PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket

Just Say No

Since I was a little kid I've been learning to "just say no."  Most of my childhood was in the 90s which means I went through the D.A.R.E program a dozen times, I saw pictures of a human lung covered in tar even more times than that, and wrote speeches about why I would never smoke.  I heard stories about the guy who was going to smoke just one cigarette and died of lung cancer 40 years later.  I acted out peer pressure scenarios in front of my class where I would emphatically deny any drug.  I started practicing 'saying no' to drugs when I was 6.  By the time I hit junior high saying yes wasn't even an option. I have never picked up a cigarette in my life.  I've never even had the slightest desire to do so.  I've had friends that smoked, but it never seemed too cool to live without.

The point is, why can I be so good at saying no to drugs, but can't even muster up the courage to say no to a piece of pie!  Eating can be just as dangerous as chain smoking.  Okay, that may sound dramatic but seriously - diabetes, heart disease, early death.  Even this week a new study from Kaiser Permanente says obese children have up to a30% - 40% higher chance of having reflux disease.  Terrifying because that can majorly damage your esophagus which could lead to esophageal cancer.

Not to mention the years obesity can cut from our lives.  An extra 80 pounds can be responsible for cutting 12 years off your life.  How about this little tidbit - 95 million years of life in the U.S. were lost back in 2008, all because of obesity.  If that's not worth 'saying no' to, I don't know what is.

I wish I could say I'm ready to 'say no,' I wish I could do it as simply as it sugests just say no.  Like it's just the obvious choice - say no to extra slices of cake, say no to an entire box of crackers, or package of twizzlers.  While writing this I realized it's not going to be just a moment of enlightment - where I just stop overeating and start taking care of myself.  Instead, it's going to take years of practice.  Maybe if I had been offered a cigarette in my first day of D.A.R.E I would have taken it.  I practiced 'saying no' a good 7 years before I ever actually had to say no.  I don't have the leisure of time here, but everytime I say no I think it will help.  It's just more practice than I had the day before.

5 comments:

Danielle Craig

sdfsdfsdf

Danielle Craig

this is a test, obviously!

Karen@WaistingTime

Let's see if the comments are fixed:) I could really identify with this post. I have wondered the same thing. If we know that what we are doing can affect us so negatively, why isn't that enough incentive to stop! Why IS it so hard to say "no"?

Anonymous

I know from experience that quitting smoking is a lot easier than quitting junk food!!!

Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting!

Food Addict

@Karen - it really doesn't make sense. I guess the obvious or best choice isn't always the easiest. If only.

@carla - AHH!! Why does that have to be true? By the way, I love your blog. I am glad I stumbled across it - it's great to see someone who has put everything we've learned into action and has been successful!

Post a Comment