Jonathan’s Story
Choice Weight Analysis
Free Weekly Tips
Shut Up And Choose Book
Jonathan Ressler
Hey, welcome back to Shut Up and Choose, the podcast that cuts through the noise, the nonsense, and all the other bullshit the internet and Instagram gurus keep throwing at you. All those influencers with ripped abs who’ve never lost more than a pound or two and whose full-time job is living in a gym.
I throw all that garbage to the curb and give you the real deal. Real thoughts on weight loss and how it actually works. Not fantasy land. Not the $70 billion diet industry. Real life.
Today I want to talk about a company that’s been in the news a lot lately. And no, I’m not talking about Cracker Barrel and their rebrand. I’ve got opinions on that, but not today.
I’m talking about Southwest Airlines and their size policy that requires passengers who don’t fit in one seat to buy another.
I agree with it. One hundred percent.
If an airline has to charge you for two seats, maybe that’s not discrimination. Maybe that’s your wake-up call.
Southwest just reminded America of something nobody wants to admit. Seats didn’t get smaller. We got bigger.
Before you get pissed off, let’s be clear. This isn’t about shame. This is about truth, consequences, and choices.
Airplanes are designed around one simple reality. One seat per passenger. If you can’t fit into one seat, that isn’t the airline’s fault. That isn’t society being unfair. That’s a reflection of where your health has gone.
I know because I lived it.
I needed a seatbelt extender. I spilled into the next seat. I was that guy. And if needing a second seat embarrasses you, good. Use it.
Not for another crash diet. Not for detox tea. Not for some fake fix.
Use it for real action. Small, smart choices that add up to never needing two seats again.
Because spilling into the next seat isn’t body positivity. It’s a health crisis. It’s lost freedom, lost energy, and a shrinking life.
Until something forces you to see it, it’s easy to pretend nothing’s wrong.
So maybe Southwest is doing you a favor. Maybe that seat isn’t discrimination. Maybe it’s accountability.
A flashing red light saying change now or stay stuck.
The choice is yours.
Southwest’s customer of size policy isn’t new. It’s been around for years. If you can’t lower both armrests and sit within one seat, you’re required to purchase another.
No humiliation. No public scene. Just a rule.
And here’s the part nobody mentions. In many cases, Southwest refunds the second seat after the flight.
This isn’t greed. It’s logistics.
Planes are tight. Space matters. When one passenger spills into another’s seat, the person next to them pays the price.
That’s not fair. It’s not comfortable. It’s not safe.
You wouldn’t buy one movie ticket and take up two seats. A plane at thirty thousand feet isn’t different.
Southwest isn’t saying they hate large people. They’re saying everyone deserves the space they paid for.
I recently sat next to someone who was the size I used to be. It was miserable.
Not insulting. Just reality.
If you need more space, you should be responsible for securing it. That’s common sense.
Planes aren’t luxury yachts. One seat equals one fare. If you need two, you account for it.
This policy protects passengers too. It avoids public arguments. It keeps things private. It gives people dignity.
This isn’t fat shaming. It’s acknowledging reality.
The real issue isn’t Southwest’s policy. The real issue is how many people would rather scream discrimination than face consequences.
The seat didn’t shrink. The body grew.
If you need two seats, that’s not just about travel. That’s a billboard-sized signal that something needs to change.
It’s not society’s fault. It’s not discrimination. It’s a wake-up call.
Most wake-up calls come later. Heart attacks. Pre-diabetes. Doctors telling you time is running out.
Buying a second seat is one of the gentler ones.
This isn’t body positivity. It’s a health issue. No hashtag changes physics.
This isn’t about shame. Shame paralyzes.
This is about honesty.
If the airline says you need two seats, you don’t need a support group telling you everything’s fine. You need to ask yourself if this is how you want to live.
Because it doesn’t stop at airplanes.
Tying your shoes. Stairs. Keeping up with your kids. Feeling comfortable in your own skin.
Every one of those is a warning.
Weight didn’t happen overnight. It was thousands of small choices compounded over years.
The way back works the same way.
One small, smart choice at a time.
This could be the greatest gift you ever get.
Pain motivates change. Comfort never does.
This isn’t discrimination. It’s opportunity.
An invitation to wake up, take control, and stop being a passenger in your own life.
Shame doesn’t work. If it did, America would be lean.
But honesty does.
Honesty says this is reality and you can change it.
That stings. Good.
The sting fades. The freedom doesn’t.
The diet industry survives on confusion. If diets worked, it wouldn’t exist.
You lose weight. You hit a wall. You quit. You blame yourself. You buy the next plan.
Your failure is their business model.
Diets are designed to fail, then convince you it’s your fault.
The solution is simpler than they want you to believe.
Stop dieting. Start choosing.
I lost over 140 pounds that way. No diets. No gimmicks. No shots.
Just choices.
If I can do it, you can too.
You don’t need perfection. You need decisions.
One better choice today. Another tomorrow.
Stack them and momentum takes over.
Track awareness. Make swaps. Remove friction. Play the long game.
Stop outsourcing responsibility.
The airline isn’t the villain. Your metabolism isn’t broken.
Every choice is yours.
That truth is heavy. It’s also empowering.
You don’t need restriction. You need clarity.
One small shift at a time.
That’s how this works.
This is your wake-up call.
Stop dieting. Start choosing.
Shut up and choose.