Your Right to Be Healthy

Good morning, everyone! Yesterday morning while I was on the treadmill at the health club, I watched one of the daytime talk show programs on TV. I never watched this program before, but the topic was very interesting and also pretty upsetting. The guests were two women, each over 400 pounds, whose husbands wanted them to GAIN more weight because the men said that they love "curvy" women. One of the husbands actually wanted his wife to be over 500 pounds and said he didn't think he'd be attracted to her if she got down to a size 12. As I watched this program, I got really mad - which actually made me walk even faster on the treadmill, so I made it work for me :-).

What made me angry was the men thinking only of what THEY wanted, without any regard for what their wives wanted, let alone any concern for their health. Apparently these men never got the message that life wasn't all about them. Ugh! I know that these couples have issues that couldn't begin to be addressed, let alone resolved, on a daytime talk show, but it did reinforce one thing that I firmly believe.

We HAVE to take full responsibility for our own health. If we are surrounded by people who support us, that's a blessing that should not be taken for granted. But, even if everyone in our life is a naysayer and saboteur at heart, ultimately WE have to take responsibility for our health. I say that knowing that it is easier said than done, especially if the negative words are coming out of the mouth of a spouse, parent or close friend.

You have a right to be healthy, and nobody has the right to deny you that - nobody. The key to standing firm regardless is to be focused on what you really want. If you don't know what you want, other people may well make the decision for you, and they may or may not truly have your best interest at heart. But if you have a clear picture in your mind of where you're going and you're determined to keep you eyes on the goal, negativity will pretty much roll off of you - and you'll reach your goal, one day at a time.