Thursday, October 15, 2009

A Heart-to-Art Talk

About six months ago, I was dragging my hefty self down the home stretch of a mile-and-a half walk around the block when my portly, nearly deaf neighbor Art Deco waved me down (that’s not his real name, by the way; his real name is Arthur Deco).

“JACKIE,” he bellowed over the droning of his leaf blower (Art’s got a thing about leaves touching his lawn, so he blows them over to my yard). “YOU TRYIN’ TO LOSE SOME WEIGHT?”

“Geez, Art,” I frowned, putting my index finger up to my mouth. “We don’t need to announce it to the entire neighborhood…”

“I NEED TO DROP A FEW POUNDS, TOO,” he exclaimed, patting his own extended mid-section.

“Great,” I told him. “We can be dieting buddies and help each other out. When I feel the urge to drive out and get a burger and fries, I'll call you first.”

“GREAT!” smiled Art. “I’LL RIDE WITH YOU.”

In the days that followed, I invited him on walks, told him about all the wild and crazy smoothies I was making and clued him in on a senior special the gym I had just joined was offering, but Art wasn’t interested in any of that.

“I’M NOT PAYING FOR SOME FANCY-SCHMANCY GYM,” Art told me one afternoon.

A couple of months passed and Art stopped me on the street again.

“JACKIE, YOU’RE LOSING WEIGHT, SON.”

“Yeah,” I smiled. “That was kind of the idea, Art. Except I thought that you were gonna do this with me.”

“I TRIED THAT SUBWAY DIET FOR A WEEK–YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT JARED GUY,” Art said. “BUT I WOUND UP GAINING TEN POUNDS. TEN POUNDS! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?”

“THAT DOESN’T SOUND RIGHT,” I said, before catching myself. “I mean, that doesn’t sound right.”

“I DON’T KNOW,” Art shook his head. “I HAD ONE SIX-FOOT SUB SANDWICH EVERY DAY FOR LUNCH.”

“Ahhhhhh,” I nodded. “I think I may see the problem. Well, c’mon. We’ll try again. I’ll help…”

“MAYBE AFTER THE FOURTH OF JULY,” he told me. “WE’RE HAVING A BIG COOKOUT WITH THE GRANDKIDS.”

I shrugged and returned home. Things got kind of busy, and I didn’t talk to Art for a couple of months.

“JACKIE,” he smiled. “YOU’RE WASTIN’ AWAY TO NOTHIN’.”

“Yeah, Art,” I told him. “This program I’m on is really working. The sooner we get you started, the sooner you can drop those pounds, too.”

“OH,” exclaimed Art. “IT’S EASIER FOR SOME FOLKS THAN IT IS FOR OTHERS, JACKIE.”

So here I am, 75 pounds down and believing in my own future. What Art doesn’t understand is that this journey isn’t easy for me, isn’t easy for anybody I know. It’s day after day of dedication, of good choices, of hard work.

For people who believe in themselves, the hard road becomes less difficult. For the ones who don’t believe, the difficult road becomes impossible.

46 comments:

  1. Indeed. What more can one say?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Right on Jack. Like I said on my own blog today, "Lather, Rinse, Repeat" then do it again.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Many people ask me "so, what are you doing to lose weight?" When I tell them I am basically eating less, eating better, and exercising.....their eyes glaze over. "Oh, that...I thought you found some great secret." Then, many of them tell me why they could not possibly eat less and exercise more (many variations on this explanation). And...I KNOW...and I UNDERSTAND that, and even identify with much of what they are saying. It truly is a choice...every minute of every day, to eat well and drag my big bottom to the gym. But...making the good choices DO make me believe more in myself, so I'm gonna stick with them.

    And, "Jackie".....215.....well f#%$ing done!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What's amusing to me is that I never really really believed that I could do this until I started checking in weekly with a friend of mine, and as a result, actually started seeing some success. Just that little starting push and confidence booster is what gave me the momentum to continue the journey. I hope that Art comes to his senses, because having a friend to be accountable to is the best thing that could have happened to me.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Some days though, it does seem impossible. I've lost the majority of the extra weight and it's still as difficult as it always was. Ah, I'm just having a sucky week.

    ReplyDelete
  6. love love love this!!

    i keep on reminding myself that a half pound here or no loss, is crappy for that week but over the long haul, it adds up!

    and it does get easier, at least it is this time for me, then again I want it more and the more success I am having, the more success I want!

    it's addicting I tell you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good post! I went through this with my neighbor several years back (her husband loves his leaf blower too lol). She ended up getting gastric bypass which seems to have been the best choice for her. But what I've come to realize is though I need support and welcome it I also realize this is my own journey that no one else can do but me.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I had this issue myself when I first started trying to lose weight... I *wanted* to lose weight but I don't think I actually truly *believed* that I would so I was subconsciously sabotaging my own efforts

    my Mum's the same, she's full of excuses too, a list as long as my arm... she's just unwilling to put in the effort and make it a sustained one

    well done in believing in yourself, it has paid off!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I went through this recently. A friend accepted my challenge to lose five pounds(as a start, we had both been bitching about our weight for years and it looked like we were both ready). First week out she did nothing but sabotage her own success. Restart the next week, lather rinse repeat to borrow a phrase. Six months later I'm down 20 lbs, she's up 30. Sigh.

    Barb

    ReplyDelete
  10. There's a lot of Art Decos out there. Sadly.

