Hey Fat Man, Yes You. You're A

FAILURE!!!!

Ouch. This word is one that we are taught from a very young age has very negative connotations and is not something we ever want to be called.  It is where so many people have deep seated issues from a young age after being called a failure or told they have failed at something.  It wasn’t until I started on my weight loss journey how I realised that there is no such thing as failing in my efforts to lose weight and become a better me, father, husband and all round person, provided I don’t stop trying to improve myself and keep going.  Yes we all have moments where we regress or “fall of the wagon” (still don’t know what wagon it is or when I hopped on it) but it is what we do after these moments that will ultimately prove whether or not we have failed or just stumbled.



The above definitions of failure a very cut and dry.  There is no grey here at all.  You haven’t achieved what you set out, YOU FAILED!!!!  Well I don’t look at it like this as I have said in the above intro. My reasons for talking about failure today are two-fold.  I have been reading some blogs lately and some admissions on Instagram about how people have struggled and gone AWOL recently.  Strangely it dawned on me, I have gone AWOL as well to a certain degree.  I haven’t posted on here as regularly as I normally would.  I have been no existent on the 12WBT forums where I have been a support for the fellow men for the last 12 months.  I haven’t even logged into the program for a couple of weeks.  This to me highlights 2 things.  My mindset is in the toilet.  Yep, even been flushed into the sewer so to speak. Just disappeared.  I have allowed some old habits to creep in with wine being all to frequent and then the subsequent snacking that came with it.  I have even partially convinced myself that I am at least maintaining my weight whilst not doing the right thing.  Dickhead, delusion is what got you into the state you were in prior to joining the program.

So here I sit writing this basically admitting to failing this round of 12WBT.  But have I?  Yes it is 8 weeks over and I have blown 2/3 of the round by actually putting on weight.  From the outside looking in it is a failure to be on a weight loss program and put on weight, so I have failed.  Only in one aspect have I failed though.  I am still winning in other areas though.  I have still been training when I haven’t been ill.  I have run 3 long runs in the last few weeks, each of them 14km, 16kms and 18kms.  This is not done by a failure.  I cycled to work and home 1 day which is a 72km round trip.  Failures don’t do that.  I am still training for my half marathon in 3 week’s time.  Would a failure be doing a half marathon and training for 1200kms worth of cycling over the next few months?  Not on your life would he.

So in order to succeed we need to stumble a few times and ensure we learn from these lessons.  This round has been my stumble.  Yes it has been a big fall flat on my face, but you know what, it is another instance where I have had a chance to learn a valuable lesson before it gets out of control and I spiral back to where I was.  I have decided that I am on for Dry July.  This will be a month of no drinking.  I can do it as I have done it most of the last year but it comes down to how much you want to do it.  I need to lose 6kgs at least in the last 5 weeks of 12WBT to be where I want to be.  I will do it because I want to do it.  I want to use the lessons and learn from my mistakes.  Yes mistakes, not failings.  I haven’t failed because I haven’t stopped.  If I was to give up and sit on the couch for the rest of my life and eat shit and drink beer and wine then yes I would have failed.  I am still 50kgs lighter now that start of last year.  That my friends in not failing.

What we need to remember is that even some of the most successful people in history have failed in the eyes of many prior to being successful.  If you want to know who, have a look at this list.

Walt Disney – Fired by a newspaper editor because he lacked ideas and imagination (Really?)

Jerry Seinfeld – First time he went on stage he froze, was booed off but never gave up. Rest is history.

Fred Astaire – First screen test hey said “Can’t act, Can’t sing, Slightly Bald. Can dance a little.” Wrong.

Steven Speilberg – Was rejected from film school three times.  Thankfully he persisted and we have all the movies he is responsible for.

The Beatles – the Fab Four were dropped by their record label after recording 15 songs. They didn’t like their sound.  Bad Move Guys!!!!

Steven King – was rejected 30 times on his first book. Finally got a break and we all know about the rest of his stuff.

Michael Jordan – cut from his high school basketball team, went to college on a baseball scholarship, wanted to play basketball.  Ended up being the greatest basket baller ever!!! Nuff said.

Steve Jobs – was removed from the top job of the company he started.  They brought him back to rescue the company and now Apple rules the world.

The key message here is simply don’t give up on what you want or more importantly yourself.  If something means that much to you then stick at it.  We are allowed our setbacks and they will come.  Accept it but don’t accept that as your fate.  Don’t let that crappy day, week or month (2 months in my case) define who you are or where you are heading.  If you do then you will have failed, but you are better than that.

Saw a cool blog the other day that shows just why we shuld remember this. We aren’t perfect. Even when we get to goal weight (whatever that might be) we will still have our problems.  We are still awesome.