Weight Loss
I was thinking about doing a post on weight loss but just really got the impulse to write it down. Well, I have pretty much been skinny or close to it most of my life. I never had any problem losing weight (except for that one time freshman year of college, with the unlimited cafeteria meal plan). I never worried about my weight, and always accepted compliments about my shape, the great majority from women surprisingly enough. At times it can get awkward when the donor of the compliments is comparing their body shape to your own, but after a while I became immune.
The way I thought of working out is like a way to blow off steam, only doing as much as I am able so I don't set up a negative association with it. And...up until a few days ago which was my 31st birthday, I ate whatever the hell I wanted.
But now, I'm finding that's not working for me anymore. My doctor prescribed some medicine that is making it even more difficult to keep my weight managed. I'm talking bout a smooth 20 lbs in less than 3 months! Ahhhh! Sometimes I feel like I'm Alice in Wonderland falling through the proverbial rabbit hole, with nothing to grab onto gaining weight as I plummet into a featured episode of my 600 lb Life. Here are my thoughts on getting in shape:
- Mindset and Self Talk
From a spiritual perspective, I feel like it's very necessary to fall in love with my body again. Create some of those compliments I used to get back then about my 'cute Lil shape'. How lovely are my hips, and the curves of my legs. How delicious are my rolls and the curve of my breasts. I've noticed since I've gained a little weight, I almost can't help myself in mentioning it or making disparaging comments about my weight gain even just joking around. This has to stop. The psyche internalizes things and interprets your feelings quite literally. The first step has to be about positive self-talk.
2. Work It Out
The second step for me is to just get moving. Work that body, work that body, make sure you don't hurt nobody! And I will adopt my original thinking on working out and treat it like a release. Something I get to do, rather than something that I HAVE to do. I really treasure my time working out when I get into the groove of it. It's like there are so many things out there that you can't control but making your body move a particular way for one more minute is totally inside the realm of your control. Try it out, see what you think
3. (Stop) Eating- Look Within
The last step is easy, in short. (Stop) eating my feelings? That's a bit more challenging, or at least requires more attention. Sometimes I find myself stuffing my face with chips and cookies when I never would have done that before. The only other time I found myself doing this mindless eating was my freshman year of college when I had gained like 60 lbs before summarily dropping out of school with straight F's. And just like that, I got my answer: I eat when I get down in the dumps. Back then it was being away from my mom and failing at being a normal 18 year old. Today, the weight gain itself has been a challenge for me because it's slowed me down and made me feel old and not attractive--something I always took for granted. Looking within to identify the root cause of weight gain can help to get it under control faster than diet and exercise alone.
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