I’ve said time and time again that losing weight is so much more than a physical transformation. It is a mind body transformation. It’s a huge adjustment, not only for yourself but for others around you. Losing weight involves gaining mental strength which is the essence behind a total lifestyle change.
For many they have been over weight their entire life. So they don’t just feel the pain of being an overweight adult. They also feel the pain of being an overweight child/teenager. They know exactly what it’s like to be the last one chosen on a team, they know what it’s like to bullied on the school bus and in the classroom, they know what it’s like not to be invited to parties or asked to prom. There is so much self confidence and self worth issues and can result in feeding emotions with foods. When these kids enter adulthood they become a pretty face…something that newly overweight adults hear as well. Perhaps one of the worst things people can say is “…but you have such a pretty face.” We know in our hearts that it’s just a very nice way of saying we are overweight and could look so much better.
Then one day enough becomes enough and we decide to lose the weight. But the decision isn’t just to lose the excess pounds. The decision involves leaving who we were behind-whether or not we consciously realize it. We are choosing a new way of life that is more than shedding the pounds; it’s about shedding the fear and excuses.
As your journey continues and you see not only the numbers on the scale go down and you watch your clothes fitting looser and looser. You will also realize how good your body feels. You’ll realize that you are doing things that you never thought possible. You are behaving in ways that are new to you. Instead of grabbing something quick that is loaded with fat and calories you whip up a 10 minute bean soup without second thought. This is the type of change that you have made that others notice, that your body loves, and that is what is keeping you successful.
There will come a point in your transformation where you will get scared. This is the ultimate turning point. This is where you can either run away with your new lifestyle or you can continue to hide in the shadows. This is the point when the old you fights back because that is the piece of you that helped to create the unhealthy lifestyle that you have become accustomed to. That piece of you does not want to die. But in order to continue on your path to greatness you must let that piece of you go. You are evolving. The new you is stepping into the light and kicking out the old unhappy you. What makes this so scary is the unknown. Embrace who you have become and who you are becoming. In order to grow and gain strength you have to be willing to try new things. You have to be willing to not succeed the first time but willing to get up and try again. This will be the difference between the old you and the new you.
The changes don’t happen overnight, but they do occur one choice at a time.
