A few days ago, a friend asked me for tips on losing weight. Having released almost 50 pounds of unnecessary weight from my body during the past couple of years, I’ve learned to. . .
1. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU SAY TO YOURSELF WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR. This is the big one. In fact, it’s the biggest one. If I could only get only one point across to people, it would be this: speak kindly to yourself. What do you say to yourself as you’re looking at yourself in a bathroom mirror as you’re washing your hands? What do you say to yourself when you’re toweling off after a shower? Or if you’re walking down a city street and your reflection in a storefront window, what do you think? What do you think when you’re adjusting your rear view mirror in your car? Are you noticing your flaws, your imperfections, the things about your body you don’t like? And if so, begin today to replace those negative observations with affirmative observations. Affirm what you see in the mirror. Praise what you see in the mirror. Recognize the beauty of what you seen in the mirror.
2. EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY BE A FEW POUNDS AWAY FROM YOUR IDEAL BODY WEIGHT, FIND THINGS ABOUT YOUR BODY TO LOVE--TODAY. I know from personal experience that this is not easy. Finding beauty in my body when it was 45 pounds above its healthful weight did not come naturally. Seeing my overweight body as gorgeous required quite a bit of effort on my part. It required energy and discipline and lots and lots of practice. And it didn’t feel natural or easy at first. It felt like I was lying to myself. But here’s the funny thing that happened. The more I noticed my great hair or my awesome curves or my spectacular laugh or my strong calves--the more I acknowledged the beauty in my overweight body, the more beauty there was to acknowledge, and the less overweight it became.
3.KNOW THAT YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. There’s probably just a part of you that is resisting what you know you should do. Discover what you’re resisting, and then find a way to make it fun. For me, I had the biggest block around exercise. I hated it for many reasons, which I won’t bore you with here. However, I knew that, in order to get what I really, really wanted (to be in the best shape of my life), I knew I would have to get my fine rear out of the chair and move it in some way, shape, or form. I knew that exercise was going to be a crucial component to releasing weight through pleasure, and so I decided to search for ways to make moving my body fun. It wasn’t fun in the beginning. But after a few months, it became fun!
4. REGARD YOUR BODY AS PRECIOUS. This seems to be a theme of the major religious traditions of the world, and yet, given the tremendous increase in obesity (and obesity-related diseases) over the past few decades, it’s a theme that is not effectively implemented in people’s lives. There aren’t a lot of classes or workshops or degrees in “how to regard your body as precious.” Learning to love our physical bodies is not something we’re taught in church or in school. However, learning to love our physical bodies can become one of the most important lessons of our lives. Developing a healthy, loving relationship with our flesh can create a foundation, platform, and springboard for healthy, loving relationships with all aspects of our lives.
5. ENJOY YOUR PHYSICAL SENSES. Take pleasure in each of your five senses every day. Use your sense of touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smelling to experience beauty and fulfillment and satisfaction.
6. BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR BODY. Live in a state of gratitude for your physical self. Consider all the wonderful things that you’ve accomplished with your body. And if you want extra credit? Create a gratitude list for the part of your body you have the hardest time accepting. Do you feel like your thighs resemble tree trunks? Consider how their strength has served you over the years. Do you feel like your bottom is too big? Consider the pleasure of having a curvy body. Do you feel like your hair is too gray (or too curly or too straight or to thin or too thick or too this or to that)? Consider being grateful for that your hair has protected your scalp and kept your head warm over the years.
7.PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY. Listen to it. Your body is always talking to you, but sometimes we don’t pay it the attention it deserves. Is it tired? Let it rest. Is it overworked? Give it a break. Is it physically hungry? Feed it food that it really enjoys. Is it emotionally hungry? Nourish its spirit. Is it stressed? Breathe deeply. Is it bored? Find pleasure in the now. Is it in pain? Touch it with love and kindness.
8. ONLY EAT FOODS YOU LIKE. Life is too short to deprive yourself of foods you love. Geneen Roth wrote something to the effect of, “For every diet, there is an equal and opposite binge.” If there are foods that you continually deprive yourself of, eventually you will find yourself eating those foods--in large quantities! However, if we allow ourselves to eat the foods that we truly enjoy and that truly bring us pleasure, then no foods are off limits. We can eat what we want (because we’re paying attention to our wants and our hunger levels). We can truly enjoy what we’re eating, and stop when we feel full. For many of us, this can be challenge. But just trusting ourselves to eat what we want and stop when we’ve had enough can be reason to celebrate!
9.PAY ATTENTION TO PORTION SIZES. This may not be a popular tip in today’s world of king size this and super size that. Pay attention to when you’re hungry. Eat what you’re physically hungry for. And stop eating when you’re full. And remember, distinguish between physical hunger and emotional hunger. If you’re physically hungry, food will fill you up. If you’re emotionally hungry, no amount of food on the planet will satisfy you.
10. KEEP WHAT YOU REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY WANT TOP OF MIND. Give thoughtful attention to the deepest desires you have for your body, and celebrate everything you do that moves you in the direction of those desires.
Up Next: How Can Getting Happy Make You Thin?