    ReplyDelete
  11. cant i just take some pills? or wear some new fangled tummy-buster-belt? jeesh!!!
    loved this part--"I HAD ONE SIX-FOOT SUB SANDWICH EVERY DAY FOR LUNCH.”

    ReplyDelete
  12. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

    Can't tell ya how many friends ask what I am doing but then they tell me that they CAN'T follow Weight Watchers. I gave up offering advise to the people who refuse to help themselves.

    Some days I could eat a 6 foot sub, just sayin. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink...."

    That's exactly what I was thinking. I've been both you and Art at points in my life.

    ReplyDelete
  14. It's about putting together more good days then bad....and never giving up.

    When you change the way you look at loosing weight it does become "almost" easy.

    Great post and comments

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is such a true story many times over!!!! For some, there will always be an excuse or it will always be "I will start Monday or after this holiday or that birthday". There is just nothing a person can do for them until they are ready... no matter how many times you offer up help.

    This is a life long process. I continue to make changes in food, exercise & many other aspects of this journey. AND, we change, our bodies change so we always have to be ready to adapt.

    Jack, great stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow, that was a pretty amazing post, and just the kind of thing I needed to read today. :)

    WELL DONE!

    ReplyDelete
  17. What else is there to say but, "Yep."?

    I think we've all been through this. It annoys me when people imply that there's something special about them that makes them less likely to lose weight. I'm sure that for some people there is something wrong, but for many it's just an excuse.

    ReplyDelete
  18. My 75 year old neighbor was so pleased with me. She came over to inform me that I'm losing weight :) She even gave me a correct weight range to shoot for. What would we do without our elderly neighbors?

    ReplyDelete
  19. at first i tried to get family and friends on board , but you soon learn its usually a solo journey, 'cept for blogland!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Sounds familiar to me. I've lost 105 pounds now and people want to know, "Whats the secret?". Eat healthy and move more is the simple answer. People actually look at me like I'm crazy when I say that. And you're right, some get offended, "Well, its not that easy for everyone." Its not EASY for anyone, but you have to suck it up and do it.

    ReplyDelete
  21. As I read this post, a ray of sunshine came out from behind the clouds, dove through my window and hit me full in the face.

    I BELIEEEEEEVE!

    Seriously, (though the sun did just now peek out), it is true, the simple answer is not what people want to hear. It's not easy. My journey has been full of backslides. And yet I am not giving up.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Some really smart guy once said "I really kinda heart this post." Hope he doesn't mind that I'm gonna use them here. Because I do really kinda heart this post.

    ReplyDelete
  23. i have many the Art Deco in my life. and a personal hate-on for leaf blowers. I mean.. would it KILL you to get out a rake, and stop noise polluting?? ok.. rant over.

    thanks Jack. i DO believe.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Up until this last time I kept hoping the fat fairy would come and take my fat away.... I was willing to try atkins, pills, anything but gastric bypass...cause the thought of severing a major internal organ was too much for me. I finally accepted that this would have to be for life, and that's when it changed. I didn't feel so desperate anymore. Good post Jack.

    ReplyDelete
  25. And what has always been funny to me is how many times I have tried to start a plan and just couold not get motivated. Why this time? I don't know...but I ain't complainin'.

    BEST WISHES TO YOU ART! (I wanted to make sure he could hear me over that leaf blower.

    Funny and right on point.

    ReplyDelete
  26. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Ha - it's like talking to my flatmate ... "oh well, I was having a bad day so I had some chocolate", which is apparently several Mars Bars and a muffin ... she's given up on Weightwatchers now, and I'm sad for her, but continuing on making my own committments every day I can. It's all we can ... a little selfishness takes us far!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Was over at A Tale of Two Kittehs and saw your name mentioned and a link a decided to come take a look. Soon as I realized I was singing your profile I was hooked. Then I read this. Great blog.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Very insightful, Mr. Sh*t. :)

    ReplyDelete
  30. In Art's defense, it's hard out there for a design style.

    ReplyDelete
  31. A triple thanks: Thanks for the belated birthday wish,the double binocular thingy (how'd you find one, I heard they're hard to come by), and an encouraging post.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Another awesome post! So true because when people do ask about weight-loss and find out it's not some magic pill... they lose all hope because "it's too hard".

    ReplyDelete
  33. Congratulations on your weight loss. Simply awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  34. That is very true. I will think about this when I'm feeling discouraged!

    ReplyDelete
  35. I was afraid you were going to say poor Art was dead.

    And HEY JACKIE I have been away too long .. . .when did you get that whole string of awards? . . . you and didn't give a single one to me! :(

    <3

    ReplyDelete
  36. I'm a believer!! lol Just gotta' do some fine tuning to get that whole consistency thing down pat. :)

    ReplyDelete
  37. Very good post, Jack. Very good, indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  38. When I was training for my week long 500 mile bike ride across the state I had several people tell me they really would like to do it "someday" but could "never" do it. I said "sure ya can - if I can do it (at 50 years 50 lbs overwt) anyone can." Then they'd say "no I know I never could do it." And then I'd say "You're Right."

    Great Post.

    ReplyDelete
  39. First time blog reader!
    Loved this post!! So full of truth I don't know where to begin. :)

    ReplyDelete
  40. It's never convenient, and if a person isn't really willing to put in the effort and make useful changes, there's no point in trying.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Oh yes, this happens all the time! Great post!

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails