i have to get into the car pretty early tomorrow so i thought i would post tuesday's homework early.

denise's homework stimulated this for me. looking back now...as we have travelled this weight loss/health/wellness/athletic performance (fill in the blank) road for some time now (for some, many many years)...what have you learned that you would want to pass onto someone just embarking on this journey today. i was reading a blog this weekend of a women who said she had been dieting since age 13 and now, she was 55. wow, i cannot imagine dieting that long. i have been in "diet" mentality since about 2003 and THAT feels like a long haul to me. what have you learned (bits of wisdom and insights) that you wished someone had told you right at the start?

another way to put this...if you have to write a letter to your younger self about this type of journey, what would you write?

quote:

Originally posted by jillybean:
To my younger self: You are not defined by the number on the scale, what size you wear, or how much cellulite you have on your thighs. It is the person you are on the inside, how you treat other people, and how you treat yourself that is the "real you". Don't spend your days obsessing because you are not in a size 4 jean, or because you ate a brownie last night. Do take care of yourself, nourish yourself well, and enjoy your life.

Jill

That.

And, read the Beck book. If you aren't already motivated, and that doesn't help, nothing I can say will, either.

Move!
Keep Moving!

To the younger me: Pursue your own dreams. Don't let anyone else define you. Be active. Learn to solve your problems without turning to food. Learn to cook, and find ways to make vegetables that you'll like.

I'd tell me (and anyone else starting out):

Don't diet. Going on a diet carries with it the implication that you will someday go off the diet. Make food and lifestyle changes you can live with forever.

Don't exercise. Play actively and make activity part of your daily routine, but don't make it a chore.

Enjoy your splurges. If you are going to have a slice of cake, really really really enjoy that slice of cake. Don't let food guilt ruin a good splurge.

Learn to meditate. Practice yoga. These will help you learn to listen to your body, not the constant outside influences telling you to eat even when you are not hungry.

Drink herbal teas. Savor them.

Become a food snob. Don't eat anything that isn't fresh and tasty and well prepared. Well, if your mother in law makes it, eat just enough to make her content, but don't feel like you have to take seconds of something mediocre just to make someone else feel better.

You are not a human composter! It's better to let a little food go to waste than to have it go to waist.

alli

To my younger self: You are not defined by the number on the scale, what size you wear, or how much cellulite you have on your thighs. It is the person you are on the inside, how you treat other people, and how you treat yourself that is the "real you". Don't spend your days obsessing because you are not in a size 4 jean, or because you ate a brownie last night. Do take care of yourself, nourish yourself well, and enjoy your life.

Jill

I was 13 when I went on my first grapefruit diet, thanks to mom and a very intimidating doctor. Ugh, can't eat grapefruit to this day. I am now 55...and I haven't been on a diet for that long, but off and on....pounds on pounds off.

I'd tell another that health not vanity is more important in your life journey. Do what makes you happy not someone else, and remember to make the healthiest choice at all times in all situations for yourself.

i think i would tell my younger self what a waste of time and energy it is to beat myself up over some cellulite, or chubby thighs, or the muffin top, etc. the self-loathing is not helpful and it certainly does not help me reach my goals. it is a distraction to all the beauty and joy in life.

and everything on the planet will not fall apart if i do not get things done "just right".

and that fitness is not just a vehicle to look like some societal standard (that is impossible to meet) but is a wonderful metaphor for life, and overocming obstacles and feeling strong and vital, and having fun.

that labelling foods as "bad" never got me anywhere. they made thigns worse because i would have my "weak" moments and overdo it on all of those bad foods and so so much more. moderation and balance are keys to contentment.

I am 55 and I have been dieting most of my life since the age of 13 also. For someone who has been stuck in "diet" mentality for a long time, I think the one most helpful piece of advice I could give is to stop thinking of yourself as being on a diet. Diets are temporary and if they work at all, they only work in the short term; i.e., when you stop the diet, the weight comes back and more. Change the mindset to a lifestyle change, which is permanent.

When I was in "diet" mentality and I "screwed up" and ate something "bad," I would give up the "diet" because, in my head, the "diet" had to be perfect and there was no room for "bad" food on it. That is just unrealistic! An eating plan must be designed to allow any food (or at least any food that your health allows) in moderation. This way, you can plan for occasional trips off the beaten path of healthy eating and not beat yourself up about them. This way, you don't have to quit because you weren't perfect. And if you "fall off the wagon" and go off plan, you need to commit to yourself that you will always get back on the wagon at the next meal. No more starting over next Monday or the first of the month or on January 1st. Every meal is a fresh start.

Don't let someone else tell you what you can and cannot do. Define yourself from within!

I'd tell my 12-20 years younger self, "Don't even think about eating like you do now. You have no ******* idea where that's gonna land you!!!"