Do You Really Need To Lose Weight?
You are unique, both in your personality and your body. That's why diets fail when they aren't right for you. Keep looking, though, and you'll find a way to lose weight. It may be a plan that suits your unique personality and body, or the result of many small changes you make - or a combination of both. First, though, I have a question for you.
Why do you need to lose weight? Don't buy into the myth that we all need to be thin. There is no rational basis for it. Write down the benefits you expect from losing weight. Are they worth the effort? Being clear about this is the best way to stay motivated if you do decide to lose weight.
A Dose Of Honesty
Just before writing this, I saw a report on the news about a review of
existing obesity studies. It showed that, contrary to the consensus of health professionals, being a little overweight actually had no effect on longevity. You can be overweight and live a long, healthy life.
Overweight people are discriminated against terribly in this culture. Often, as when an employer chooses a thinner person over a heavier one, the prejudice is unconscious, but it's very real. It may be true that statistically you are more likely to succeed if you're thinner, but overweight people still succeed in all areas of life.
The point of bringing this up is to dispel some silly ideas and get real about weight loss. Will you get more dates if you lose weight? Probably, but how many do you need? You certainly can find friends and lovers right now. Look around and you'll see that there are many overweight or even obese people in happy relationships.
There Is Nothing Wrong With You
There's nothing wrong with you just because you're overweight. Don't accept the idea that heavy people have some special character flaw. People who are cruel to their kids or lie to their spouses have flaws not visible to the public, so nobody thinks badly of them, yet aren't these far worse than simply eating too much?
Our culture is obsessed with appearance, and with the idea of willpower. A man can bite his nails his whole life (or drink or smoke or have a cold heart), and he'll be accepted in polite society, weak willpower and all, because his weakness can be hidden. Gain a little weight, though, and people think "Look at that. Hmm...no willpower." Don't hate judgmental people for their ignorance and hypocrisy, but don't accept their silly ideas for a second!
Overweight is okay. So is losing weight, if you have decided that it is the right thing for you to do. I just don't want to encourage anyone to lose weight for the wrong reasons. Okay, moving on...
The Benefits Of Weight Loss
Look at the list of possible benefits below. Which are important or relevant to your desires and goals? Write them down, but in more personal terms (example: "I'll have the energy to start that business," or "I'll be able to climb mountains again.") Review your list regularly, so you are motivated, and for the right reasons.
Here are some possible benefits of losing weight, depending on how overweight you are right now:
- You'll have the energy to do what you want. - You'll be healthier, and feel better.
- You'll feel like you are more in control of your life. - You'll have more opportunities in life.
- You'll have higher self-esteem.
- You'll be happier about where you are in life. - You'll get your diabetes under better control. - You'll be able to buy regular clothes.
- People will look at you differently.
- You'll like what you see when you look in the mirror. - People will be more accepting of you.
- You'll have less pain in your joints.
Unique Diets For Unique People
Explore and address your specific needs. Maybe your weight problem is something that requires psychological help. Maybe you just need a slightly easier-to-follow diet, and you'll finally lose that weight. Maybe exercise is the way for you. Find the unique combination of factors that work for you. The list that follows is just a collection of many options, all of which have worked for some people sometimes. If the methods which involve changing the foods you eat and activities you engage in don't work after several tries, you may want to focus on the methods that work to change your beliefs and thinking. The key? Persist - you'll find the way if you do that. But persist in the effort, not in using methods that fail you.
One more thought: If you find enough little "tricks" that help (start with the list below), you might not need any complicated or overwhelming "weight loss plan." Just keep adding helpful and simple routines and foods to your life.