You Are Not a Victim

Sometimes when we do not want to do something, we make excuses. This is our reason why we can't... or more so, will not do something. We make ourselves out to be the "victim", and I mean this by we are making excuses for why we cannot go to the gym - we can't give it our all, we can't eat healthy, etc. We are playing the victim. I am extremely guilty of this. That is how I gained nearly 100 pounds in a 2 year time frame. "I have had a really bad day, so I can eat this crap, I deserve it". "I woke up with a bad headache this morning and I am in a bad mood so I don' have to work out". The reasons I could come up with were endless and a lot of it came down to; I just didn't want to work. Losing weight, getting healthy - that doesn't come over night and it isn't easy.

When you feel discouraged and overwhelmed, and you think the easiest thing would to be is to just stop, you have to remember the without pain there is no reward. It is like a job. You want to lose this significant amount of weight and fit into a certain size of clothes and look and feel a certain way. But you cannot do this without work. If you are at your job, and you want to one day hold an executive position, that does not just happen over night - it happens over a period of time, after proving yourself and working hard.

The one thing you truly need to remember when you are trying to lose a significant amount of weight is every little step counts. Every tiny decision you make puts you towards your goal. It was hard for me to learn that. When I was 274 pounds, and I had dieted/worked out for a solid two weeks, I was so disappointed when I wasn't down 4 jean sizes. I thought about giving up. It had been a long 2 weeks for me and I thought "What's the use? I am never going to get to my goal". I felt like "I have been doing this journey, solidly, for a few weeks now, I must be bikini ready", but that can't happen. However, every work out, every health meal, is a step closer. Every time you choose water over soda, every time your sandwich is whole wheat, every time you chose an apple of a slice of pie - it all ads up and over time you get better, better, and better. Weeks and afters week of hard work, I noticed my pants getting bigger, my shirts were getting baggy, people were noticing changes, I felt happier, I felt more energetic. These changes absolutely come with time and hard work. You are not a victim of your circumstances, do not let your mind your make excuses for you. If this is something you want, find a way to make it work for you.

An athlete, a winner, a successful person is not made by luck or ease. They are made by working hard and failing. Failures that we choose to learn from instead of quitting. Failures that knock you down, but never defeat. You show your strength by not giving up, even when you have a hundred reasons that can back you up for doing so. By taking every negative experience and having the mindset to make it positive. Triumph does not come without pain and there is no accomplishment without obstacle. You are not a victim, you are not defined by what has happened to you, but how you chose to overcome it.