Divisions and Precisions

What was that old diet slogan? Stop the insanity!

So here's the deal.

I've noticed lately that I've been getting angrier and angrier whenever the subject of obesity has come up on the news. Or on the web."Don't these people know?!" I rant. "Don't they know that you can be fat and fit? I've done it! (I'm not right now, but...)" If you've followed this journal for any length of time, or known me for any length of time, you've heard this particular verse and chorus before.

Today was particularly trying for me. Two people that I care very much about announced that they wanted to lose weight. I had a lot of personal reactions to this that were completely unconnected with their decisions. I felt angry. I felt betrayed. I felt a whole lot of things that had nothing to do with either person's health or body size.

and I had a brief back and forth discussion that helped me clarify a lot of how I feel. and I had a long talk about Dr. Phil, about what she's looking for, about what we're both looking for.

It's time for me to stop being angry and stop ranting about size acceptance and do something about it. I keep saying, "People can be both fat and fit," but by god, you can't tell it by looking at me. It's time to put my money where my mouth is. (And my mouth, by the way, is not always wrapped around a doughnut, thankyouverymuchpopularmedia.)

One thing and I agreed on is that we wanted support in pursuing our individual fitness goals. I was going to suggest being exercise buddies, in a virtual sense at least, but then something else occurred to me.

We can't be the only people looking for support in making some changes. So, after our talk tonight, was born. Have you been thinking you should exercise more, but haven't gotten off the couch yet? Have you been thinking you should try to eat more vegetables, but haven't managed? Does Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge alternately piss you off and make you feel guilty (this last isn't a requirement, of course)? Then come talk to us.

Here's what I see: everyone who's interested in this Anti-Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge, sign up for the community. For six weeks, at least to start, everyone pick one or two fitness goals. There are some rules about these goals. They may not involve weight loss. They may not involve restricting calories. Or fat grams. Or carbs. I'm talking concrete goals. For me, for example, I'd like to work on my t'ai chi and QiGong daily (or at the very least, six days a week). I'm shooting for 40 minutes a day (twenty minutes of each), but if I get one or the other in each day, I can live with that. I'd also like to include three ten minute walks a week. For a severe couch potato like me, I think this is reasonable. In terms of my diet, I'd like to concentrate on, for starters, getting the five recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

See? No diet. No weight loss. Healthier habits. I propose that for six weeks, community members can post their progress on their goals, get support, celebrate milestones, whatever, without succumbing to the notion that fitness goals can only be measured on a scale or with a tape measure. Without guilt. If it goes well and if people are interested, maybe the second six weeks can be spent on new fitness goals. Who knows?

It's time I stopped talking and started living up to my activism. Who wants to join in?