This post isn't for everyone. But if you're tired, exhausted and frustrated with battling with your body around food, then read on.
You may be thinking…
What? No. I couldn't possibly do that.
If you’ve been trying to lose weight for as long as you can remember, I realize asking you to stop doing something that you’ve been doing for most of your life may feel uncomfortable.
It may feel foreign. As if you lived in northern Maine your whole life and then you moved to Miami.
You may object to not TRYING to lose weight because you don’t feel good at your current weight.
Of course you want to feel good. Let’s consider what’s going on around us.
If you’ve ever been at a lower weight, people paid attention to you. They encouraged you and your lower weight. It feels good when people approve of us. (btw- take this even deeper; when loved ones approve of us, we feel safe and a sense of belonging.)
Not only that, we receive messages from our culture that thin bodies are more attractive. Our medical community and wellness culture tells us that thin bodies are healthier.
You may even believe that you’ll feel more successful in your life if your body was thinner.
We live in a world with weight bias. This means that the world rewards thin bodies and harms fat bodies. This bias is everywhere. In our homes, schools, work, doctor's offices, and social media feeds.
Fat people aren't treated well. Of course you wouldn't want to live in a world where you aren't treated well.
BUT (you knew this was coming, right?). Has TRYING to lose weight helped you to lose weight?
Or, has trying to lose weight made you feel like a failure? Has it made you obsess about food? Has it eroded your confidence and peace of mind? Has it cost you a lot of time, energy and money with NO results?
Here is the truth:
We’ve been told our body is the problem. In fact, our body is the solution.
Trying to lose weight has disconnected you from your body. You’ve separated yourself from it. That’s why trying to lose weight feels so exhausting and frustrating. You’ve been living at a distance from the one thing that will offer you the success, joy and peace you’ve been seeking.
It may feel like too much for you to stop trying to lose weight right now. So, here is my invitation to you:
Put weight loss on hold. Just for today. Or just for this week. Just for this month.
When you consider that idea, how does your body react? Does it relax? Do you feel a sense of ease and relief? That's a yes.