This Guy Falls Into a Hole...

Posted on June 8, 2015

This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out.

A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, "Hey you. Can you help me out?" The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.

Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, "Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?" The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on.

Then a friend walks by, "Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?" And the friend jumps in the hole.

Our guy says, "Are you stupid? Now we're both down here."

The friend says, "Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out."

That's one of my all-time favorite stories (credit: the TV series the West Wing) and here's why I posted it:

When I started DietBet in mid-April of this year, I went all-out. I was on a clean-eating diet, had a positive attitude (despite recently finding my weight at a record high number) and was exercising at least once per day - many times twice per day. Via DietBet I found out about all kinds of new workouts including Insanity, Hip-Hop Abs and 30-day Shred. I also created my own boxing drills and was swimming, running, playing tennis with my kids and having a blast! My first Kickstarter challenge ended and I was down nearly TEN POUNDS. I could hardly believe it.

And then...shortly after the end of the first challenge, my feet started hurting very badly. I ignored the pain and tried to keep up my workout routines. My feet continued to hurt and then I pulled a back muscle, which kept me out of the gym for a full week. Then Mother's Day rolled around, which included a buffet brunch and let's just say "cheat day" took on a whole new meaning. I was a mess and not of the hot variety.

I wish I would have been brave enough to post: Help! I'm in a rut and I can't get out! Instead, I quietly allowed my frustration to overwhelm me. I ignored DietBet boards for two weeks and (gulp) gave up on the Kickstarter challenge I'd entered for May (giving up on something competitive is not in my nature!).

While I was eventually able to pull myself back out of the rut, I lost two valuable weeks of my life not moving forward.

The point is: It's not all sunshine and roses. If you find yourself in a rut, don't ignore DietBet. Post about your issue(s) and ask for help. For all of the many, many positive posts you see, remember that we're all here for a reason. We've all struggled with diet and weight loss and stress and are here for support.

Comment Now!

Jocey

06/09/2015 10:11AM

Yes! I have found so many very supportive people through my DietBet games. Some of them I still keep in touch with even though they aren't participating anymore. It took me a while to feel comfortable enough to post my frustrations and failures - but once I did, the support was overwhelming and genuine. We are all here because we struggle with weight loss - a huge wealth of knowledge between us all to be shared!

Lindsey M. and Aimes like this comment.

bahhhhh

06/09/2015 9:21AM

Great post! I think we all need to be reminded to reach out. It's so easy to keep diet-y things a secret, because there's so much judgment and stigmatizing and PRESSURE not to fail. And that's why I LOVE this site! I can be open, I can be honest, and I can struggle, because we're all struggling-- because this stuff is HARD. I'm glad you found your motivation again-- you should be proud of that!

Lindsey M., Aimes, Pirwaki and Jenny like this comment.

carly n.

06/09/2015 8:26AM

I also love The West Wing! Great story to share, we are all in this together. I have been a little vocal lately about not feeling "it" and sharing it with someone helps. I don't have anyone in my life who gets what this is like. My boyfriend is VERY supportive, but he doesn't have 50 lbs to lose, and can't quite relate to this process emotionally. I need this community to talk to, rant to, complain to, and offer my own support to. Good post. We need each other, and I will always be here for you! (all of you)

Aimes, Lindsey M. and Jenny like this comment.

Pirwaki

06/09/2015 6:06AM

First of all, I LOVE The West Wing and I always loved the little lessons like these they managed to sprinkle so expertly into the stories. Thanks for reminding me of this one. Second of all, but more importantly, I am sorry to hear about the physical pain and emotional trouble you went through recently. This whole process is so delicate, it's easy for one thing to go wrong and cause an epic domino effect that can set you back weeks. Bravo to you for righting the ship all on your own, even though it would have been easier to do with some help from us DBers. I'm guilty of being too proud of my independence and ashamed of needing support sometimes that it can turn me into my own liability. So thanks for reminding me of THAT, too. On a lighter note, welcome back!! You're gonna go all the way now. :)

Lindsey M. and Aimes like this comment.

Jenny

06/09/2015 1:06AM

Sooo true; we HAVE all been there. That's one of the big reasons I like this site. The support and seeing that others are not perfect and it's not easy for anyone make me want to try harder. I'm glad you were able to get out of that hole. :)

Lindsey M. and Aimes like this comment.