Why Wait?

I know this time of year is really hard on a lot of people in their quest to lose weight and get fit.

I know there are tons of temptations and dinners and parties and baked goods. I know there are tons of saboteurs, of food-pushers, enablers, people who help you make your excuses.

There are tons of people out there who are just waiting for the holidays are over to start their weight loss plan. To start exercising. To join the gym.

There are tons of people who don’t want to throw away those gifts of chocolate and pies and leftovers. That would just be so rude!

You do know what the gym is going to look like come January 2nd, right? You do know that your Weight Watchers meeting is going to be overflowing once the dust settles from the holidays, the leftovers are polished off and you have way too many empty bottles of wine and champagne to take back to the recycling bins, right? You know that suddenly you are going to get on your scale, after avoiding it for weeks, thinking it won’t be too bad, but in the back of your mind you know that you are going to be upset, most likely at the result?

How many people around you at work or at school do you think are going to be complaining that their britches are fitting just a wee bit too tight? I bet it’s a lot.

This time of year is hard. Of course. For everyone! Yes, even me. If I were to tell you that I have avoided all temptation and haven’t overdone it just one bit, I’d be a big FAT liar. What I can tell you though is this – I’m not WAITING for anything to be over before I start over again. I am not giving myself license to make it worse than it already has the potential to be. I have made my choices and I’m actually more than fine with those choices. Am I a bit off plan? Yes. I don’t normally drink wine every day or eat chocolate or cheese and I really don’t drink Champagne but maybe three times a year. I have done a bit of all of that in the last week though and that’s ok!

Last year I was in total denial about my weight and my health. No. Scratch that. I was fully aware of my weight and health and completely disgusted with myself yet not doing a damn thing about it. I entered 2009 with the same resolutions I had for the past five years. I was going to lose at least 30 lbs before I got married (HA! like that happened!) so I wouldn’t look like a freaking whale in my photos (I do, in my opinion, but, meh, we are always our own worst critics). I was going to stop making all the excuses and finally do something about it. I was going to stop being so self-loathing and start loving myself.

And as may or may not know, I didn’t do any of that until April, when I found out that my friend died. He was a young, 40-year-old guy who had a history of weight loss and gain. We were gym buddies, diet friends, who happened to eat and drink ourselves silly on many occasions.

I went and got married at a high weight of around 98KG (216 lbs), which, hey was 3 kilos lighter than the year before – what progress! I came back from getting married a kilo heavier (my excuse: we were in the States, eating out at every meal, on vacation…) and went straight back to Weight Watchers. Several people at my favourite weight loss forum kicked me in the ass as well and I haven’t turned back.

That means the guilt is gone too. No more guilt about another glass of wine or a piece of chocolate this time a year. Am I better off than last year? Is my behaviour more controlled than last year? Yes and yes. All of my choices this time of year have been better than last year. All of them. I even went out for a run yesterday, my first since my foot operation and my back issues. For Christmas I got gifts of workout gear and I was thrilled (OK I love the bling earrings my hubs gave me as well)! I can look back and compare this time last year and now and I am 17 Kilos lighter, I haven’t smoked for a year, my self-esteem is going up and I now know it’s OK to not be “perfect” – this whole weight loss and getting fit thing has to fit into LIFE. Life is births, deaths, stress, holidays, sadness and happiness. I don’t have to feel guilty or wait until the holidays are over. I do what I want and balance it out. I’m ahead of the rush to get to the gym on January 2nd and that makes me very happy!

Every time you make a not-so-great-choice you still have the opportunity to turn it right around. Don’t wait!