Here's a difficult spot
many women find themselves in. Is this where you are?
You're overweight, and you
don't like it. It's really making you unhappy. How in the world did this happen?
It's almost as though it happened without your permission. It just seemed to
creep up on you when you weren't looking – you know, one or two extra cookies
here or there, maybe more sometimes. But that isn't nearly enough to pack on all
those pounds. It remains a mystery.
Have you been too
sedentary? No, you've actually been exercising. You've been taking walks or
going to the gym or going to yoga classes or using your treadmill. So just where
did this weight come from? Are you destined to be overweight forever? What kind
of cruel trick is fate playing on you?
So you go on a diet and
it's great for a while, but your willpower doesn't last. You start out with a
bang and you lose some weight, but then, just as fast, you gain it back. You've
begun to think you just can't do it. You don't have what it takes. You feel like
a failure. The truth is you can control everything in your life but this. Is
there something basically wrong with you? How come you can't do it? Are you just
a weak, incapable person?
No, you're not weak or
incapable. In fact, you're probably an expert. The problem is that you're an
expert in the wrong thing. You've been spending a lot of time and energy
learning how to master the art of overeating and gaining weight. It took you
time and effort to get there, and now you've arrived.
Of course, this is probably
not what you intended to do. In fact, it's the very opposite of what you wanted.
How about considering this: exactly what did you do to become such an expert in
overeating, gaining, and breaking diets? You've been checked out and you can't
trace the cause back to anything physical. So let's see how it might have
happened.
- At some point you tried
out eating as a way to help you get through certain things in your life - It seemed to help you,
so you began to do it over and over until it became your coping method of
choice - You practiced using food
in this way until you got really good at it - Your ability to "eat
over it" (whatever the "it" was) grew over time until you became the skilled
expert you are today
Would you like to reverse
this unwanted trend? Would you like to change your calling and become an expert
at losing weight? You might wonder if it's possible to alter your course and do
the opposite. It definitely is possible. Just like you learned how to be an
accomplished overeater and weight-gaining expert, you can learn to do something
different, something much better for you.
Here are steps to take so
you can now become a pro at losing weight.
- Study up on new ways of
helping you make it through the ups and downs of your life - Start using some of
these strategies in place of eating - Practice a lot and get
really good at utilizing these strategies - Keep this up over time
until it becomes second nature
What will happen when you
do these things? If you think about it, isn't this just what it takes to excel
at something? So go out there and gather lots of good information to increase
your knowledge. Then try out some of the new things you find. Then practice and
build your skills. That's how you become an expert.
It's your decision which
kind of expert you'll be.
About the Author:
Dr. Kenneth Schwarz, a
psychologist and psychoanalyst practicing in Connecticut, and his wife Julie are
the founders of
www.mariaslastdiet.com, a website offering strategies and support for diet
success. Dr. Schwarz provides tools to help women succeed regardless of which
diet they choose. Sign up for their free newsletter and receive ongoing support
for total diet success.
