This is something that popped up in my newsfeed yesterday on Facebook followed by a picture of ice cream.
I think there is a prevalent misunderstanding about losing weight and that it requires extreme self-sacrifice and will power. Yes, you need to actively make some changes (sadly, weight doesn't fly off magically) but by no means is it the torturous process that so many believe.
I love food but even I have to admit my years of being overweight had little to do with my love of food and more to do with emotional eating, closet binging and stress related.
Polishing off entire family size bags of potato chips in one sitting is not normal.
What are some other misconceptions that you often hear?
Another one is when I started this journey and I posted a photo of me eating a burger from In-N-Out when I happened to be in Los Angeles on Facebook. A friend quickly commented, "That doesn't look very healthy."
Photo taken Feb 2011 with my sister in Los Angeles
Just because I'm being more conscious about my food choices and actively exercising doesn't mean I don't indulge now and then in things that I love.
I ate every bite of my burger with no guilt.
Guilt is what lead to my closet binging. Guilt is what made me separate foods into good foods and bad foods. Guilt is what made me order salad even though I wanted something else from the menu when I was with friends. Guilt is what made me feel like a failure so many times when I failed my extreme diet.
I used to be so self-conscious about my food choices in public. I felt like people judged me every time I ordered.
If I ordered a salad, people were thinking "Who is she kidding."
If I ordered dessert, people were thinking "No wonder she's fat."
This is not the way to live. I think we presume people spend their time judging people around them which I'm sure they do but I think most of the time they spend on worrying about themselves.
A few articles that I found helpful and interesting....
Psychology Today: Self-Conscious? Get over it.
Psychology Today: Think You Way Thin
Psychology Today: Living to Eat
Psychology Today: Kicking a Food Addiction
Post 4.8 mile run this morning in a little over 43 minutes.
I'm not immune to worrying about being judged. I'm actually extremely self-conscious about certain things but I've learned to put on a nonchalant face. It's something that I'm working on myself. There's still guilt that pops up now and then about certain things but I try to find a way to fix the negative feelings.
I like to separate stresses into two figurative piles. Stresses within my control and stresses outside of my control. I work on the ones I can control and try to make peace with things out of my hands.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday! February is wrapping up. It feels like this year is FLYING.
13 comments:
You're awesome and beautiful. Plain and simple. Glad to be back blogging :)
couldnt have been said better. It isnt about giving up food you love forever, it is about limiting the food to lose weight. I still "treat" myself to things like Buffalo Wild Wings or some ice cream or cake but not every day. That is reserved for special occasions. Because life is about living. And if you cant treat yourself, you will most likely binge and give up your journey. I think that people look at you differently and more critically after they know you have lost a significant amount of weight. I think the judge you more about what exercises you are doing, what you are eating etc. Do you find that to be true for you as well?
I'm glad you posted this -- I JUST had this conversation with a friend the other day and its amazing to me how many people think you need to eat rabbit food and starve to lose weight. It's also amazing to me how if you aren't losing and insane amount of weight per week then people think that 'you aren't doing it right'. Uh, yes I am! I'm doing whats right for me! Slow and steady wins the race with me. :) And I've taken a lot of that from you. I may not always eat great and the healthiest, but I'm honest and I keep going. :)
You're right. It's about balance. When I eat a big bag of salty snacks in two sittings, I know that's not normal, and certainly not healthy for me, just like I know running out into a busy street isn't safe. We sure as heck can't do it all the time and expect to be okay.
Hi Grace. I REALLY love this post. You have a wonderful philosophy and balance. Have a good Wednesday.
You are so right. Almost anything is okay within moderation. You cook some delicious looking dishes so I know you don't deprive yourself. But I also know you prepare them in a healthy style. Thank you for the links to those articles. :)
Its so true, I'm really conscious when eating out at what people must be thinking, same with exercise. But I don't think anyone really pays attention in all honesty. But you can still love food and be healthy and thats often what people fail to understand. Good luck
I feel like letting yourself feel guilty about the small indulgences is a path to giving up the whole thing. I don't always make the most awesome diet choices, but it feels good when I do, and I never beat myself up when I don't.
P.S. I'm glad you enjoyed the burger, it looked yummy.
I love this post! All of it is so true. It's such a silly notion to believe that unless a person is losing five pounds a week they aren't doing it right. Every study done on the subject shows that crazy crash diets don't work. In the long run people can't maintain, because they didn't actually learn how to achieve balance and practice real day to day good nutrition. It takes time for us to incorporate true change. If we want to be healthier people we have to live and breathe and BE different. We have to figure out why we binge and turn to food in the first place. And it's silly to think that having a burger or ice cream or whatever means that we aren't healthy people. Whoever made that snotty comment clearly doesn't know the first thing about you. Maybe the burger doesn't look healthy, but YOU look healthy. You are glowing in every picture! That to me is a sign of true health.
Good post. Some people think I should only eat salad because I am on a "diet". I am tired of telling some people this is a lifestyle not a diet.
I definitely live by this motto! Everything in MODERATION. Like you said - a whole bag of potato chips or a pint of ice cream is NOT moderation. It's indulging. Balance is definitely key. I have heard snide comments before too, about how I posted this big huge greasy burger, but talk so much crap about eating "healthy and dieting". I am constantly correcting their mis-use of the word diet. Hopefully they are listening and not just letting the words flow out their other ear.
And of course- you are gorgeous. Congrats on your speedy run!
This is a great post.
I've tried a lot of different things over the years, and cutting anything out has never worked. Everything in moderation plus overall mindfulness of what you're eating when is the key. Combined with exercise, it's the only way to sustain health and weight loss if you're going for that.
I don't like when people judge others. Only you know what you are doing right and wrong for you. The articles look interesting. Saving them to read soon! Keep up the great work!
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