The people who inspire me really aren’t the ones who do everything perfectly
So, I’ve been strolling through the Internet, sampling weight loss blogs here and there, as I’ve been blogging myself. There are some fabulous ones: inspiring, informational, funny (by people such as Crabby, Bella, Annette, Brianthinagain, MizFit, Marshmallow, Pastaqueen, Lyn, JoLynn, Debiggering, and lots of others).
As I look around, I also find many more who started and then just kind of dropped off or quit or disappeared. Usually, it seems, because they were struggling with making progress. Maybe they gained. Or didn’t lose as fast as they wanted to. Or quit going to the gym for a while. Or didn’t make a weight challenge.
You know who inspires me? It’s not the people who did it easily and perfectly every day. It’s the people who screw up and get cranky and have ups and downs and good days and bad days. And just keep going. With a sense of humor and perspective. Because the keeping going is the part I’ve struggled with. By reading about less-than-perfect people who just keep going, I get motivated to just keep going, too. I start to relate and think that I can do this — that success in weight loss is not just something reserved for superhuman willpower machines who are better than me.
So, thanks — and don’t think that everyone expects you to be perfect and will abandon you if you aren’t. It’s comforting to be human together, you know?
OK, enough sappiness. I blame it on the cold medicine. Ahem.
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I was reading PastaQueen’s book and she mentioned the “death” of weight loss bloggers. How no news is bad news and how sometimes people you love to read drop off the face of the earth and you grieve and miss them.
The world of weight loss blogging is interesting. I’m trying to break into it and find myself fluctuating between wishing I had more regular readers for support and feedback to wishing I didn’t have the 5 that subscribe to my blog, especially when posting about weakness or bad weigh ins.
AND I just noticed I typed my link in wrong above!
choosinglosing.blogspot.com
Hi Alexia!
First off thanks so much for the shout out, but more importantly thanks for the compliment!! It’s true that I’m not a perfect specimen and I also know exactly what you mean about the silence - I’ve been active in a weight loss support forum on and off since 2004 and when people go silent…well, you know what’s up.
The best thing you can do for yourself is to keep on keepin’ on and if you detour just look at it as a detour and then get right back on your healthy lifestyle path. After all, this isn’t a race and you’ve got to be able to treat yourself with healthy actions for life in order to keep off the weight that you lose. For some it might take a little longer to change their habits, but I have no doubt that it can be done.
Alexia,
Thanks for adding me in the inspiring, informational and funny category! That means a lot to me. I like how the blogging thing works to inspire me. I feel no problem I can admit my mistakes cause I am mostly-anonymous. I have been posting a bit less that when I started because I got slammed at work (and I have to admit I thought about stopping just to have some time, but I enjoy it too much I guess) so I think some bloggers might get sick of the feeling like they only have a few people that read their stuff and just give up with the blog part. Not to say that falling off the wagon won’t do it but I think the time it takes might stop some, or they got writers block and just gave up. Who knows for sure but I imagine they are not all the worst case scenario. Let’s hope not anyway.
Sappiness is great. Thanks for the mention in your post.
You know, your comments really help keep me going. I think the best part of having a blog (especially a weight loss blog) is the sense of support and community that comes with it.
Thanks for this. I am so glad you mentioned me in a list of such inspiring bloggers. And I am glad that when I fall and struggle, and get back up, you are not disappointed but are there cheering me on. The blog world in an AMAZING world, indeed.
Thank YOU guys
I was laughing to myself because I’ve been sick and busy that last few days and haven’t been online as much — and thought, OH, no! What if people think I’m not doing what I’ve committed to do!