It's not fair

This is something I posted on the BCB message board in response to a post about being angry about having to do all this WW stuff. That's a sentiment I feel frequently, and this was my response. I'm posting it here because it's something that I need to remind MYSELF of quite frequently.

It's NOT fair that it seems like a lot of people can eat all kinds of crap, and still be skinny. It's not fair that we have to watch what we eat to lose weight and stay at a healthy weight. It's not fair that it seems like the easiest & tastiest foods are the worst for you.

One thing I have been working on accepting is that it's NOT FAIR but that life is often not fair. We can't compare our lots in life to other people's. Someone else will always be better looking, richer, luckier, have a faster metabolism, etc. It's not fair that a twit like Paris Hilton has the world handed to her on a silver platter while we have to actually work for a living. It's not fair that so-and-so can pig out and never gain an ounce.

But I think another issue is seeing what we want to see. We see people indulging in foods in restaurants and maybe assume that they can eat whatever they want without gaining anything, just because they are skinny and eating junk food. But maybe they ate light for the rest of the week so that they could indulge in a meal out. Maybe they run a few miles a day. Maybe they only go out once a month. Maybe they will only eat half of their meal, and give the rest to their boyfriend or dog or eat it for lunch. Maybe they'll skip dessert.

I think one thing a lot of us WW-ers discount is that a lot of "naturally" thin people still eat a normal/low budget of calories, or are very active. I have noticed that the same size 2 coworker of mine who pigs out like you wouldn't believe at company lunches (seriously, think of what a sumo wrestler would eat, and then double it), also eats salads and sashimi for lunch MOST of the time. And she goes to the gym almost every morning and spends her weekends biking around for fun. And some of my other skinny coworkers who sometimes eat junk OFTEN are eating light yogurts and Lean Cuisines for lunch and not sneaking snacks all the time during the workday. And they're always talking about new workout classes they're checking out at the gym.

So...I guess the point is that most people have to strike a balance between what they eat. There is no reason you can't go to a microbrewery and have a juicy burger and an awesome beer. But either you might have to budget the rest of the week to indulge in a big meal like that, or you may choose instead to eat HALF of your burger and get some salad with ff dressing instead of the fries that come with. Or you can earn some APs before you go out to eat by going for a hike or bike ride or going for a run or whatever.

Most of us don't get a free ride in terms of our fitness, weight, or finances. It sucks, but we just need to accept it and instead find ways to indulge within the rules of our bodies. We can indulge, it just needs to be in balance with the rest of our week.