motd Friday March 30, 2012

[Guest guest]

WHY I DO WHAT I

DO

Friday, 30 March 2012

May I tell you something? Over the years,

and even to this day, some people actually get upset

with me for trying to help others lose weight. And

you're probably wondering, why in the

world would

they be upset with me about that?!

Well, see if you can understand their reasoning.

They think, with my trying to help a person lose

weight, in some way, I'm telling them that there's

something "wrong" with them because they're fat. And

I'll be honest, that makes me just a little angry.

Let me explain.

Much of society is at fault

for the way it treats overweight people.

It's true, much of society is at fault for the way it

treats the overweight. Society as a whole makes fun

of overweight people. They're often put down, made

fun of and made to feel just awful because they don't

fit the view of "perfection" so much of the world has

for people. I mean, thumb through the pages of any

fashion magazine and how many plus-size women do you

see? None...unless

you're looking through a magazine specifically

targeting overweight women.

Look, I'm not interested in turning every woman into a

size 4 or making every man look like he's ready to

star in a Calvin Klein ad. That's not why I do what I

do. My mission is not about so-called "good looks."

It's all about...good health! I dare anyone

to argue with me on that one!

I know firsthand the stigma

and prejudices that accompany being more than 100

pounds overweight.

For one thing, I used to be very overweight myself.

So I know firsthand the stigma and prejudices that

accompany being 50, 75 or, in my case at one time,

more than 100 pounds overweight. People assumed I was

lazy. They labeled me as unattractive. And of

course, they made fun of me because of my size. But

when I finally decided to lose weight, it was not

about changing what any of those people thought or

said about me. I lost the weight for my good...not

theirs!

And, because I did lose the weight, I've added years

to my life. I'm now 63 years-old and in perfect

health. How did that happen? Well, because I took

control of my eating habits, for starters. I also

made exercise a daily part of my life. And finally...I

really learned to like myself. But think

about it. If I'd never lost the weight and, instead,

kept gaining weight, where would I be today? In fact,

the better question is, would I even be alive today? At

best, I might be alive but housebound. At worse, like

I said before, I might not be alive.

Both options were unacceptable to me. And today, my

mission is to teach others that these should not be

options for them, either!

That's why I do what I do! I want others

to love themselves right now, no matter what they

weigh. And...I accept them right now---no

matter what they weigh. The value of a person

is not measured by the numbers on a scale. A person's

value is in how they treat others in the world around

them and, every bit as important, how they

treat themselves.

When you allow your weight

to get out of control, you're not treating yourself

very well.

When you allow your weight to get out of control,

let's face it, you're not treating yourself very

well. And that's what I want people to change about

themselves. I'm not saying they're "wrong" or "bad"

for being overweight. In fact, some of the nicest and

most righteous people I know are overweight or obese.

I'm going to like, accept and love them, no matter

what!

But please, don't get upset with me for wanting them

to lose weight and reach their goals. Because, plain

and simple, I want these wonderful people healthy,

happy, alive and in my life...for years to come.

And losing weight will help them do just that!

Love,