Winning the battle of the bulge...

Yesterday, a dear friend and I were talking on the phone, about life, having and quitting addictions, what’s changed about our mindsets this time about our addictions, and a host of other life ’stuff”.


She is a lovely lady, kind, giving, generous, hardworking, with a true sense of who she is, where she came from and where she is going. Oh… she also happens to have the body of a 20 year old, and she not 20 anymore… or 40…

She said something that touched my heart yesterday… and if it had come from any other person, I think I would have taken it the wrong way… but she said…

“I watch the Biggest Loser, and it has REALLY changed the way I see people with a weight problem.” She said.. ‘You know… there’s a stigma about overweight people and common misconceptions about them.” and my heart was saying … YES… YES… YES!!! We are not sitting around eating ice cream out of troughs or just sitting on the couch eating 12 pizzas!

Having people around you like my friend… will really help with your weight loss, or your other addictions. Even though she HAS NO IDEA what it is like to be morbidly obese, she is still capable of feeling empathy, and helping me, and her other friends win the battle. Because of a TV show… which, I admit, I have never watched…not even one episode, (too close to home maybe?) she is able to see the struggles and willpower and hold over MILLIONS of people (not just those overweight either) that food has… she said…”A smoker doesn’t HAVE to smoke to live… but we all need FOOD to live… and to be addicted to something vital for life, has got to be difficult to break.”

She told me that she noticed the change in my body when she last saw me. That made my heart sing. She… a skinny person… noticed that I, an extremely overweight woman, had lost weight. Other than a few close friends and my family, no one says those things to me. I know its noticeable, I know I look a little different, and she took the time to tell me she noticed…

I guess what I am trying to say is… on your journey… surround yourself with people who are strong, confident women, who aren’t afraid to say NICE things to you, when it counts. It really is a motivator to continue to change your life, for whatever reason… weight loss, smoking, alcoholism, shopping, OCD… whatever the problem… I ‘m not saying get a bunch of “yes” people and have a ball… No, not my thing…

I’m just saying that as you continue to change your life, you’ll start to see every aspect of your life change and shift to meet you half way, or will you to continue on the wrong path. You’ll have choices you didn’t know you had before, because the power of the addiction won’t be blocking your radar for a happier life. People will come into your life at just the right time, and people will bow out of your life at just the right time… you’ll be able to see both as a blessing as you continue on your quest to better health.

Winning the battle of the bulge, or the drink, or the cancer stick… means to open yourself up to the possibility of success. Scary thought sometimes… we all know how to fail…we’ve all done it a million times… but winning, for most of us, is a new concept, and it can be daunting… success means we have to continue to do it, we have to forge ahead, and stay strong…

Having positive, life affirming people in our lives, like “K”, helps… it can be the “nudge” one needs to carry on doing the good work.

A lot of people don’t realize what one kind statement can do to a person. I have had things said to me in passing, both good and bad, that have stayed with me for years… Thankfully, I choose to remember the good things more… but once, when someone I respected told me I was a good Mother, THAT STUCK WITH ME… and I often think about it, and get happy remembering it, especially when I don’t feel like such a good Mama.

Winning can be scary. Success can sometimes be a burden… but when you surround yourself with positive, kindhearted people… the task at hand seems so much more doable…

Wouldn’t you agree? Go thank your “people” that have helped you… let them know their support, in whatever it was, was appreciated… then get back to that mirror, and give your reflection a little smooch, say some nice things about the person you see, and go pay it forward by being a lighthouse to others too…

Have a great weekend!!!

You and I can do this…