidence in your appearance?  Do I want you to feel sexy when you walk out your door?  YES, YES, and YES!!  More importantly however I want you to know you are worth more than the infomercials, magazines, and radio ads want you to believe.  Your compassion, your dedication to your family, your sense of humor, your morals, and your beliefs all make up a person who is more than a number on a scale or a smaller waistline.  Don't forget that you are only improving upon a foundation that is already there, a good foundation laid out over years of learning to be strong.  Focus on more than your physical self.  Pay attention to the other parts of your life!  Spend more time with family and friends to enrich your social life, explore your faith, try to learn a new little something once a day to keep your brain working, and then add in your body!  Work on the whole you, not just your figure, because YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!

So in saying that I should report to you that I skipped my Kenpo X workout today (some of you are shaking your held and tsking at me already...) in lou of going to the park with my husband and my puppy Gidget.  It was quite the interesting experience.  We would walk the trail for a bit and then Gidget and I would run while Kennith would cut across the corners and meet us.  Gidget however is not the best walking buddy.  If we are not jogging she is yanking you all over the place trying to smell every blade of grass or to say hello to any living creature within 30 feet.  If you are jogging she is either chewing her leash in an attempt to walk herself, dodging back and forth in front of you, or, by far the funniest, she tries to look up at you while running sideways making it look like she is jumping sideways down the trail like a bunny rabbit on crack.  I'm hoping that a few more times around the track and she will figure out the whole running with a partner thing.  If not I may be typing about a broken leg next week!!

Luckily for me I still burned enough calories today to make my 1000 calorie deficit sooooo... I rewarded myself with some PIZZA!!!  I know you are probably thinking that I totally cheated but really I didn't, and I swear I have never eaten pizza at a slower pace in all of my life.  I ordered a medium pizza from Dominos (there pizza had fewer calories than Pizza Hut) with feta cheese as the only topping and it came out to 195 calories a slice.  So three slices later I was full, had my pizza craving satisfied, and was still inside my daily calorie allotment.  I even passed on the Ranch Dressing and topped it off with my favorite Coke Zero!  I know it wasn't the best use of my calories but oh was it sooooo so WONDERFUL!

You see I believe treating yourself is very important!  I'm just finding ways to do it without sabotaging what I have already accomplished and you can do the same!  Remember you are worth it and you have someone cheering you on!  Someone who cares about the WHOLE YOU!

By the way I have really enjoyed hearing from all of you!  It really makes my day to know that you are taking time out of your busy day to read through my ramblings!  Not to mention having the extra support is always welcome!  So keep the comments coming and let me know how you are taking care of the whole you and how you are treating yourself for a job well done!

In the spirit of P90X -

  DECIDE~COMMIT~SUCCEED