Criticizing Success

I never claimed to be an inspirational writer.  I never claimed to be a funny writer.  Hell, I've never claimed to be a writer, period.  I just tend to let whatever is on my mind, spew from my finger tips.  Today, I have something on my mind that is definitely neither inspirational, nor funny.

Steps on to rant box:

Most of you guys know about my struggle with weight and what I did to lose most of it.  If you don't know about that, you can read about it here (My Name is Jennay & I Am Obese).  I'll give you a minute to go do that.  <elevator music playing Tupac's "California Love"....hey, it's MY elevator music>  Okay, now that you've read that, you will also need to go read this (I Wanna Laugh, But It's Not Funny).   I'll give you another minute....<more elevator music..."biggie, biggie, biggie, can't you see....">  Okay.  So, this should catch you up to where I am at.  You can see that I once was a fat girl.  You also know that I don't make fun of overweight people (or anyone other than myself, really).  You now know that I get very uncomfortable when others make fun of overweight people.  I am kind of an advocate for the overweight, I guess you could say.  Now, here is where I may upset people.

I am not....I repeat....NOT, an advocate for overweight people who say they want to do something about their weight, yet do nothing, and who begrudge other people for losing weight and attempt to diminish their success by trying to make them feel guilty for being proud of their weight loss.  I know that in my second post that you read up there, I reminded you guys that you don't know why the person that is overweight hasn't lost it, and that you don't know their history and that is still true.  But just as I don't support the making fun of them, I don't believe that an overweight person being critical of success by others and overly sensitive towards statements made by some is acceptable.  That is not the way to make me want to support you and the challenges that you face in your own weight loss journey.   Negating the hard work that someone else has been doing for themselves is just as wrong as them making fun of you would be.   What I WILL support is you being proud of that person who is working so hard and letting it inspire you to do better in your own battle with obesity. 

I will acknowledge that being morbidly obese is difficult.  I can acknowledge it because I've experienced it.  I have the medical records to prove it.  Not only does it affect you physically, it does mentally, too.  I have been there to see others successfully lose weight and thought, "God...I wish that were me.", but never, ever did I put their success down.  I celebrated with them.  And because I did that, they encouraged me.  And with encouragement comes inspiration.  Criticize those who are doing well with their weight loss because you are jealous and you will find that you will no longer have a support group that you so desperately need.  I can tell you that for months....MONTHS, I was at a stand still with my weight.  I wasn't really doing much about it either.  I was simply wallowing in the fact that I couldn't lose anymore and not really attempting to do anything extra to remedy it.  Then one day, one blessed day, I came across a picture from a lady that I am proud to now call friend.  She was a red faced, sweating mess and it was simply entitled, "after...gah.".  A picture of her after a run.  I started reading her page and got inspired to start running.  I emailed her to tell her how she inspired me and boom...a friendship began and she has been a continuous supporter in my own never ending journey.  She doesn't down me when I am successful while she's at a stand still and I don't down her when she revels in her success, while I'm stalled.  That shit is deserved.  I celebrate with her. 

Anyone who battles any type of problem, whether it be food, alcohol, drugs, gambling, abuse of credit cards, etc....any of them will tell you that YOU have to be the one to want to fix yourself and once you make that decision, it's important to surround yourself with support.  But you can't surround yourself with support until YOU make the decision to fix YOU.  All of the support in the world won't help until you realize that.  I can't make you lose weight.  I can't make you WANT to lose weight.  Only you can do that.  What I CAN do is be there to support you when you make that decision for yourself.  But I won't do it when you begrudge others who are being successful.   Yes, you can say that my support comes with stipulations, but I firmly believe that seeing the success of others should be an inspiration to one's self.  Until you can do that, then you can't tell me that you are really trying for yourself.  I just won't believe it.

Steps off of rant box.