Taking the Bite Out of Weight Loss

Don't listen to those diet experts who tell you what to eat. I'll bet if any of them were subjected to their own ridiculously unnatural eating rules, they wouldn't be able to last one week before heading for the fridge! Whenever I read their advice to weigh, measure and count calories, I know that none of these so-called experts has ever had a weight problem. Anyone who has ever overcome a weight problem knows that weight is not the real problem, weight is merely a symptom.

I have struggled with my weight, lost it and gained it back three separate times in my life. A real expert is someone who has been there and honey, I’ve been there. My transformation began with the simple question, "What do I want to eat?" and then whatever the answer was, I would not add up the calories or the fat grams, I would simply eat it and enjoy it. Funny thing, I started to notice that when I allowed myself to eat ANYTHING I saw a new pattern emerge. When I went to an all you can eat buffet, I could eat all night and never be satisfied because the food was of poor quality and had little flavor. Instead when I went to a nice restaurant and ate just exactly what I really had a taste for, something that was made with care and cooked to perfection, I was very satisfied with one helping and sometimes even left food on my plate. I chose to ignore that voice in my head that told me I didn't deserve to enjoy food because I was fat. The more I chose to eat what I liked and enjoy it, the quieter that voice became and the more I valued quality over quantity.

The next question I asked was, "What do I want to do for fun?" It took a while for the answers to come and when they did, I once again forced myself to walk through the guilt, shame and embarrassment of being fat. I went to the beach even though I was too fat for a bathing suit. I wanted to look nice now so I bought pretty new clothes in my current size and threw out all the clothes that were to small for me. I forced myself to do these things because I couldn't wait until I lost weight to live my life. I had to satisfy my hunger for living now.

The more joy I added to my life, the less power food had over me. Pretty soon exercise became another fun challenge and instead of doing those incredibly boring routines that my personal trainer told me to do, I fired him and took up dancing and hiking. These things were fun for me. I also took up yoga even though many people told me "you can't lose weight doing yoga." I didn't care. Guess what, they were wrong, good thing I listened to myself, good thing I did what I enjoyed instead of following "logical" advice.

I have been working with women on the topic of weight loss for a couple of years now and it always comes down to having the willingness to put yourself first. Those who cling to the belief that they can’t make time for themselves don’t lose weight. Those who are willing to risk being labeled as selfish do lose weight. Its that simple.

If you are suffering with obesity I ask you, when you finally have a moment of peace to sit down and enjoy the pleasure of eating, do you take your time and savor it or do you guiltily rushes through it? Have you bought the lie that you aren't supposed to enjoy food or anything else for that matter because you are fat? Have you bought the lie that because you are a woman, you are supposed to take care of everyone else and put yourself last on the list? How is that philosophy working for you?

When you start really living, weight becomes less of an issue. When you take back your power by first taking back your right to chose your own food you can change your whole life, one bite at time.

1. Prev:Core Values: How Building a Strong Torso Speeds Weight Loss
2. Next:Having Trouble Losing Weight Permanently Over 40?