Let's Have a Heart to Heart? | Fitness Knows No Limits

Okay, let?s have a heart to heart my dear readers?

This last week was not the best I?ve ever had. I will be honest with you all. I suffer from Bi-Polar 2 which is a mental health disorder. I have checked myself into the hospital twice on account of suicidal thoughts. This past week has been a bit of a down time for me and that is why you haven?t heard from me so much. There were many attributing factors to my depression and I won?t go into all of them because,

A. You would be confused as to what the hell I was talking about.

B. Only one applies to health and fitness and I am about to tell it to you?

So feeling down, as I was this past week, I was on Facebook posting up quotes, pictures, updating my status, catching up with friends, etc. One of my posts irked 2 people out of the many I am friends with, or irked them enough to comment I guess.

Stick with me through the conversations because I make a serious point after you understand what happened?.

My Original Post:??I think it is sad when people think fad diets, tricks or pills will actually make them lose weight. Those things may work short-term but never in the long run and then you end right back where you started? if not worse! What happened to self-discipline, healthy eating and working hard at working out??- Me

I then followed it up with a second post,

Follow-Up Post:??Thank you FitnessRX for helping me to reiterate the point I was trying to make yesterday? Fix your health to change your body, don?t compromise it for a short term result. It should be your health that is important to you, not your jean size.?- Me?This was posted with the following attachment, (which I believe I posted to Fitness Knows No Limits Facebook page),?http://www.fitnessrxmag.com/nutrition/fat-loss/1274-diet-101-stop-crashing.html.

I got several replies and I am going to post most of them, (some were simply just funny random replies that don?t apply to the story), that way you can see how this all played out. I will be leaving out names because it is just not necessary.

Anonymous #1: ?I don?t know how fair of a statement this is. Because unless you have ever had a weight problem?..it is easy to criticize people but walk around in their shoes. At least they are trying to do something. Everyone needs a place to start. What may be easy for you?. may not be easy for someone else, besides their weight issue may be related to genetics.?

Anonymous #2: ??I totally agree with this statement!!! As a training dic every day i see people who are either trying these fad diets and wondering why they end up 15 lbs heavier or they spent 20 years doing them and now have premature failing kidneys or livers. Smart calorie counting with lots of fruits and veggies and exercise is THE ONLY way to lose weight healthily. If its a genetic thing you just have to work harder or get some medical help but the backbone still must be diet and exercise?everything else is at best not helpful and at worst dangerous?

Anonymous #2: ??Er?doc not dic?hopefully not both ?

My Reply: ?Anonymous#1,??I have been over 100lbs heavier than I am now? I am part Tongan and part Polish? being skinny doesn?t come easy at all? I have worked for it everyday of my life and will forevermore.?

My 2nd Reply: ??PS. Genetics only plays a piece in the game? it makes it tougher but not impossible. Not everyone is going to be a size 2? I am not saying everyone should be, that is ridiculous, we are all made different and that is fine, but doing all these unhealthy things to try and make your body look different instead of trying to make it healthy is just insanity.?

Anonymous #2: ?What an awesome story I didn?t know that about you?I treat people everyday who are obese for so many years they get into a situation where they don?t have the joints or health to exercise and just have to spend the rest of their lives sick?but people like you should be an inspiration to people so they can do something about it before its too late?so cool grats girl?

My Reply: ?Thanks Anonymous #2! That is cool what you do. I am going back to school to become a personal trainer! I feel like if I can do it, then I can help others do it too! I weighed 268lbs AFTER I had my first child. I now weigh 148-150 depending on the day. It takes a lot of work and discipline but here I am all the stronger for it. It is good to here from you! How is life treating you? It has been WAY too long! ?

