Weight loss ads are coming at us fast and furious.
Does this sound familiar?
“Your 2021 is going to be fuckin’ fantastic, because this is your year, it’s time, not for your excuses, but for your dreams to come true, for you to get your life, your health and your confidence back, so you can have amazing relationships, go on great vacations and LOOK fantastic. That’s right, NEW year, NEW you.”
They can be hard to escape and pop up when you least expect them to. impossible to escape. They are so persuasive. They promise the moon and a life that we all want- happiness, health, joy. Sign me up? Right?
But before you do, keep these things in mind.
These large companies, backed by gazillionaires like Oprah Winfrey, are masterful at marketing and selling. They’ve done an incredible amount of market research. They understand the psychology of buyers. They have a board of directors that are highly invested in increasing sales and profits. That doesn’t mean they have a product that works.
What they aren’t telling you is that intentional dieting for weight loss is ineffective. Dieting is predictive of weight gain and eating disorders. Most dieters gain weight back within 2 years and even more weight within 5.
If you feel sucked in, acknowledge the hope for change that you do want to create in yourself. You may want better health and more vitality, but that doesn’t mean their solution is the solution for you. Connected with that desire deep inside and then get crazy diligent about what solution would feel right.
It’s okay to do absolutely nothing. Actually, doing nothing is a fabulous form of rebellion and self care. We live in this “please fix me” culture. Do you have a problem? Let’s find a solution that can fix us. Our wrinkles, the size of our bank account, our graying hair, our growing waistline.
Our solutions define our problem. What if your waist size is perfectly lovable? Your gray hair is stunning? Your bank account is just enough. This raw acceptance is crazy courageous, and you can give yourself full permission to not react. By the way, you can accept yourself and still want better for yourself. Acceptance isn’t stagnation or settling.
Notice the difference between an old pattern and a new one. They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I get that. Does joining a new diet plan feel comfortable? Is there a small whisper in the back of your mind reminding you, “I know how this is going to go”, that you may not want to even acknowledge?
A new pattern can feel like your own shaky ground. For one, when you start anything new, you are generally horrible at it. Are you good at starting a new diet? You’ve got the steps down to a t? A different pattern may feel like you’re walking through a maze blindfolded with 10 pound ankle weights on. Ya, not easy, not comfortable.
It’s also okay to just go for it. Imagine that. I’m giving you permission to diet. Didn’t expect that one, did you? That’s because I’m suspecting you don’t like me telling you what to do. Who does? In many cases, if I’m told by someone to go left, I’m determined to go right.
Don’t let me hold you back from dieting. Do so, without guilt, without shame, with full expectation that it will be amazing. After all, you may learn something new. Like, dieting really isn’t for you and you’re ready to break up with it forever.
Happy New Year!