Slimming World,
The existence of God.
Procrastinating.
Breastfeeding.
4 of your 5 controversial topics a day,
right here.
I can’t lie.
I wasn’t going to write this.
I was actually supposed to be doing something else..
I got a bit p*ssed off with people in general,
(well more disappointed, actually)
and thought – do you know what?
From now on I will just write flagrant sales emails
and fluffy bunny, bland, feel-good,
vanilla schmaltz.
Wasting my time.
A friend of mine said to me;
writing is SUPPOSED to be provocative.
Make you think.
Teach you something.
Maybe make you disagree…
But make you THINK about why you
disagree.
Marmite – not Margarine.
Or what’s the point?
More than half of the people who
subscribe for these emails,
open them every time.
Which doesn’t sound a lot – but it is.
And with most emails I get replies
(which I love, do reply)
about how the subject resonated with them.
Sharing intimate stories.
And their thoughts on the matter.
Quite an honour.
And the ones with the most replies
are most usually the ones with the most
unsubscribes.
Which I also like.
(Because I have to pay for people to
be on this list – and if they don’t
read the stuff – it’s just a waste of money.)
And some of those unsubscribers have been
ANGRY.
“How DARE you talk such nonsense?
“Tanya, you are TOTALLY wrong,
and what the hell do you know
anyway.”
Happened after the email I wrote about Slimming World.
Or Slimming World- gate as my cult followers
have called it.”
(Sorry – couldn’t resist)
To be fair there has also been; Weight Watchers-Gate,
a very minor-Herbalife-Gate-ette, Breastfeeding-Gate,
‘don’t glamorise murderers’-gate, oh and a minor
school dinners altercation yesterday.
OMG and Atheist-Gate!!!!!
Feck me those people were clever.
Scientists, Academics – proper boffins.
That was epic.
I didn’t win that one,
but I put up a hell of a good fight.
And we worked out whether God exists or not.
So that was worthwhile.
It’s only fair to rotate the people I
annoy.
Who are in the minority.
The replies tell me that.
Eventually I will have enough
unsubscribers to ONLY be talking
to people who want to hear it.
Anyway – the Slimming World one…
So I went along, and I wrote what I saw
and naturally, a local SW group went batshit mental.
OF COURSE they did.
How could they not?
I was actually slightly weirded out for a
couple of days when I hadn’t heard anything
negative.
TICK… TICK… TICK…
Just tons of people who had experienced exactly
what I did.
And then the timer went off….
BOOM!!
I had not only made criticisms of a meeting
it seemed to feel to the people in an FB group
that it was a personal attack on them.
I had inadvertently made a direct dig at
their choices.
Calling them mugs.
Maybe being superior?
I wasn’t actually.
I was being in their corner
Like the Atheists – they could show me PROOF
that God didn’t exist,
but I KNEW he did…
And you can’t argue with someone who KNOWS
a thing.
You can’t mess up their argument with
facts and statistics…
It makes them cross.
And dig their heels in.
Makes them believe more fiercely.
Then yesterday when I saw potato waffles
on the school menu.
I assumed everyone would think the same as me.
On this point.
THIS ONE.
Because no-one wants anything but the best for
their child’s health.
Slimming World, God, Breastfeeding – all open
for debate, yes.
But lots DIDN’T agree.
It’s tomorrow’s email.
Too much for here.
Let me know what you think.
I think they didn’t agree because it challenged
their relationship with food; how they eat at home
and various other things.
(If you want to hone your debating skills
seriously, the Atheists will train you up fast)
Not to hold steadfastly to your opinions
but to listen, test, think, test again,
until there is no debate necessary.
Eventually the truth is too compelling to bother
to argue with.
So I have tested MY thinking.
I realised my default is to just write about things.
I need to put my money where my mouth is
or else I am just a restaurant critic
without the swanky free lunches.
There are some indisputable facts in the above arguments..
(I don’t like all of them.)
Here they are:
Breastfeeding is statistically better for your baby
Although some mothers get very ill and depressed,
which isn’t good for any of the family.
Creationism isn’t logical
Although religion has endured throughout human history
and in every culture
People like going to slimming clubs
They also hate it.
There are some very good parts.
You know my thoughts on the other parts.
People can’t distinguish debate from attack
Or opinion from judgement
Our bodies can’t tell the difference.
We release the same chemicals.
And I don’t want to be a restaurant critic…
I want to be the best chef.
I was thinking why I love
the things I love teaching.
The exercise is not it.
It’s the people.
BodyJam – it’s the EMOTION that people feel
you can’t get that from Zumba.
It’s not for everyone. Most people would prefer
to jig about at Zumba.
Zumba’s cool – but it’s not emotional.
Personal Training – it’s about the stories.
How people FEEL so different
what their obstacles are, how they overcome them.
So I will take the morning off from annoying people
and (hearing touchingly positive responses from others)
And put my money where my mouth is.
Well ours actually.
Having Claire Wakeford, a Mindfulness Expert
as the other half of the Wise & Gorgeous teaching team
Someone who also works for the mental health team
and has been helping people with
SERIOUS emotional issues
….for the twenty years I have been
getting their bodies fit and healthy.
Shows me that we can’t just criticise what we don’t like.
That’s easy.
We are going to do something about it.
Not a slimming club, not an exercise course,
But once and for all, getting to the root of your
problem.
Helping you find out why you overeat, can’t get motivated,
have low mood, feel anxious, can’t sleep, are irritable.
And then give you the tools to put it all back together.
And love yourself
And your life.
Only then will eating well, getting fit and a healthy weight –
all that stuff will fall into place.
That’s not as important as your mind.
That’s the muscle that needs to be Olympic Standard
None of it is as important as how you feel.
That’s the only thing you really have.
Scientifically…it HAS to be that way round.
We’re not interested in cramming 50 women into a church hall.
This is not a big-business get-cash-quick, bums on seats,
keep em coming back king of thing.
This is a proving a point kind of thing.
We are looking for about 8 of you.
And taking you on a life-changing journey.
You will have to challenge your thinking.
It may not be comfortable.
And it might irritate the hell out of you.
I have done my best to talk you out of it.
But if I haven’t…..
click the red box thing below
Tanya
xxxx