The Cards Principle

You know, the last time I did this program I got thin. Really thin. But I always had this lingering thought in my head…

“Do I have to count Points forever?”

I mean, my friends don’t have to count points. Most of them can spend some extra time at the gym or cut back a little on their food intake and drop whatever they need.

“If I can just get thin enough, I won’t have to worry about it anymore. I’ll be like them, right?”

Most of you already know the answer to that question. No, I can’t. But I tried to. I stopped counting points. I stopped losing weight. Slowly Within six months, I gained 30 pounds. Ouch. That should have been my wake-up call. It wasn’t. I was pissed off. Pissed off because I thought I deserved to be like “them”, that I shouldn’t have to work harder than everyone else just to be an average size. I was pissed off because I thought I deserved better than what I’d been given. It wasn’t fair.

“It isn’t fair.”

It isn’t fair. That’s the point. We’re dealt cards in life. In my hand, I held Wit, Intelligence, Loving Family, and Creativity. I had some great cards, but couldn’t get past the fact that I wasn’t dealt Naturally Thin. The thing is, I have a skinny cousin who would have killed for my ability to get A’s without studying. I think we should have been allowed to switch cards, but it’s against the rules of the game.

We’re dealt cards in life. They’re not fair. They’re not unfair. They’re just what came off the top of the deck. They’re completely neutral.

So, I guess it’s not the cards in my hand that matter. It’s how I play them. Hmm…

I wish I had drawn the Realization About the Fairness of Life card a few hands earlier.

Right now, I'm looking at points completely differently. It's a way to stay in control, not just of my food intake and weight, but of my life. I know exactly what's going into my belly, what I'm doing with my workouts, and how they fit into my life. I know my schedule better than I ever have because I’m planning for what foods I will have within it. I’m in control. I like “in control”. Which brings me back to my original question:

“Do I have to count Points forever?”

No, but I choose to.