I did a poll to find out what women want from weight loss. It was surprising. Fewer than expected wanted to fit into a pair of jeans or a dress that would “make a grown man cry.” Even fewer were focused on a number on the scale or being at a certain weight.
The top answers were to be healthy or confident or both healthy and confident.
What do you want from weight loss? Think about it as that could make a huge difference in whether or not you reach the goal.
During my Diet Yo-Yo years, health wasn’t so much on my mind. I wanted to be thin, but I thought that would make me more acceptable to others. If they liked me, then I’d be more confident, and surely that would make for a better life. Right?
The truth is, if I’d accepted myself, it would have been different whether I was thin or not. We don’t seem to learn that early enough, do we?
What makes a healthy, confident life?
Nutrition is part of it, of course, but it’s more than a “diet,” yet that’s where we start – and often end when we get frustrated and tired and hungry. Health and confidence are more than our body size or composition.
So much of our experience comes from what we think, which often influences how we feel, which can send us running to the kitchen for a treat if we don’t feel so great or off the conquer the world when we do feel good. Our minds and hearts need care and to explore new ideas and experiences or they get stuck in their ruts.
Soul has a place as well. Spiritual, religious, or neither, our souls or spirits are perhaps the best of us. I spent 20 years working in hospitals, and I saw many broken and worn-out bodies and minds. Those who recovered from whatever ailment or addiction always reconnected with their souls. That’s often what moves us when our minds and bodies just can’t do it anymore. Our souls seek hope, and hope will inspire and motivate us.
A healthy, confident life encompasses our bodies, minds, and souls, and all need care, exercise, and challenges.
Where do you want to start?
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