It's Time to lose the Guilt

Today I attended an awesome class at Metabolic. It was called It's time to lose the Guilt. It was to help us target and explore the guilt that is associated with weight loss. To help move on from any weight loss perceived failures and emotional pain that may have resulted from it.

For me this class helped me to realize that I have no reason to feel guilty for the choices that I have made to eat healthier, to lose the weight once and for all ,and to take control of my over all health. It's my opportunity to do something that it completely for me. To love myself, and take care of the body that God has given me. I'm not changing to please others, I am changing for me. Losing weight is taking care of me, embracing that I need to love me.

Recently I had an experience with a cousin who is greatly over weight. And since learning that I had made the decision to lose my weight, and be healthier. She had made some very sarcastic comments that I let really bother me to the point that I was starting to feel as though she wanted me to feel guilty for doing something that she wasn't ready to do for herself. But just in the past few weeks I have come to the realization  that I have nothing at all to feel guilty about.  My choice to lose my weight is for me, no one and nothing has anything to do with that choice, but me.  It might make others uncomfortable with their present situation, but they need to find their need to change that situation for them. No one can tell you that you need to lose weight. Just like no one can tell you what you should or shouldn't eat. If you eat something that isn't the best choice for your plan then you are the one who made that choice. It's not that you cheated on your plan.

The truth is, you can't cheat with food! it's impossible. The word cheat refers to something illegal or immoral, and food is neither of these.  You do not have some kind of moral or character defect just because you chose to eat a cookie!  As of today, completely stop using the word "cheat" when you refer to your eating plan. Instead, use the words "choose" or "choice" to describe your behavior.  Stop excusing your behavior by blaming lack of will power or discipline.  You're in charge of your own choices.  Take responsibility for the decisions you make around food, and then when you talk about your actions, describe them in ways that maintain your personal power.

One of the challenges that we have with dieting is the way that we catagorize food in the first place. For example, who decided that a carrot was good and a brownie was bad? In most cases you simply measure your dieting efforts against a list of foods that are allowed or not allowed., then chastise yourself for eating from the wrong side.  To break the habit of calling yourself good or bad, follow the same logic as your did with cheating, (you can't be good or bad with food...it's impossible!)  When you discuss your weight-loss plan, refer to your eating choices like this..."I made a good choice this morning by eating a healthy breakfast.  This afternoon, I made a poorer choice when I ate 3 brownies."  By talking about each of you actions as a choice, you can eliminate the punishing self-messages that say you were bad.  Change your vocabulary!  Getting rid of old dieting terms such as cheat, good and bad will take practice.  At first you might feel awkward, but keep at it.  By changing your language, you take back your power around food.  You also acknowledge that you are personally responsible for your decision regarding food.

Before you can take back your power from guilt, you must courageously explore and discover the specific and underlying emotions that may have been at work taking it away. This means taking responsiblilty.  It comes down to YOU and YOUR choices.