A Code Red Rebel on a recent Ringside chit chat with Cristy said something pretty incredible (and pretty transparent) to me in the live video comments:

“Cristy, I used to get so angry with you when I would listen to podcasts. You would say ‘you can remember names if you want to, you don’t remember because you don’t care.’ I would rage at the podcast and say ‘you don’t know what it is to have an autoimmune and brain fog.’ As I get on lower and lower doses of meds and the brain fog is going away I find I can easily remember names…if I care to. And when I start struggling with names it means it’s time to see the doctor about my thyroid meds. I can’t believe how many changes are taking place within me on this journey. I’ve now been able to isolate and acknowledge some of my faulty core beliefs about myself and others so I can work on them.”

It’s true that I’ve never had that exact kind of brain fog (though I was hit in the head a lot during my eight-year boxing career, which can lead to brain swelling).

It’s also true that you (like this Rebel) are responsible for the food you consume that’s causing your brain fog (if it’s caused by what you’re eating – only one way to find out!). Thinking otherwise is a victim mentality.

Most people don’t like it when someone calls them on their crap.

It’s uncomfortable. I get it. I don’t love it, either.

It’s SO much easier to keep believing our stories, isn’t it?

Even if our stories lead to horrible results, they feel safe somehow, like your favorite childhood blanket or stuffed animal.

Plus, if you keep believing your stories, it doesn’t have to become YOUR responsibility to do anything differently.

You can stay a victim of everyone and everything outside of you…instead of taking an honest look at yourself and admitting that there’s probably stuff you could be doing and/or thinking differently to change your life in some way.

That’s why, if you’ve got a lot of weight to lose, I’m not gonna sit here and tell you that you have it easy, or that you don’t have unique challenges to deal with.

I AM gonna tell you that you have more power than you think to get the extra weight off.

I’m also gonna tell you that the fact you have more power than you think doesn’t mean you should isolate yourself and try to do it ALL on your own.

When your head’s full of your own stories, it can be tougher to find your way out of alone. (NOT impossible, just tougher.)

Doing it all on your own may feel safer, but let me ask you this: Is it working for you? Or are you getting sucked back into your old ways?

Just because your old ways feel safe doesn’t mean they are.

Getting new results ALWAYS requires getting outside your current comfort zone in some ways, and that certainly doesn’t feel “safe.”

What DOES feel safe is connecting with a supportive community…people who have your back, and have it SO well that they will love you WITHOUT letting you believe the “keeping you stuck” stories you’re telling yourself.

Get connected in a 10 Pound Takedown (www.coderedlifestyle.com/takedown) or the Code Red network and start reading and commenting.

Being part of a community is shown to improve weight loss (and weight maintenance). Give yourself the best possible chance by doing what is shown to work!