Owning it......or not

A couple of days ago, I realized that once again, I weigh LESS than what my driver's license says. GO ME!!! LOL After losing a lot of weight and no longer looking like my old license (not to mention, I was way overdue for changing state licenses from moving here!) I decided it was time that I get a new license. I put my weight as 27 pounds less than I was at that point. LOL It just sounded better and I obviously wasn't going to get away with putting my goal weight down. ;) So, now I'm 29 pounds down from what I was that day. I'll go in and have my license redone when I get to my goal. :)

So.....that realization got me to thinking about how most people "fudge" the numbers on their license and don't really own what they are. Now, two licenses ago I really was what I said. It was the lightest I'd been in years and it didn't bother me too badly to own it then, so I put it down. When we moved from WA to NM and I got my license there, they didn't even ask and just transferred the number. LOL At my heaviest, I was 65 pounds heavier than what that number read. Yikes!! But, still, when I got my "new" license a few months ago.....I didn't. Mainly because I knew I wasn't going to stay there and even by the next day, I could be less.
I've also noticed recently, especially in this world of technology and social networking (like Facebook) where people put their stats, that people fudge the numbers there too. I remember years ago, my one brother in law had himself listed on Myspace as 8 feet tall and African American....which he was neither and it was so silly it just made me laugh. Obviously, those who know him knew it was a joke too. :) But, I've noticed, some people I know that are shall we say.....height challenged ;) (no offense, I'm 5' 2 1/2"....I'm right there with them! lol) fudge the numbers with their height too. Not by silly large amounts like mentioned above. But, it's funny to see people claim a number that is the same height that you know that you really are or even more than that.....when you know they are shorter than you....by a few inches. I guess it's a common thing that most of us want to be taller and thinner than we really are. LOL For the record....my driver's license says I'm 5'3" but that is because you can't put fractions of inches....so I rounded up instead of down. LOL

Then, I got to thinking about how this relates to weight loss and body image, etc. Being honest with yourself and what you are is such a HUGE part of it. I lived in denial a looooooooonnnnnnngggggggg time about my weight. I knew I was overweight, but I didn't step on a scale in literally years because if I did, I'd have no choice but to face it. Ignorance is bliss, right? ;) Even when this journey began, I *knew* what I was and Erik knew what I was.....but it took me a ways into the journey before I could admit it "out loud" to other people, on my blog, etc. I was embarrassed and ashamed and didn't want people to know that I was 280.2 pounds at my all time high. That I had let it get so bad. But, really, who was I kidding?????? Truth be told, only myself. Other people could see what I was, even if I denied it to myself. Now, I don't think I have ever verbally told anyone that I weighed less than I did.....I just simply didn't discuss numbers. But, I am quite sure that though people may have not known exact numbers....they knew it was up there. Even if I'd said 250...they'd probably be thinking "Yeah right!" in their heads. ;)
So, why do we all do it? Do we really think that other people are stupid or blind (not that it's really anyone else's business)? When you lose weight, people notice and when you gain......people also notice. Are we really trying to fool ourselves and make ourselves feel better? Hoping that our denial or fudging numbers to people will change what they see before them? Because really, it makes no difference to anyone else what height we are or what we weigh. We are what we are. But, that honesty or LACK of....can be a road block to success in becoming what we WANT to be and what we want other people to see us as. So, OWN IT PEOPLE!!! Own it and then move forward!!! :)