In my writing and speaking I focus on the positive aspects of life, not only to be motivational, but to inspire those that are battling obesity to take charge of their own lack of self-control and in turn take command of their lives.
Often times I have been accused of being unfair, unfeeling or uncaring. Of the three, the most often accusation leveled at me is that I am unfair.
Services must accommodate obese people with specialist equipment such as much wider chairs. Bakewell J (2007). “Bariatric furniture: Considerations for use.”. Int J Ther Rehabil (7) : 329–33 . . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I am criticized for not understanding the plight of those who are obese. I am attacked for not supporting groups like the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance or worse for not be welcoming of their mission statement which reads; NAAFA is a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for fat people.
Look at some of my before pictures. I was an unhealthy, unfit and an undesirable three hundred and forty pounds. What my detractors don’t understand, or perhaps just don’t like, is the fact that I shed my victim status and took responsibility for my deplorable physical condition.
As far as improving quality of life — the best way to improve quality of life is to shed body fat and embrace a fit lifestyle. I do not require, nor do I desire, an organization to justify my lack of inner strength nor to propose legislation to force others to make accommodations for my lack of discipline.
There are others outside the world of weight loss and fitness who just as wholeheartedly promote people to embrace victim status. WILK’s Steve Corbett jumps to mind as the leading local voice attempting to convince his listeners that other people are responsible for both their lot in life and their salvation.
In any setting the victimizers are all the same. They promote themselves as being the defenders of certain individuals, when in fact, they exploit those individuals to further their agenda.
The victimizers not only want, but need us to accept the role as victim. Their own self worth, advancement of their ideals and excuses for their own weakness requires that their target audience scapegoat others for their predicaments. The victimizers entire sense of self is dependent upon the victimization of the masses. Without people accepting victim status, they have no audience — and in turn, possess no tangible self worth.
In the battle over obesity, how can you no longer be a victim? In the absence of an underlying medical condition, accept the fact that you and your choices are responsible for your current condition. Once you accept that it is your choices and your responses to situations that led you to where you are — resolve to no longer be a victim of those particular choices.
Photo by Noah Hamilton (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I have written about two amazing young people; Stephanie Jallen and Bethany Hamilton. Both of these young people could very well have been the victims of circumstance. Yet, these women made a choice that they would NOT be victims. They would not simply overcome their situations, but they would succeed because of what others would perceive as limitations. They did not blame others for what happened to them. They accepted what fate had delivered into their lives and have gone on to great achievements.
What is most fascinating about these two incredible individuals is that they made their decisions not to be victims at young ages. Stephanie was nine years old when she embarked on her dream of being a champion paralympic skier and Bethany was thirteen when she decided to not allow the loss of an arm to derail her dreams to be a champion surfer. Read that again; one person was nine the other thirteen years old. They chose how they would respond to adversity before they were even old enough to drive a car.
Can we as adults learn from the examples of those so young?
Is there a situation so bleak that it requires unhealthy eating?
Are we able to overcome simple laziness to reach our fitness goals?
The answers are yes, no and yes. We are capable of learning, we are intelligent enough to realize that food will not solve the problems and we can be resolute to overcome laziness.
However, those who promote victimization would tell you just the opposite.
They do not want you to believe in yourself.
They do not want you to accept individual responsibility and perhaps most importantly, they do not want you to believe that you as an individual can conquer your own inner demons.
There are no more malevolent persons than those that want you to be convinced that your fate, your position or your condition is the fault of someone other than yourself. The evil resides in their desire for you to stay overweight, out of shape and down and out simply to justify their existence.
Say no to being victimized.
Say no to the vicitmizers.
Say no to being a victim.
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contributor to NaturallySavvy.com. He is available to appear on any talk radio, internet podcast or television outlet. His web site www.ObesityUndone.com is available to help you reach your goals.He has appeared on 94.3FM’s The David Maderia Show, Bounce Back to Your Brilliance w/Angel Tyree, What’s Weighing You Downw/Dr. Marilyn Gansel on FTNS radio, Nurture and Nutrition on Blog Talk Radio, Low Carb Conversations with Jimmy Moore and Friends, BlogTalk Radio’s Toni Harris Speaks, Internet Radio: Cathie’s Talking, TV -35′s Storm Politics with Tiffany Cloud, WILK’s The Sue Henry Show, Magic 93′s Frankie In The Morning, WBRE’s PA Live, SSPTV’s News 13, Public Television WVIA’s State of Pennsylvania and Call the Doctor; Entercom’s Outlook on Northeast PA with Shadoe Steele, Citadel Broadcasting’s Sunday Magazine with Brian Hughes, Lisa Davis’ Your Health Radio; Hank Garner’s Podcast, Dr. Robert Su’s Carbohydrates Can Kill Podcast; and the one and only Jimmy Moore’s Livin’ La Vida Low Carb podcast.
Dr. Joe Leonardi also will come and speak to your group; to learn more about his motivational speaking fees and availability contact him at docjoeleonardi@betterlifeseminars.com and check out his website www.betterlifeseminars.com.
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************The information is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or disorder. The posting that I write do not apply to those with an underlying medical or hormonal condition. I advise anyone embarking on a weight loss and fitness plan to have a thorough medical evaluation. You want to be sure that you are physically able to exercise and you don’t have any underlying medical conditions.************
So let me ask you something. When you took charge of your life and decided not to be fat anymore, did you immediately become thin?
No?
So you were still fat all that time you were losing weight, right?
Yes?
But you were losing weight because you had decided to take charge of your life and stop being a victim, right?
Yes?
But you were still fat. To someone who didn’t know you, you were still fat. To random strangers on the street, you were ol’ Lardass, Fatty-Fatty-Two-By-Four. Still had to sit in chairs. Still had to wear clothes. Still needed medical care. Still needed a job. But you were fat.
