How to lose weight without getting help

A while ago I had an argument with my brother. It was a silly thing really but we wouldn’t talk for quite a while. We are quite close (we’re talking again and all is good now) and we did recognise the impact that our decision not to talk took not only on us but on our whole family.

My wife called the two of us “just too proud” and I guess she was right. 

This had nothing to do with mental or physical wellbeing but I believe the phenomena of male pride can be something that can stand in the way of reaching our goal and becoming healthy and happier.

Let me explain; 

A person that needs help but is too full of himself, too proud really, will not receive help as easily as somebody who can admit to himself that he just doesn’t have all the answers. 

Our worst enemy

Admitting that we can be our own worst enemy can be the first step in the right direction and lead us down the road of progressing and getting where we want to be (in our case often physical improvement as well as general mental wellbeing).

But pride comes in different shapes and it might also be the case that a proud lad-I’m talking silly proud- doesn’t even admit to himself that he came to a point where not getting help can become dangerous. 

I’ve written about male self harm in the past and as a dad of two young boys (and being a bloke myself) it’s something close to my heart to build a platform for communication and honesty. 

Being transparent about how we feel, why we feel the way we do is essential for progress and leads us to finding answers to what we can do about negative impact in our lives, how to deal with certain things and to realise when it’s time to get help. 

But it’s no surprise that we try to do it all by ourself. After all, the way boys are raised stands in dramatic contrast to how girls are raised and that mentality of “Man up- Boys don’t cry”, sits deep and will probably be part of many of us for our whole life. It really sets the foundation of not seeking help and believing we can and we have to do everything ourselves.

I still believe that it needs to be addressed though, because talking about delicate subjects helps us to reflect on ourselves and to ask ourselves where we stand and if our own pride stands in the way of our personal success.

Some injuries just need a plaster and a pat on the shoulder, other injuries need a specialist. 

I am sure you wouldn’t try to operate on yourself after a car crash; to try & heal yourself in areas that you are not trained in or where the angle to reach is simply out of reach for you?

For some of you I might have scratched the surface of something that sits deep and needs more attention. 

So ask yourself how pride affects your everyday life and if it keeps you from reaching your full potential.

And if you need to, seek help.

There’s nothing wrong with ‘not having all the answers’.

To your Health

A.