Today I want to quickly discuss sabotage thought number 8, that often prevents people from pursuing appropriate weight management and wellness goals. Sabotage thought number eight sounds something like this, “I’m so busy looking after everyone else I don’t have time to look after myself”.You’ve heard people say this. I admire people who go out of their way to make sure that all the important people in their life are well looked after. These people are a wonderful gift to the world. However, it’s still not an excuse for not making the effort to look after yourself. By that I mean, eating in a health-promoting manner (keeping the bad fats out of your mouth, not over eating carbs, getting at least 20 minutes of endurance activity each day, more preferably 30-45 minutes, achieving your ideal body weight, getting regular check-ups with blood work and preventative screenings like PSA test, colonoscopy, mammogram, pap smear, not smoking, and avoiding or using alcohol very judiciously, getting adequate sleep).

The truth is that there are many people who are great care-givers to their family and friends, who also make the effort to also look after themselves in this way. They do it because they know that if they are healthy and well themselves, they can be of much greater assistance to the people for whom they provide their care, love, and support. They also know that if they get sick, or have a heart attack, a stroke, or go blind from diabetes – for reasons that could have been prevented through better day-to-day wellness initiatives, then the people whose lives they have been trying to make easier are then put in a position where their lives just became much more difficult because they now have to take care of you instead. I have seen this play out in real life numerous times.

So, needless to say, I am not a big fan of the martyr mentality. Some people use “their concern for others” as an excuse not be proactive in their own health management. In reality, there are many people who do a good job of both – they look after themselves really well, and they look after others really well.

Sabotage Thought Number 8 – not looking after yourself because you invest all your time looking after others is a popular one. Don’t let it stop you from developing your own personal wellness plan and executing it. You’ll be much more valuable to others, and for a much longer period of time, if you take the simple daily steps to also look after yourself as well. And you’ll love the results of your new and improved wellness body, blood results, energy level, and other health parameters.

So, don’t let your concern for the wellbeing of others be the excuse that stops from setting and achieving our wellness goals.

Dr. James Meschino
DC,MS, ROHP