It was not until after my follow-up post, (which was posted the next day), that I received this message:

Anonymous #3: ?Heidi, you know I like you & am happy you have found something that brings you much eudemonia & passion.
I think what you may be missing is realizing people have different limitations & different abilities. Until you are GOD? or a Doctor, then a SPECIALIST, (in MANY different fields) a Registered Dietician, Psychologist, Physiatrist? ? you won?t & don?t understand what certain people can & cannot do ? their ABILITIES. There is a difference between what you call discipline & what a person?s actual abilities are. You?re systemizing, stereotyping, & generalizing overweight people as having a lack discipline is dichotomous thinking. That black & white thinking can be dangerous & is often based on the premise of achieving perfection. The truth is that there MANY contributing factors. Think of the numerous medical conditions & medications that drastically can pile the weight. Think of doctors telling them not to exercise because it WILL KILL THEM. Let?s add in a possibility of mental illness. I know that you?re familiar with that from your stay in a behavioral health unit/hospital. Would you agree that all people suffering from a mental illness should just ?toughen up? & they don?t need pills to help control certain things? That is the type of uncaring stereotyping & generalized mentality you are showing to people who are overweight.
Please remember kindness & compassion towards mankind. Instead of saying, ?I think it is sad when people think fad diets, tricks or pills will actually make them lose weight? ? try building someone up. One day instead of feeling sorry for overweight people ? pray for them that they can find help they need & ask God to bless their efforts. Ask God to help you. You might find your haughtiness turn into a kinder, patient, humble, unassuming & more understanding person. A person who is beautiful person inside & out. Love ya girly!

PS: I?m from both sides of the fence. I went from athlete, to anorexia, back to athlete, back to eating disorder fat & back, then back fat?? I have had all the discipline in the world. Now I wish more than anything to be able to exercise. Thats when ?abilities? comes in. Diet alone wont get you there, you need exercise.? -?Anonymous #3.

Anonymous #4: Anonymous #3, that rant was horribly offensive and way off point? Heidi was merely pointing out that fad dieting and drugs can actually cause more harm then good, when eating right and getting a healthy amount of exercise in your daily routine can never harm but have lasting benefits. Heidi wasn?t intending to single out or offend, but you girly, certainly did.?

Anonymous #1:?Heidi- I was pointing out that your statement could be very offensive to some people. It isn?t just personal drive that keeps you motivated and on track. You also have a supporting cast? such as friends and family. Not everyone is a health and fitness guru, your statement made it sound like overweight people are dumb and lazy. Instead of sitting on your soap box and making statements that can be offensive to a person who struggles with their weight, why don?t you put a positive spin on it your thoughts and beliefs? Share your healthy eating and fitness tips that help you be healthy and fit. Your statement made me feel really sorry for those people, who actually have a weight problem and do struggle with a solution to keep the weight off. You totally cut them down, everyone has to start somewhere. At least they are trying to do something, maybe they don?t have the personal drive or supporting cast you have and don?t know how to help themselves without the fad diets. But they want to change, but need help and support. You may not realize it but without your supporting cast such as friends and family that keep you on track, you may not be as successful.?

My Reply:??First off, I NEVER even mention fat people, I am not on a soap box but merely making an observation that it saddens me that the lack of education on health and fitness leads people to fad dieting, attempted tricks, and over the counter diet pills that do more harm than good in the end. And like I said, I didn?t say fat people, I said people? There are plenty of people with eating disorders that pop pills thinking they are going to make their body image different or that they will feel better about themselves. I never once stood on a soap box and said I?m best or I am superior to anyone, nor do I think that. By the way, if you have noticed any of my other posts as of late, I run a fitness blog as a support for those who need tips and inspiration to lose weight or want to know how to train more effectively. I never cut anyone down. I said people should concentrate on making their bodies HEALTHY not making their bodies look a certain way or fit into a specific size. I want people to understand the focus should be on changing their bodies from the inside out?. concentrate on HEALTH. I agree it isn?t just personal drive that keeps you motivated and that a support system is always the best, but in the end, no one can be in charge of your health but you. It is your responsibility. I never once said overweight people were dumb or lazy. Like I told Anonymous #2, I have been over 100 lbs heavier than I am now. Weight has NEVER been easy for me. I have always been a ?bigger? girl. I haven?t been a size 2 since maybe the 2 grade! The one thing I do manage to do though is educate myself about what is proven to work and what is simply a fad diet. Yes. Fad diets can change your weight, but nothing can beat a constantly healthy diet and exercise. If you have a different opinion that is great. I am sorry if my comment seemed offensive. It was never intended to be so. I was simply trying to state what Anonymous#4 said above, ?Heidi was merely pointing out that fad dieting and drugs can actually cause more harm then good, when eating right and getting a healthy amount of exercise in your daily routine can never harm but have lasting benefits.? Enough said. People can think what they want or do what they want and even say what they want about it, it will not change my opinion or the medical facts? and after certain comments that were made yesterday that?were taken down and that person was reported to Facebook and blocked I will make no further comments on the matter.?

