Friday, August 24, 2012

No one likes a quitter

When I first started Weight Watchers, our leader, Dee, put a sticker on the front of my book. It has her name, the location of our meeting and five really important words that I seem to forget sometimes:

Quitting is not an option.

I know some of you have been with me a long time. You've read my ups and downs. You've read my self-pitying, my self-loathing. You've read some self-congratulating, too.You've even read about how much I've wanted to quit. But I haven't.

That's because those five words--quitting is not an option--actually mean something to me this time around. But during my down times, where I feel like I've been for a few months now, quitting sometimes feels like the only option.

So today I wanted to talk about why it's not an option. I need to remember these reasons when I just feel like giving up. This journey is pretty freaking tough. There are hills and valleys, twists and turns. Sometimes I feel defeated. But I need to remember the times of triumph too.


Quitting is not an option, why?

  • I've seen that I can indeed accomplish great things.
  • I want to be fully free from the chains of food.
  • I need to believe that there are great things ahead for me.
  • I can never go back to the person I was.
  • I owe it to not only myself, but to everyone (and there are a LOT of you) who has supported me along the way.
  • I want to be the person I was created to be--full of love, happiness, joy--not held down by despair.
  • Because I have shared my story with so many people, I have erased the shame that has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.
  • There are superficial reasons--I like shopping in regular stores, not worrying if a seat belt will fit, not worrying if I'm the fattest person in the room (OK, I still do that).
  • I want to be strong and powerful and beautiful.
  • Because...it just isn't.
There may be more, but today, quite honestly, I'm struggling a bit to remember them. I know I've been pretty down for a while. I'm not going to apologize for that (mostly because you guys yell at me when I do). Thanks to those of you who always remind me that I've got this. What I realize now, is that whether I reach my goals soon, or am still trying when I'm100 years old, the important thing is that I'm not giving up. Ever.

So, nope. Quitting will never be an option for me.

Remind me of that when I start whining again, won't you?

And tell me...what are reasons quitting isn't an option for you, either?


10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't care much about what I look like, even supermodels think they are fat and ugly, so I just can't make that my focus in life. Here are my reasons:
1. I want to feel good, not tired and/or sick.
2. I want to live a long time. I'm almost 50 and have already lost friends around my age to cancer and other diseases.
3. I want to be able to do things that I am not yet physically capable of doing like hiking in China.
4. I want other more interesting things to become my entertainment rather than going to restaurants.
Hope this helps.
~Laura S.

Anonymous said...

I like the way I feel so much better when I exercise and eat well. But the main reason I never quit is I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.

Anonymous said...

You've worked too hard to get where you are. Respect yourself for having that commitment and that discipline.

Nelson Mandela's mantra about himself is: "I'm just a sinner who keeps on trying." Aren't we all!

Sue Rehmus

Anonymous said...

Erika:

You motivate me. I am so proud of the success you have made. I admire that you don't allow your stagnant periods to stop you. I too am on a weight loss journey and I often check out your blog for guidance. Thank you for leading the way.

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