To Blog Or Not To Blog
Do you blog about weight loss? Even when you’re not losing?
What about when you’re not trying?
For weeks now, maybe months, my attitude can best be described as that of a petulant child who refuses to eat, or sleep, or do anything else that will make them feel better.
Except that all I want to do is sleep. And eat.
One of the things I’ve been asking myself is whether it makes sense to keep blogging. Is it helping me? I feel like a fraud just writing about it and not actually doing it. So do I stay, or do I go? Am I a cheat, or am I a quitter?
Today, when I finally had some time to sit down and think about it (day off! kids in daycare! woohoo!), it occurred to me that I’m not the only one with these questions. Back in October, Deb (@DietSchmiet) wrote about her struggles, and that “blogging and obsessing about it has done nothing to ease my guilt or angst.”
Nope, me neither. But Deb is still blogging.
I also remembered a post from Skinny Emmie. Emily was asked on her Facebook page why she continues to blog if she’s not losing weight. Her response: I do it for me.
Well, that’s why I started blogging in the first place. And I still do it for me.
Don’t get me wrong: it thrills me to the tips of my madly-typing fingers when I hear that I’ve helped someone – but I guess you could say that that’s still for me.
So please, take it as read that I am not losing right now. My motivation is flagging, I’m bingeing until I feel ill. But if you don’t mind, I am going to keep writing. And when I manage to turn things around, believe me, you’ll be the first to know.
The bottom line (because I’m not a cheat. Or a quitter):
Other places I ramble
Stack Overflow
13 Comments
Keep blogging it is a web log of your struggles, triumphs and who you are now. I know that I like to go back and re-read my old posts sometimes, they motivate me, humble me and aggravate me. However, I have come full circle and I believe that our blogs are more for us than they are for others.
Good luck, you will move up and over this little hill and start down the other side before you know it. Just keep writing
H.
Thanks Harold. You’re right, it’s good to have a record. Maybe I should go back and look at mine.
Sasha
You know I know EXACTLY how you feel. I’ve barely lost any weight on this round of my weight-loss program. And I sometimes feel as if I’m writing about the same things again and again…
But like you I started blogging more for me than anyone and it helps me to get the thoughts and feelings out of my head. Sure, I worry more now about boring my readers to death, but I feel like I need to be honest there.
Deb
Yes! And when I build up a head of steam, I’m always worried that people are rolling their eyes and thinking “Oh look, she’s doing it for real this time? Whatever.” That’s assuming they’re even still reading, of course.
But this is it, this is the real journey. Mine, anyhow. And it seems to be similar to yours. And I think that’s what makes this time different – for me, anyhow. The support network we’re all finding is what keeps us going. *group hug*
BTW – Deb, your comments have been sent to the spam folder twice today! No idea what’s up with that…
Hmph! I’m insulted… (not by you, obviously, but the wordpress spam picker-uperer) SPAMMER, moi?
Deb
I know! Seriously. How many bots can harumph with the kind of oomph you manage to put into it?? I ask you! ;P
Keep blogging, number one its for you…and even if you don’t know it your helping other people…your writing your real story
Thanks Katie
.
Your blog, your story, your perogative. Weight loss is hard and few people succeed without many many MANY struggles. I think blogging is part of working through those struggles and it will help you and a lot of other people.
Thanks Sara. You’re right. I think part of the problem is I want to write the sort of stuff I’d want to read myself. I don’t have much to say these days that I’d actually want to read
. And if I do, I feel like I’m sugar-coating how I’m feeling, and consequently being dishonest.
It’s easy to write when you’re successful but the reality is, every journey — whether it’s weight loss, learning something new, parenting — all have their ups and downs. While you may feel like you’re failing now, you’re not. You’re exactly where you’re meant to be. Sometimes we have to take a couple of steps backwards before we move forwards again. Hang in there.
Thanks Sharon. The successful bits definitely are more fun to write. I’ll just look at these steps back as getting ready to take a really good run at it