-MARK END OF DISCUSSION-

I don?t know about the rest of you, my dear readers, but I found that post from Anonymous Facebooker#3 offensive, off topic, inappropriate, rude, and an attempt to?publicly?slander and humiliate?me, (not to mention a rather ridiculous rant). Sadly there are some people who choose to?cope with their misery by projecting it on others. Like Eric Hoff said, ?Rudeness is the weak person?s?imitation?of strength.? Instead of deciding to take the path of positive change some people choose to imitate the strength required to create a positive surrounding and then they use their energy to make others feel bad. To these people this creates the illusion of happiness in comparison to others. They tend to thrive off of the negative reactions of others, since they don?t have the courage or strength to do something about their own situation. Weakness is an easy thing to deny, and strength will never come easily. Strength and determination can be like steam rising from your hot cup of coffee?it can easily slip through your fingers as you?continually?gasp at it until all you are left with is a cold cup of coffee and a worn out sense of hope. Like Mark Twain said,

Find your strength and simply let a smile spread across your face whenever someone attempts to bring you down. Becoming happy and successful is the best revenge you can give to those who wish to bring you down.

I can say all that now because I have had time to reflect but at the time I was really torn down for awhile. Even though I found this post to be ridiculous it made me doubt my abilities to write this blog. But let me inform you, after pausing to dwell in my own self doubt for a time I came to quite the opposite conclusion.

First off? I have a disclaimer above, yup, right there next to About Heidi, I have never claimed to be a professional and I will not claim to be one until I am. But like I mention in my disclaimer, I do my research, I don?t post something without there being some background and research on the topic that I have found after doing my own research.

So readers, why should you listen to my unprofessional self about health and fitness advice? Who am I to be talking to you? Well my answer to you is; who am I not to be talking to you about it? I may not be a professional but I am passionate as hell about health and fitness. I study it. I adhere to it myself. I have my moments of weakness just like any other human and I am willing to admit that. For instance this past month has been crazy hard for me to stick to a clean diet! The harder I work out the more I crave those simple, yummy, carbs, (particularly in the form of artisan bread and desserts). I am a hungry girl. I can eat a ton of food, and just like everyone else out there, I have my downfalls, I have my slip ups and I will binge if I don?t watch myself. This is why one of my motivational posters says, (across a nice fit stomach), ?I will not use my stomach as a garbage disposal for my emotions?. I am an emotional eater, which is rather difficult when bi-polar. I could give myself a million excuses to eat but I have to refrain from doing so? A LOT. So I ask you again, why should you listen to me? Because I have been fat and seriously unhappy with my body. I know how hard it is to try day after day to lose weight and not lose it. I have done weight watchers before. I have tried herbal remedies. But I tell you what finally worked, making the?decision?to commit to a healthy lifestyle, everyday, day in and day out. It took a lot of work, it still does, and like I mentioned above, I still have my slip ups. My point is, if I get knocked down, whether it be by me or someone else? I will get back up again; and if you tell me I can?t do something, I will try even harder to prove you wrong.

So after?wallowing?in my own self?pity,?for about a day, all of a sudden that competitive drive in me took over and said, ?Watch out, because here I come and I will write this blog, I will workout and I will take back control of my eating habits.? And you know what? I did. I have been back in control since Saturday, as soon as I woke up, and I have no plans of stopping.

So to all you haters out there who think you are going to stop me from trying to help others just because I am not a professional or because the way I work may hurt your feelings? I?m sorry, but I?ve got news for you?

I?M NOT GOING TO QUIT. I WILL NEVER GIVE UP, NOT ON MYSELF AND NOT ON ANYONE ELSE WHO IS WILLING TO ASK FOR HELP AND IS WILLING TO GIVE IT THEIR ALL ALONG WITH ME!

So? After this little heart to heart, I hope I will still have your respect as my readers/followers and that together we can learn what it means to be a fit, healthy& happy people.

-Heidi A. Sanchez

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