4.11.2007

pet peeve

i am sick and tired of jibes at my attempts to have a healthful lifestyle.

yesterday, i was teased for the following: thinking about sodium content at the asian food places in the food court, using stairs instead of the escalator, being willing to walk to find various places around the harbor as opposed to staying in one place, and deciding against full-on haagen-daas (sp?) and going for the vanilla yogurt instead. people also give me a hard time when i get excited about my triathlon. i get ribbed for my enthusiasm to compete athletically, my occasional decision to eat away from the toxic environment of the lunchroom, and my choice to eat a lot of produce and whole grain foods.

trust me. i don't go around with a holier-than-thou swagger and proclaim to all the world the virtues of my lifestyle, weighed against the vices of others' lifestyles. i hate when others do that around me. but please. if you hate my choices that much, than ignore them. the silly thing of it is, when they're highlighted for negative reasons, they are highlighted nonetheless. i'd think that certain people would want to hear less of them if they dislike those things so much.

plus, don't disparage my choices if you're not fond of my appearance. i'm not trying to lose weight. i'm not trying to be a size 2. i'm not trying to be the most fabulous looking woman on the block. if my looks are improved because of my choices, then that is a pleasant by-product. if my face and body were the most important things in my life, i would certainly not go around dressed like a slob some days. if you feel a negative effect because of the results of my hard work, than that is certainly not anything that i am trying to do to you.

does it occur to anyone that perhaps there are other factors behind the goals that i have for myself? could it be that maybe diabetes, heart disease, AND breast cancer has appeared in almost every preceding generation in my family, and i'm walking around with a hereditary bulls-eye on my back? could it be that regular exercise and a healthful diet promote good neurological health and have been shown to stave off, to a certain degree, mood fluctuations? could it be that running relieves a great deal of stress and allows me to sleep more restfully at night?

so if you are sincerely bothered by the choices i make, perhaps you are bothered by those that you aren't making yourself. please reflect on your own decisions before you disparage mine.

4 comments:

Wacky Neighbor said...

You have a bulls-eye on your back? You might consider getting a doctor to look at that, and ask if Targetul is right for you.

Unknown said...

I hear ya. I think people are less "bothered" by your diet/exercise/goals, but are more annoyed with themselves and jealous that you're off your ass and doing cool stuff. You know? They take it out on you because if they encourage you to STOP being so diligent with things, then they can feel better. Misery loves company.

People that are like that need to think about the word friendship and what it means.

Now, ME... I'll just come out and tell ya that I'm jealous of your serious motivation lately and I hope some rubs off on me.

Brendan said...

If you're going to wear a "choose life" shirt, expect the occasional Wham!-hater.

Nick said...

And if you wear a "Choose Emeril" shirt expect the occaisional BAM!-hater.