Embracing Life TODAY (or, “I Should Have Gone To That Pool Party”)
An old friend of mine from school had a nice, big pool in her backyard, and occasionally she’d throw these amazing pool parties. Well, at least I think they were amazing…I never actually went to one of them. 
You see, every time my friend would invite me, I’d make up some excuse for why I couldn’t make it. I’d then make a deal with myself: once I lost the obligatory ten pounds, I could go and enjoy myself at a pool party.
Sad, isn’t it? 
But how many of us are still putting off our lives until we reach a certain weight?
I was really touched by Heather’s recent post in which – upon realizing she’s been subconsciously waiting to live her life until fitting into a certain size – she vowed to begin living her life to the fullest…TODAY.
It reminded me of a book that I highly recommend: Life Doesn’t Begin 5 Pounds From Now, by Jessica Weiner.
When I first decided to ditch the dieting mentality, I knew I needed to stop letting my obsessions with food and weight hold me back from living the life I wanted, the life I was meant to live. But when you’ve spent so much of your life thus far neck-deep in bad body-image thoughts, it’s a little difficult to snap your fingers and banish them from your brain.
This might sound a little morbid, but honestly, here is how I rationalized it to myself:
If my life ended tomorrow, would I have wanted to spend my final day…
- agonizing over a slice of chocolate cake? (with peanut butter icing, thank you very much!) NO!
- feeling physically uncomfortable from emotionally stuffing my stomach with baked goods? NO!
- feeling drained and fatigued because I’m lacking vital vitamins and nutrients from fruits and veggies? NO!
- exhausted from spending way too long at the gym, trying to purge my body of the candy I feel guilty for eating? NO!
- feeling sluggish and lethargic from a lack of exercise, from denying my body the movement it craves? NO!
I guess my point is this: From a healthy living standpoint, living life to the fullest essentially means taking a balanced, moderate approach to food and exercise.
And it means that life has a whole lot to offer us…right now. Not a month from now or a year from now. Not ten pounds from now or two sizes from now. RIGHT NOW. Regardless of what your body looks like today or what you did or did not eat yesterday, there is a world of possibility out there, just waiting for you to reach out and grab it! 
Have you ever put off doing something until you reached a certain weight or size? Are you ready to embrace all that life has in store for you…right now?
Themocracy
Definitely! I used to do this ALL the time. Now when I want to say no to something I always have to ask myself if I’m saying no because I’m afraid of what I will eat while there, or if I really don’t want to go.
Great post!
That pool party story sounds way too familiar. Last year I conquered my fear and went to one of them. I had a great time! Totally worth it!!!!! Your friends don’t care if you don’t have a six pack; they care that you’re there.
This is fabulous! I have in the past had times where I put off going out to dinner or something with a certain friend because I would feel inadequate compared to her. I’m glad I got over that. How ridiculous looking back!!!
I loved something my pastor once said in a sermon, “Nobody is on their death bed wishing they were 10 lbs lighter (or other examples he included). Everyone on their death bed will hope to relive a fulfilling and joyful life. So we must live.”
Wow, can totally relate. like the whole argument of buying clothes that fit you NOW rather than buying clothes that will fit how you want to be.
That book looks like something I need to read! I am working on moderation as we speak. It’s so easy to get caught up in believing that happiness is only attainable after a certain benchmark is reached. Thanks for the reminder and the book recommendation.
I don’t stop myself from doing things I want to, but I do use “when I’m five pounds thinner” as a money-saving tool. Example: “Oh, I love this dress, it’s so worth the $40…but I shouldn’t buy it yet. What if I’m a size six in half a year and it doesn’t fit anymore?” Actually, I’m pretty sure that’s my penny pinching nature winning out, but if I put it that way I don’t feel like I’m missing out on something. I’m just holding off for a bit :p
Yes, I can relate! I have avoided going to the pool party till I lose x amount of weight. I have also avoided dinners and drinks with friends to maintain a certain weight. I have chosen ‘ED’ voices over LIFE too many times and the only thing it did for me was make me unhappy. Now I am doing my best to choose life! There is a quote that I keep on a post-it in my planner. “Today I will take every chance to participate in life, not to control it.” I have to move it to write things down. It serves as my reminder to ‘embrace life today!’
Thanks for a great post!
i love this! you are so rgith to bring this up…life is happening and we can’t miss it becasue of these last 10 pounds or anything else
Gosh. Simply saying the title of that book to myself made me want to….cry. And It’s hard for me to even admit that. Here I am, a healthy living blogger, yet I am in ways waiting to live until I lose those last 5 (or even 3) pounds.
I convince myself that I’m a different “case” and that other people don’t understand. Truth is, I’m in the same boat as the majority of women.
I needed this post, clearly. Your posts always seem to strike a chord with me! So thanks
Live life today – YES! One mantra I try to live by is “Live like you’re going to live forever AND like your life will end tomorrow” (misquoted, of course). It inspires me to live healthier for tomorrow, but also to relax and enjoy my life NOW.
That’s a great quote!
amen, amen!! it was just this kind of htinking that finally got me to stop thinking about my weight (most of the time). I only get to live once and I want to enjoy it!!
Another great post. I am adding that book to my wish list. Thanks for the suggestion!