Want to lose weight and keep it off

Question
QUESTION: Hi. I don't have a big problem-I weight 61 kgs, or 135 pounds, and I am 5 4', and 28 years of age. I still feel heavy, and definitely look heavy when I wear form fitting clothes. Ideally, I wish to be 55 kgs at the very least, and I cant seem to get 6-7 kgs off me! I go to the gym about 3 times a week for an hour's worth of exercise on an average. Please devise a plan that can actually help me. Thank you so much

ANSWER: Hi Maliha

Here's the thing... your body knows it's at it's ideal weight, the heaviness you're feeling sounds like it's much more in your mind than in your body.  This is very common - it's when the over-thin images our media feed us have so influence our subconcsious that even when our physical weight it fine, we feel heavy.  It's a classic case of our biology and culture clashing.  Your body knows it needs a certain amount of body fat to function properly but cultural images are of the typical model who is 9% taller than the average woman and 16% thinner than she should be to be medically healthy.  I suffered from this for many years and because I absolutely insisted I had to be thinner than what my body wanted to be, I got anorexic and then spent 20 years of my life yo-yo dieting and fighting against what my body knew it needed all the time.  

I know this probably isn't the answer you're looking for, but it sounds to me more like you need a mental diet (http://www.ditch-diets-live-light.com/mental-diet.html ) than to physically lose weight.  To be sure though, grab a tape measure and head over to http://www.ditch-diets-live-light.com/body-fat-calculation-and-health.html and check out your percentage body fat.  If your % body fat falls between 18-22% please rather work on your mind than your body - you'll find all sorts of mind stuff at http://www.ditch-diets-live-light.com/power-of-positive-thinking.html

Kind regards
Cari

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Cari, for your prompt response. I understand what you are saying. I guess my biggest problem is my stomach/belly. I have slender arms and legs, but I truly have a protruding belly. Any way I can target that? If I have have a slimmer waist and hips, that would be probably solve my body image issues.

Answer
Mel, unfortunately you probably need to chat to someone who is a gym instructor if you're convinced it's really protruding (i had a tummy even when I had anorexia, guess that's just the way I'm built). But being a psychologist, I'm not really able to help you with this question - sorry about that.  Sometimes though a protruding belly is also a matter of posture and how we carry our body. Take a look at yourself sideways in the mirror and see what happens to how your tummy looks when you straighten your spine and push your shoulders back.

Sorry I can't be of more help
Kind regards
cari

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