A few years back when my family and I went on a missions
trip to Guatemala, a Watson family phrase was coined- MUSU- or as we know it “man
up- suck it up.” It started when one of us would whine about something during
the trip. Most days we were bone tired from physical labor, the showers were
cold, the food was less than desirable and the beds were hard as a rock. And
so, like the spoiled rotten Americans we were, we whined. Given the fact that
we were on this trip to build a home for a family in need, a family that lived
in a sugar cane hut with a tin roof the size of a garden shed with no windows
or doors, no electric or running water- our attitudes were truly pathetic. So
our kids coined the phrase MUSU and whenever someone started to complain, one
of us would say “MUSU”! It was a great reminder to bring us back to reality.
When was the last time you manned up to a fear? Looked it in
the eyes and stared it down? MUSUing (if I may take the liberty to turn this imaginary
word into verb form) is easier said than done.
Isn’t it much easier to remain complacent, to bury stuff, to
take the easy path, to maybe not even try?
I’ve been at this weight loss gig for 17 years and I still
find one thing very difficult, to MUSU on the scale. For years, the mighty scale
has had this relentless power over me. When I went to weigh-in and I lost
weight, I was giddy with excitement. Look at me!!! Ya-freakin-hoo!!! I’m
dabomb.com diggity! Nothing could bring me down. And when I gained weight,
well, let’s just say I was a “tad” bitchy for the rest of the day
[understatement of the year]. Up until only a few years ago, when I gained, I completely
derailed. My wellness train jumped the tracks and headed to Hostess Town or
Tastycake Station. My frame of mind?
Well- since I already gained I might as well do it up good, REAL good. I’ll go
ahead and eat whatever I want for the rest of the day. I’ll get back on track
tomorrow. Sound familiar?
It’s a vicious cycle because often times, tomorrow never
comes. One day of indulgence leads to the next and then we say we’ll get back
to it next week, yet often times next week never comes. So we rationalize and
tell ourselves that we’ll be back in the saddle next season, when life is less
busy, overloaded, chaotic [insert your adjective here]. The scary part is, that
seasons fly by, and as fast as we can blink we’ve suddenly gained 25, 50, 75
pounds and have no idea how it happened.
It happened because we weren’t willing to MUSU. Instead of
acknowledgement we chose avoidance. Instead of acceptance we chose denial.
Instead of accountability we chose recklessness. We weren’t willing to man up
and face the scale.
This week, I experienced just how this could happen. I had a
wretched week of eating and I knew it. While I ate very poorly, the good news
is that I tracked every item. I KNEW just how badly I did; the results on the
scale weren’t going to be a shocker. If I can take a moment to share how this
parallels with Dave Ramsay’s teachings in Financial Peace University. Mr.
Ramsay recommends that folks purchase items using cash, so that they can feel
the pain of the purchase. It makes them think twice about spending. Tracking,
or food journaling, even when we’ve had a bad week allows us to feel the pain
of the gain. Every item I wrote down that was an indulgence, or an unwise
choice, I felt it. This gave me pause and I slowed down to really consider the
choices I was making. I kept going (with the poor choices) but they weren’t as
bad as the old days. In addition, as an offset, I made sure that I exercised
every day. Alas, I still posted a gain.
Since I’m a WW lifetime member and a leader, I only have to
weigh in once a month. I could have skipped this weigh in and told myself I’ll
get back on track next week. Yet I know, I’m in the middle of a struggle and
the best thing I can do is to MUSU and face the scale- every single week-
acknowledging, accepting and being accountable for the good, the bad and the
downright ugly choices and results.
I truly believe that this change in mindset is how I’ve been
able to maintain my 40+ pound weight loss over the past few years. It not that
I like food any less I just like being healthy and fit more. I know that to be healthy and fit, I must remain
in this frame of mind where an occasional gain is OK. This means letting go of
perfectionism, black and white thinking and acknowledging, accepting and being
accountable for my actions- knowing that I have the power to change them at all
times.
Man up! Make the choice. Commit to the choice. Ask for help.
Continue with courage.
Hugs and Friendship,
Tara
