Dear Saboteur: Stop it. That’s my message to you this holiday season.

Maybe you’re being bold; you’re reminding me, at Thanksgiving, that Aunt Sue’s peanut crumble is the best thing ever, and one little piece isn’t going to hurt me. It’s a holiday, after all, and I deserve to take a day or two off.

Maybe you’re just being naive, and assuming my body works like yours does. Maybe you honestly believe that lovely sugar-filled holiday drink you’re making me isn’t going to do me any harm.

Maybe you’re just not paying attention, and shrugging away my dietary concerns after volunteering to offer me something to eat or drink.

Or maybe it’s me, listening to that inner voice that wants to convince me that a little change in the diet is a good thing.

To all of you: Stop it. Stop it now. You’re not helping, and I can’t put it any clearer than that.

 

No matter the source of the sabotage, the result is the same: getting tempted away from staying vigilant to a diet program is tough enough without outer (or inner) influences. That’s especially tough on holidays and vacations, when most of us are tempted to relax the constraints a tad.

This is the happiest time for my Inner Walt, because that nagging little voice that constantly whispers give it up, you’re a failure has help. I’ve already been dealing with some of this; it’s been accidental sabotage, but it’s still aggravating, because on one hand, when I’m dieting, I want and need the support of those around me. But on the other hand, I still have to maintain a level of vigilance if I want to meet my goals, because there’s no one else in this world that’s going to take that challenge as seriously as I am.

Unfortunately, those of us that need to remain in control during challenging times are usually surrounded by people who don’t take it seriously. Why is it okay, for instance, to push Aunt Sue’s fabulous peanut crumble on me if I’m watching my weight? Would you do the same thing if I had a severe peanut allergy? While morbid obesity isn’t the same sort of threat as a serious food allergy, it’s a threat and a medical issue, just the same. Be friendly to me, but don’t offer.

Although food addiction isn’t an issue for me, personally, it is for a lot of people, and offering them some sugar-filled holiday concoction isn’t a lot different than offering a cigarette to someone who quit smoking, or a drink to an alcoholic. The difference for those of us with morbid obesity, though, is that you can stop smoking. You can stop drinking alcohol. But you can’t stop eating. Temptation is always there; and it doesn’t help to be surrounded by people who think it’s okay to test that or make light of it.

So, dear Saboteur, you might mean well — but stop it.

Sincerely, Me — and every other person out there who’s trying to make a difference this holiday season.

 

Back to my regular news… I’m happy (and stunned!) to announce that I’m now down 30 pounds. I had a big loss last week, so seeing another big loss this week has me flat out giddy. I’m very pleased! And there’s a big ol’ 30 pound hamburger pic to prove it; thank goodness it’s not a fish or a baby. I really do look for other things to use as a weight reference.

If you’ve been wondering, I like using the weight references for a couple of reasons. For one, I am a large woman, and while 30 pounds is a nice amount of loss, it’s not immediately visible in a before/after comparison. I’ve done those comparisons, and will still do them when my weight loss is greater (first one will be at 50 pounds), but I tend to get discouraged by them and think people are blowing smoke when they tell me they can see differences. So, instead, I like finding objects that weight the same as my loss. They may not be an exact correlation size-wise, but it’s still fascinating to see what a difference it really is.

Finally, I’ve redecorated the blog and Facebook page. I hope you like the new digs!