How to be your own BFF

On the second-to-last episode of My Diet is Better Than Yours, the five contestants say goodbye to their trainers for a 7-week stretch. At the end of this period, after trying to stick to their diet and exercise plans without the support of their "experts," they will meet up for the final weigh-in and find out who wins the $50,000 prize. Plus $20,000 worth of groceries. Not bad for 14 weeks of dieting.

Before entering the competition, everyone on the show gained weight, in fact became obese, for different reasons. One man was in a car accident and forced to lie in bed for months in order to heal. Another became extremely busy running his own company, working ridiculous hours and never sleeping. But underneath these seemingly disparate "reasons" lies a basic lack of care for themselves. Bottom line: they were not being their own best friends.

If you were put in the care of your own best friend, a person you cherished and wanted to see prosper, would you feed them junk food by the bucketful until they got fat and sick? Or would you cook them nutritious meals made from wholesome fresh veggies, high quality protein, and healthy fats? Would you encourage them to get up and move their bodies or bring them another DVD to watch in bed?

These five contestants were each given a personal trainer. This is the equivalent of a best friend. The trainer's job is to make sure the contestant is eating a proper diet and exercising in the correct manner to promote safe and healthy weight loss. Four out of the five contestants embraced this opportunity and made friends with their trainers. These four all saw significant progress in their weight loss as well as their medical results (a lowering of blood sugar levels, cholesterol, inches around the waist, BMI, etc.). One contestant, on the other hand, rejected not one but two different trainers, lost very little weight, and decided, after 7 weeks, to quit the show.

Why?

Why would an intelligent woman throw away the opportunity to change her life for the better? Why would she select two very different trainers and diet plans, only to reject both in the end? Why would she walk away from an opportunity to win a significant amount of money (and groceries!) by simply doing something she (supposedly) already wanted to do?

This is a very clear example of someone not being a friend to themselves. In fact, this person is her own worst enemy. When caring experts reached out to her, offered support, cheered her on and tried to push her toward HER OWN goals, she did everything in her power to get in her own way. She quit in the middle of the 5K race while everyone else finished. She whined about being tired during her martial arts test and refused to celebrate her successful completion. She decided she didn't like or respect either one of her trainers. When it was time for her to go it alone for 7 weeks, she quit the whole show.

Does this remind you of anyone you know? Do you shoot yourself in the foot instead of having your own back? Do you give up when the going gets tough? Or do you surround yourself with people who want the best for you? Do you cheer yourself on?

A best friend is always kind, but also honest. She never gives up on you. She knows how much you are capable of and she tells you so. When you fall down, she reaches out a hand, but you still have to choose to stand up for yourself. Everyone needs a best friend. You can be your own.

Side note: I watched the finale of My Diet is Better Than Yours. The winner of the $50,000 prize (plus groceries!) was Jasmine! Yup, a woman won the whole thing. Up against two much bigger men, she had the greatest percentage of weight loss. She also won the half marathon. She and her trainer will be featured in People magazine.

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