About two years ago I decided to take the steps to follow through on one of my bucket list items. Which one? I decided that maybe just maybe I could complete a triathlon. What had sparked me to think more deeply about this was the fact that CNN was calling for videos for their next batch of triathlon wannabes. Yes, I made a video. I was hopeful. I wanted it. No, I didn’t get selected. And I threw in the towel. I had attached a savior mentality to CNN’s role that I had hoped that they would play. CNN was going to be my savior. In my mind they were going to swoop in and save me from my own obese demise. I was looking for a savior from a life of obesity.
I see this savior mentality over and over again in my ‘travels’ through the world of health and fitness. The most frequent place to actually see this mentality is on shows like “The Biggest Loser” and “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition”. For the most part, the participants on those shows are barely living. They have given up. They are too enmeshed in their obesity to help themselves. They are waiting for a savior to ride the white horse into their lives and fix them. Time and time again we watch these people get the news that they are picked to transform their lives. We hear them babble about how they can’t do it without Chris, or Jillian or Bob…their saviors. They are so happy because their savior has entered their life. And I’m not discounting the work that these trainers are doing. They ARE invaluable and if I would have ever been brave enough to send in a video and gotten picked I would have been just as excited and would have loved to have their expertise and support. I probably would have been no different; I would have seen them as my savior from obesity. I would have placed so much importance upon these people.
I wasn’t picked for CNN. I never had the courage to send in a video for any of these obesity busting shows. I didn’t have anyone ride in on a white horse to slay my obesity. I’m glad. I needed to learn that my salvation from obesity can’t come from someone else but from deep within myself. It is all me.
So what do I think about the CNN thing? I’m toying with submitting another video later this year if they decide to continue on with this storyline/project. The video will be MUCH different. I won’t be looking for someone to slay my obesity for me. That is all me and I’ll make that clear. It will be a video talking about how much I want this so that I can continue to strive to be the best me there is. But you know what? It’s no longer a matter of life or death in my mind. I don’t need someone to hand me salvation from obesity. I already have that deep inside myself.
Yesterday I kept my eating totally under control. I got my exercise in and I was very close to my goal of water intake. Today I’ve already been out on my bike and my food has been planned for the day. I am planning to go to zumba tonightand life is good. I’m working this…and I know that I’ll see results!
Years ago I entered a contest to win free workouts with a trainer. I didn't win, but I was offered a substantial discount by the trainer personally, so I took it...and that's when I started doing all of those crazy workouts (tire flipping, box jumps, burpees, running) - somehow, I think that had I won, I wouldn't have put in as much effort as I did since I was the one writing the substantial check each month.
ReplyDeleteI like your term of obesity savior - but you are so right...we HAVE to do this ourselves in order for it to really take.
Glad you are having a good week!
I put in a video twice for the biggest loser. It was so great to read your post today. I was really bitter over not getting selected, but I realize now that the show would not have been good for me.
ReplyDeleteYou are right though I wanted someone to come in and save me. I think sometimes I still want God to come in and save me. But it doens't work like that. God has already given me the tools. He will help me. He will show me the light when it is all dark, but I have to seek it out.
Great post!!!
Interesting post and something to think about. I don't think I've ever expected someone to save me, instead...I think I sometimes think that all the conditions have to be exactly perfect for me to be able to lose the weight. Of course...life is never perfect, so sometimes we just have to except that it isn't and keep on going.
ReplyDeleteThe savior mentality is something I have been thinking a lot about. I keep looking for something that is going to push me, motivate me, save me from myself. I've gained a lot of weight waiting around for that! In the end, extra motivation can't hurt, but without motivating myself, not much is going to change at all.
ReplyDeleteI think you should do it!! And if you re not chosen, figure out plan B!! Go for it girl!!
ReplyDeletesounds like a plan and this video will be different because you're different!
ReplyDeleteHear hear! We have to do it ourselves.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I can understand that the biggest loser for some people is a great way to help them with a jumpstart in the weight loss. Biggest loser is starting here in Holland next week with Dutch participants and trainers. But it's not very real: locked up for 3 months, nothing to do but workout and eat healthy. But when they go back to their real lives, how many of them keep it up out there?
I think that many people are just saving themselves with help from people in their community--and not much fanfare, but hopefully having fun. There's nobody famous in my transformation, just regular people from my gym who took time to help me. Now, I do the same for others. This is what I see over and over for people interested in every sport. They sign up for a group or start asking people in the gym to help them. They follow a program, and they succeed by just finishing--all at community level. I hope you can find a way to do that. :D
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