A Bit of a Rant....About Myself

 

If you're learning, growing and trying new things--expect mistakes.

They're a natural part of the learning process. In fact, someone once

said, "If you're not making at least 50 mistakes a day, you're not trying

hard enough." What the person meant, we think, is that growth,

discovery and expansion have mistakes built into them.

To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes

may be the biggest mistake of all.

John-Roger and Peter McWilliams 

 

Ah, Thursday has arrived, and it is weigh-in time.  Why do I always work up my anxiety on these days?  I'm doing everything right.  I'm walking more, getting exercise, eating fruits, and although there are times when I have a little more dinner than I should, those days are few and far between. But  I don't think I am alone in my anxiety.  As I watch the other women's faces as they step on the scale, I see that same look of fear that I feel. Some women in my group won't even eat breakfast before they are weighed for fear it will signal a + and not a - on the scale.  I halfway do that.  I eat my banana in the morning, but not the oatmeal.  Instead I carry a breakfast bar with me to eat after I get off the dreaded scale. Speaking of focusing on others....

I really have to learn to focus more on myself and less on others because when I focus on the actions of others, I only allow myself  to become stressed. And, as I have learned the hard way, stress can be very bad for your health.  For example, yesterday the woman who cons her way into riding the bus for free every day sat next to me and actually began laughing and boasting that she didn't have to pay.  This, after I just paid my fare and would NEVER think of trying to cheat my way on.  Grrr!!!  It was all I could do to hold my tongue, but I realized that it wouldn't do me any good to say something.  So, I just shut her out and pretended I didn't hear.  Yes, I do have a legitimate gripe there, but what about the other instances?  

I joined a few Facebook WW groups, mainly for the recipes.  So, the other day I see someone posted pictures of Progresso Light Soups, which are delicious, but loaded with sodium, and raved about how good they were and how healthy for her diet.  Another jumped in and said how much she loves them and eats them every day for lunch.  And still another jumped in and stated she loves having them for lunch and Smart Ones (another sodium laden food) for dinner.  I piped in and advised that it might be better if they only ate these foods once in awhile because of the unhealthy amount of sodium, that they would be better off making a big pot of homemade soup.  In that way, they can control their sodium intake.  I also pointed out that sodium can add water weight and that sometimes when they see that extra poundage on the scale, it may be from the sodium.  Heck, the first week I was on the water pill I lost 7 pounds.

Well, they all just totally ignored what I had to say.  They only heard what they wanted to hear, the their peers ate the soups much as they did.  It's the same on My Fitness Pal.  I have a friend on there whose sodium level is through the roof, over 3,000 mg. every day.  She complains that her feet and face swell up.  Well, there you go.  But does she listen to me?  She will tell me, "I know you are right.  I do have to cut down", and then go about her merry way.  Now she has even gone so far as to hide her sodium level from me.  LOL!!!

I don't do it to be mean, and I certainly don't try to be a know-it-all.  I do it because I care.  I learned the hard way.  I'd be willing to guess that there were days my sodium level was over 4,000 on some days.  I got sick from it, and I just don't want others to have to go through what I did.  And I get flustered when no one listens.  I just have to remember that everyone has to learn on their own.  Everyone has to make their own mistakes and hopefully move forward when they make them.  No one anointed me the 'sodium police', and no one lectured me when I had that third slice of pizza.  To be honest, I don't think I would have listened even if they had. 

One thing I see that really irritates me is a newbie will join the WW group and latch onto one person as if that person has all the answers.  No one has all the answers, and sometimes the answers they give are so asinine you wonder where their brains went.  Yesterday a newbie posted that her feet and legs were swelling so bad that she can only wear flip flops,  and what should she do about this water retention, and should she monitor her water intake. Someone advised could be sodium and that, in fact, she should probably drink more water to flush it from her system.  I agreed and offered that it could be medication related (if she is on any). poor circulation, and that perhaps she should see her doctor to see what's going on.  We also  Both of us gave good advice, I think.

Then, another person pops on and told her that her group leader told her that drinking too much water can cause you to DEHYDRATE.  Sorry, but if her group leader told her that she shouldn't really be a leader.  Poor information.  Someone else then commented that she should continue drinking the same amount of water, that it is physiologically impossible to dehydrate yourself from drinking water.  Dehydration comes from a lack of water.  At that point, one of the great know-it-all's and this newbies leader popped up and told her "Yes, you can get dehydrated from too much water. It happened to me, and I had to go to the hospital.  Everything was out of whack."

Well, I couldn't let that one go. so I advised that one can get an electrolyte imbalance from drinking too much water and advised that would have to be a LOT of water, but one cannot become dehydrated from putting water in their system.  Well, it would have been best had I just let it go.  The original poster bypassed ALL of our advice and focused on the one person who so blatantly didn't know what she was talking about.  "Oh, thank you so much, no name.  I'm going to take  your advice and cut down on my water intake.  I don't want to be dehydrated like you did."

All you can do is shake your head.  Have to stop letting these things fluster me.  It's just not worth it.

Sorry such a long post.  Hope I didn't bore you.