“My god!!! What have you done? Are you not well? If you keep going, you will end up in the hospital!!” “Don’t you think you are taking this exercise thing a little too far? Look at you, you are fading away?”.
Why do people use the phrase “fading away” to friends and family who have lost a significant amount of weight, or have made some serious changes to their lifestyle? After all, isn’t being healthy, the main aspect of life. Do you think YOU have the right to make that call. If you were so seriously worried, wouldn’t you talk to their trainer and ask for their knowledgeable thoughts. Better still, seek some expert advice from a doctor (No Dr Oz does not count as advice!!!!), or an another health professional, explaining to them the situation. They may want to reach out to their fitness professional, or even want to see the individual. But don’t be too judgemental when they take a look at you sitting their in front of them, and question you about YOUR health aspects. Maybe, just maybe, you are a little jealous of their success and want to bring them down a peg or two?
Most of the time, this person has finally said “enough is enough”, and got a small hold on their life. They no longer see food as something they shouldn’t eat, or want to waste a day or a weekend recovering from another alcohol and food coma. They may have had enough of the late nights, lack of energy or had a health scare. Whatever their reason, we should be embracing it, Embracing their new-found look on life, on health, and on their “why”.
To me, this not only makes the individual feel ashamed, but also may have a longer lasting effect on their goals. To me fading away indicated an illness, a sickness, where anorexia nervosa springs to mind, and should not be aligned to someone gaining muscle and losing body fat. A person who is fading away, most will try to hide their illness. Baggy clothing. Heading to the toilet straight after dinner. They may not be outgoing. They may not want to talk about what is happening. Take a close look next time you want to tell someone they are fading away. What can you see? Can you see dark, sunken eyes. Can you see clothes not fitting properly, and falling off their body? Or can you see muscle definition, a change in their food choices and words. Someone who has lost a great deal of weight, and replaced it with muscle, will be full of vitality, and want to tell people what they are doing, and how they are doing it.
Please keep this in mind next time you want to tell someone they are fading away. Maybe, it is the mirror you need to look into, and think about what YOU need to change.
Next post will on happiness, and what it is that makes you happy.
Until then, remember, strength is the secret sauce.
School of Strength Bega 