You may know me as a very sensitive and compassionate person, which I am…very much so. However, I am NOT afraid to go against popular opinion, challenge the status quo or dish out some “tough love”. That is why I chose to write this blog in this fashion. Here are some statements that I’ve heard from people (or myself, at one time) that I thought I would address.
I can’t drink water.
Here’s where I hop on a soap box and really get mean. Stop taking for granted that you were born and live in a country where clean water is available to you? Think about the famine and contaminated water in other countries all over the world the next time you don’t feel like drinking water. I’ll share a story of my nephew, Conlan Martin. Conlan was about 8 at the time. He was over at our house one day and was asking his mom for a drink. My sister tells him that if he’s thirsty to drink some water. He makes a face and says “you know I don’t like water! It doesn’t have a delicious flavor!” LOL! Out of the mouths of babes. It was pretty hilarious, but he was only saying out loud what grown adults are thinking when they pass up water to hydrate themselves and choose a sugary, syrupy beverage.
And this is a picture of my nephew, Conlan. The picture on the right is just to show how much of a resemblance he shares with Ed Sheeran, and yes, even though I’ve never met Ed Sheeran in person, I’m willing to say Conlan is just as cool as Ed.
I don’t like vegetables.
Honestly, I don’t hear this statement often by grown adults but I have heard it. If you’re over the age of 21 and you’ve made this statement you need to grow up Peter Pan! I can say this because I used to have HORRIBLE eating habits. I didn’t’ like vegetables. I only ate things that came in a paper bag through the window of my car. I smoked a pack a day. I drank Dr.Pepper by the gallon. People like to remind me of my past bad eating habits at times, which I think is as polite as reminding someone how over weight they used to be. Yeah, I also used to wet my pants before my mom taught me how to use the toilet at two years old. See, it’s called maturing. Some people really should try it. If you’ve always had bad eating habits, that doesn’t mean you can’t change them at ANY time in your life. In my Nutrition Assessment course we learned that recent scientific studies have shown no link between vitamin supplementation and longevity. So the best way to make sure you’re getting your vitamins is getting them from the foods we eat (i.e. vegetables & fruit). Don’t think taking a multi vitamin will take the place of eating spinach, broccoli, apples and bananas (and lots of others, those are just my favorites).
I hate running.
Another time where I get a little mean. Running is a privilege! Just chew on that for a minute. Imagine what it might be like for the child that was born with a debilitating disease that made them unable to walk. Or the veteran that lost their legs serving our country. Sound dramatic? I DON’T CARE! I’m not talking about preferring to jog over running because running for a long time hurts your joints. No, I’m talking about an attitude of expecting to stay sedentary or do minimal work and expecting a “fit” body. If you still have full use of your legs, you need to get out and move them.
You don’t have to start RUNNING right off the couch necessarily, but get moving. Start somewhere and you’ll find yourself running in no time. Is it going to hurt the first time 
you get out and really push yourself? YES! Duh! Will it feel like you’re going to die? Maybe…but do you HONESTLY think it is going to LITERALLY kill you to run? Do you actually think your body is that easily killed? C’mon people. I know it hurts but it does get easier the more you do it. What if your child was stuck in a life or death situation somewhere and the only way to get to them was on foot? I’d be willing to bet that you would run faster and longer than you EVER have in your entire life to get to them. Just think about that scenario next time you don’t feel like exercising.
So, lets say you eat vegetables, you drink your water and you’re not opposed to exercise and you workout when you can but you’re still struggling with weight. I understand. It’s tough. I relate more than you probably think. Stick with it! Don’t quit! Don’t have the “all or nothing” mentality. Don’t get a sense of entitlement that just because you ate well for 6 days straight and exercised all of those days that now you should have lost 5 pounds at least because that’s what the lady on TV said she did. We are all different and just because someone is losing weight faster than you doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. I go weeks of HARD exercise and macro counting when I’m cutting for a competition and the scale doesn’t budge on me. In fact, sometimes it will go up for 2 weeks straight and I’ll think I’ve gained weight. See, I’m familiar with the sense of entitlement. All I really want is for things to go exactly as I planned, all the time, every time with no bumps in the road. I mean, c’mon, is that REALLY too much to ask?
One of my favorite quotes is taken from the movie “Gladiator”. It was made by Maximus’s assistant (or whatever he was). He said “some of the time I get to do what I want to do, the rest of the time, I do what I have to do.” So, there it is. You’re a grown up. This is real life. We pay our bills even though we would rather go and blow all our money traveling and buying unnecessary things we want to have. We go to work and school because we have to, not because we WANT to. Drink water, eat your fruits and veggies, exercise because it’s good for you. I’ll follow up my next blog post with maybe a little more motivation to get you going. Right now I just thought this would be worth my time since I’ve recently struggled with my own sense of entitlement and bratty childlike ways.
Side note: If you want to comment, message me, email questions, please do! I love to hear from readers. Don’t be shy! I put my thoughts out here on the Internet to share with the world. Feel free to like and share my blog. My goal is to reach as many people as possible. I have been known to give out gift cards for sharing my blog. Just saying…
Think.Do.Be.crazy, healthy and happy!
Leanna JB
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