Be Kind!!!!

The other day I got in a pretty heated debate on Facebook. I'm usually not a very confrontational person, but when I am passionate about something I will jump right in and state my opinion. I have a friend that I went to college with who is also a personal trainer and I love keeping up with him on Facebook and following posts about his studio. He is changing a lot of lives and doing amazing things. Anyway, there was a picture on Facebook that he came across and he shared it on his own personal page. Here it is...

Now, some people looked at this picture and got offended. They took it as my friend being "insensitive". I looked at it and laughed, because I have totally made some of these excuses before. Especially the birthday excuse...I have a huge family so it seems like every weekend we are celebrating someones birthday and I take that as...ooooh it's a party I can drink wine and have cake! ;) But back to the matter at hand, I can understand how some could get offended by this photo. Weight gain is not always a direct result of over-eating. There are numerous problems/issues that can lead to weight gain or keep one from reaching his or her goal weight. It also does not take into account WHY some people over-eat. There are obviously personal issues that may cause one to over-eat as a coping mechanism. I was really amazed, however, just how heated the debate got over this little photo. It sparked my interest so much that I posted it on my own Facebook page to see what my friends would think about it. I posted the photo and simply asked..."Does this photo offend you?" The comments I got really surprised me! So I came to the conclusion...making assumptions about WHY one is overweight is highly offensive to some...especially those who have battled their weight their whole life. But my final conclusion is this great quote..."When you "ASSUME" anything, you make an ASS out of U and ME!" I had someone respond to one of my comments and said, "I mean, Brittany, have you ever even had to battle your weight?" I guess I can see how it would be easy for one to make the assumption that I've been slender my whole life, but as you have read in my blog that is definitely not the case. The person that made that comment had no idea about the battles that I've had to face when it comes to my weight. Which reminds me of another quote...

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting at hard battle." -Plato

 Making an assumption that someone is overweight because they eat too much is just as bad as making an assumption that someone is thin because they have an eating disorder. I also had someone make a comment to me and suggest that all I do is workout and care about what my body looks like. Ummm really? Yes, I workout...but just because I work at a gym doesn't mean that I get workout all the time. I wake up at 4:15 AM some mornings to train clients and most of my day is spent training and motivating OTHERS, not myself. I have to muster up energy and motivate myself to workout just like everyone else. It does not come easy for me. And yes, I care about my physique, but that's not the main reason I workout. I workout for my HEALTH! I have had several people close to me battle and die of cancer, so I choose to exercise and avoid crap junk food to keep my body healthy from the inside out. So, the main point that I'm trying to make is BE KIND to one another. Don't assume and judge someone strictly based on appearance. You have no idea what that person has been through. That lady in line at the store that you were making fun of for being so skinny may be battling a serious disease...that guy from high school that you ran into that has put on weight may be coping with the loss of a loved one...The girl that you think is "obsessed" with working out is probably really obsessed and you are just jealous because you're not. ;)Which reminds me of another great quote, 

"Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the motivated."

When you judge and make fun of others you are only showing your own insecurities and you should probably spend more time and energy working on yourself  than worrying about someone else. Also, I just want to point out that I don't force anyone to be my friend on Facebook or read my blog, so if you don't like my posts or if my motivational quotes and pictures take up your precious newsfeed, then delete me. No sweat off my back, I promise. I write this blog and post those things to help others...I know it's working because I have people write me everyday telling me how much they enjoy following my blog and how much I have helped them. To those of you who have supported me and sent me the sweet comments, THANK YOU! It means the world to me! I am so so grateful to have a job that I enjoy and I absolutely love sharing my passion for health and fitness with you!

Yours in Health,

Brittany