This post might piss some people off or offend. My apologies in advance, but I just have to vent about something that has been weighing on my mind for some time.
As a vegan, a runner, and someone who lives a pretty healthy lifestyle, I get this a lot from people:
“I’d like to ______, but I can’t.” (fill in the blank with give up meat, give up dairy, run, exercise, eat more fruits and veggies, etc.)
My response is usually a polite nod, or “I know, it can be hard.”
What I really want to say?
You CAN’T or you WON’T?
I think we all know the answer, don’t we?
As someone who used to be addicted to sugar, fats, and sodium and transitioned to a plant-based diet; as someone who couldn’t run for 10 seconds without feeling out of breath and is now training to run her first marathon in a few months, I have this to say to those of you who say you can’t.
You can do anything you set your damn mind to.
But you choose not to. So the real question you should be asking yourself is why won’t you? Why won’t you choose healthier foods? Why won’t you give meatless meals a chance? Why won’t you eat more fruits and veggies, knowing damn well that choosing these things is more healthy for you than that double bacon cheeseburger or fourth slice of pizza you’re about to stuff in your face? Why won’t you do some exercise instead of sitting on your couch or recliner, watching another mindless hour of television?
We see amazing shit all of the time: stories of people with serious handicaps who decide they want to climb a mountain or run an ultramarathon and they do it. People who are hundreds of pounds overweight and decide NO MORE and lose tons of weight and achieve awesome fitness goals and just completely transform their lives.
So stop telling yourself “I can’t” and instead replace those words with what you really mean: “I won’t.” And then ask yourself “Why the hell not?” I suspect that once you start asking yourself that question, walls of excuses, denial, doubt, and insecurity will start to crumble. And once those walls fall down?
The sky is the limit, my friend.
Like a Fine Vino 
Yeppers. And screw that “apologies in advance” part. Don’t apologize for speaking the truth.
I’ve begun a month-long meditation challenge. I’m interested in seeing how it affects my willpower, among other things.
One of the things people should know is that the longer you do a healthy habit like eating right or exercising, the more you WANT to do it.
I meditate right after I do my evening weights and resistance band, so I will make it a part of my daily schedule instead of trying to fit it in. I”m looking forward to doing all three tonight.
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Meditation is wonderful! I don’t do it nearly as often as I’d like, but I have noticed that since I started doing it, my stress level has decreased SIGNIFICANTLY.
Also, I tell people all of the time that the more you eat healthy, the more your taste buds change and you start to crave healthy foods, rather than junk. You also become addicted to exercise because it becomes something that you look forward to doing and enjoy rather than it just being a chore. I often think that they don’t believe me. :-\
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I am with you on that rant! I have to really make a serious effort to restrain my tongue. It’s hard to not be an undisciplined lazy ass. Just tonight, my night shift supervisor called in for the 3rd time this year sick leaving that shift uncovered. He is probably almost 500 lbs. He complains all the time that he don’t know whats wrong with him. I know! I want so bad to just go Rambo on people! haha Hey, hows your marathon training? What’s your longest run so far?
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Marathon training officially starts on Monday! I’m both excited and scared!
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