Why do you assume that because someone’s fat, they’re a victim and don’t care about themselves? While you were losing weight, you were still fat. But you were losing weight. You were NOT being a victim.
But should society have treated you like garbage? Fired you from a job, or not hired you? Made fun of you for your looks? Provided only narrow chairs and scales with an upper limit of 200 pounds? Not provided you with medical care until you came back with a normal BMI even though you suspected something was seriously wrong?
Did you put off your entire life until you became slender?
Should you have?
Do you understand now? I doubt it, but what the hell.
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I don’t believe you got the the points of the posting, which if I did not make the points clear, I will apologize and re-emphasize at this time. The points were to take control of yourself and make the decision to make the changes, to not allow others to victimize you and to take inspiration from others who have overcome adversity on their ways to success. I read your posting and I respect your disagreement, although I am not really a fan of violent rhetoric or name calling and I will not engage in that here, but I will apologize if you took offense at anything I have written. Since you took the time to post on your site and mine I will take the time to answer your questions. Also, since you answered some of the questions, I will post you questions and answers in quotations..
“So let me ask you something. When you took charge of your life and decided not to be fat anymore, did you immediately become thin?
No?”
I agree of course not, I did not drop well over one hundred pounds in an instant, but I did change my mindset from day one. One of the first exercises I engaged in was to repeatedly tell myself that getting fit was not difficult. That it was easy. To make the body work one must convince the mind.
“So you were still fat all that time you were losing weight, right?
Yes?”
This question is redundant and the answer above should suffice.
“But you were losing weight because you had decided to take charge of your life and stop being a victim, right?
Yes?”
Being a victim is a mindset. I decided to no longer be a victim of the world which I created. I created the limitations my obesity put upon my life. Not society, not the government, not another business. So I stopped becoming a victim of myself.
“But you were still fat. To someone who didn’t know you, you were still fat. To random strangers on the street, you were ol’ Lardass, Fatty-Fatty-Two-By-Four. Still had to sit in chairs. Still had to wear clothes. Still needed medical care. Still needed a job. But you were fat.
Why do you assume that because someone’s fat, they’re a victim and don’t care about themselves? While you were losing weight, you were still fat. But you were losing weight. You were NOT being a victim.”
The comments I made were in response to those who put forward a movement to victimize obese people. I have never stated anything about the person who was losing weight or trying to lose weight. They were directed at those who would rather keep obese people in a state of failure.
“But should society have treated you like garbage?”
If society did or does; O well. Even obese I never lived my life concerned about what society thinks. I have been treated like garbage when I was fat, when I was fit, when I was poor, when I was unemployed, when I had a lot of money. I don’t focus on what others think. I did not make a decision to recapture my health for society or others, just as I wasn’t concerned about society or others when I was packing on the pounds.
“Fired you from a job, or not hired you? ”
If an employer fired me from a job or not hired me because my appearance would have made a poor impression, while I may not have been happy nor would I ever engage in such practices, I would understand their position. I, whether consciously or not, chose to be obese. I was NOT born that way, no one made me that way and I did not have a causative underlying medical condition.
“Made fun of you for your looks?”
Irrelevant. I didn’t care then, I don’t care now.
” Provided only narrow chairs and scales with an upper limit of 200 pounds?”
Narrow chairs happen all the time. In my initial posting an opening chapter of my book I discuss going into eating establishments not being able to sit in a booth. As far a scale in a doctors office. Vital signs are imperative to proper examination and diagnostic procedures, it is up to the doctor to provide instrumentation. Even with that said, I have been unable to receive accurate MRI’s, X-rauy and ultrasound reports on obese patients due to their body habitus.
” Not provided you with medical care until you came back with a normal BMI even though you suspected something was seriously wrong?”
This is a non question. Our oath in health care is to take care of the patient, All of my patients receive care no matter the situation; including ability to pay.
Did you put off your entire life until you became slender?
“Should you have?
Do you understand now? I doubt it, but what the hell.”
We can very well agree to disagree without being disagreeable. I chose to find inspiration in those who have overcome unimaginable circumstances to achieve great things. I chose to view myself in a positive light and to take charge of the only thing I can control; myself.
I do not allow the difficulties of circumstance prevent me from remaining fit.
Thank you for taking the time to post and I would genuinely hope you would not resort to violence in a disagreement.
P.S.
I was going to comment on your site, but there was not a place to post comments.
Keep on losing, keep fit and enjoy each day of life.
Joe
I missed a question:
“Did you put off your entire life until you became slender?
“Should you have?”
Yes I did. Anything that was non-family or business was put on the back burner. That was the commitment I chose to make; to make myself fit. Fitness remains a top priority; so much so, that between my family, two business, penning my first novel, promoting my book, teaching at a college, that the only time I have to exercise is first thing in the morning. So every morning I get out of bed a 4am and get to the gym by 5am. That is when I have the time, so that is when I go.
I really think Dana missed the point. As a former client of Doctor Joe’s his no nonsense approach is what kept me centered and on track.
Once I told him what I wanted to do, he allowed me to set my goal, he made sure I got there. He wouldn’t allow me to make the excuses all others including myself would allow.
Thanks Doc Joe!
You are right on Janet. Wow She totally didn’t get it, I like how she says you are “pontificating”. Actually, maybe she does get it and the fact that you are taking away excuses has pissed her off!!!
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Hey Doc,
What a great, great post. I was reading the comments; it seems that this Dana is an excuse maker. Checked out her blog and the name kind of says it all; just someone who sees the negative side of life and she really isn’t making any progress. You always say it is a 3 pronged approach and all 3 must be present to do it. She obviously exudes negative energy.