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CHALLENGE POST - Are You Afraid of Change???
Do you embrace weight loss enthusiastically? Are you afraid of failure? Is there an underlying reason you are holding on to the weight? Do you find it somehow comforting or safe?
Holding on to the added pounds may feel safe, but it is not a sound approach to physical and mental well being. Keeping the additional weight may serve as a person's unconscious anesthetic against the stress of life, emotional hurts, the pain of disappointment, physical pain, feelings of failure or even success, love and romantic attention from potential suitors. It allows many of us to sometimes, somehow, feel invisible and keeps many of us on the sidelines of life.
Sometimes these feelings impede our weight loss efforts because as we begin to lose weight, we no longer feel the self-imposed safety we can feel from being overweight. At these times we can sabotage our efforts, which allows us to return to that false safety net of being overweight and hiding behind our size.
Let's be courageous together and make the decision to change our lives! Get out of your comfort zone, take some chances, buckle up your sleeves and put in some effort! YOU have the power over your life and your choices!
Do you or did you have a fear? What do you plan to do or how did you overcome it? If you believe you have a subconscious reason for holding onto the weight, identifying it and implementing a plan to overcome it will empower you and help you to heal that area of your life.
Holding on to the added pounds may feel safe, but it is not a sound approach to physical and mental well being. Keeping the additional weight may serve as a person's unconscious anesthetic against the stress of life, emotional hurts, the pain of disappointment, physical pain, feelings of failure or even success, love and romantic attention from potential suitors. It allows many of us to sometimes, somehow, feel invisible and keeps many of us on the sidelines of life.
Sometimes these feelings impede our weight loss efforts because as we begin to lose weight, we no longer feel the self-imposed safety we can feel from being overweight. At these times we can sabotage our efforts, which allows us to return to that false safety net of being overweight and hiding behind our size.
Let's be courageous together and make the decision to change our lives! Get out of your comfort zone, take some chances, buckle up your sleeves and put in some effort! YOU have the power over your life and your choices!
Do you or did you have a fear? What do you plan to do or how did you overcome it? If you believe you have a subconscious reason for holding onto the weight, identifying it and implementing a plan to overcome it will empower you and help you to heal that area of your life.
Not sure, but Believe realizing THIS may be the key to successful weight loss .. it was for me.
The realization that I am using my weight as a sheild is new to me. I have struggled with weight all my life and I periodically lose the weight and would get mad if anyone commented "hey your're losing weight". I could not understand why a comment like that would upset me. Even when it was obvious that I had indeed lost weight, i would deny it. Then, somehow the weight would start creeping up again. I don't want to use the fact that I'm overweight as a crutch anymore. Being overweight is the way I have been hiding from life and I truly hope that realizing this, I can overcome it and take the next weightloss effort to a successful resolution.
I was so happy when I discovered this community! All my friends are thin and some are even trying to gain weight so none can understand my struggles.
I was so happy when I discovered this community! All my friends are thin and some are even trying to gain weight so none can understand my struggles.
Oh boy is this deep. I've really had to think about this, so excuse my ramblings...
I was a healthy 135 lbs when I got pregnant with my daughter (I was 19 years old). I gained 50 lbs during my pregnancy with her. I lost a lot of weight within weeks and felt great in a size 8 jean.
Slowly my weight began to creep up. By the time Elaina was 9 months old I was pregnant again, but I miscarried. I became so depressed that my weight shot to 183 lbs. I then got pregnant with my 2nd daughter immediately after my loss.
After Abigail was born I weighed in the upper 190's. Abigail is about to turn TWO years old and I'm just now getting my butt in gear.
I enthusiastically embrace weight loss now and I do not fear it. I WANT it so desperately. But back then I did fear it. I hated my body for the miscarriage, I hated my body for getting so out of control--- I just took me out on myself. I didn't care if I looked good for hubby or not, but I DO NOW! I didn't care about setting an example then because then my daughters were so little to understand, but I CARE NOW!
I was angry at my body for the first miscarriage and let it eat me. I was angry with my body this past November when I miscarried another baby but I let that anger FUEL me not overpower me. I want to be healthy NOW.
This was very empowering and I'm glad you asked this question. There's still so much more, of course, but that is the summary of it for me.
I was a healthy 135 lbs when I got pregnant with my daughter (I was 19 years old). I gained 50 lbs during my pregnancy with her. I lost a lot of weight within weeks and felt great in a size 8 jean.
Slowly my weight began to creep up. By the time Elaina was 9 months old I was pregnant again, but I miscarried. I became so depressed that my weight shot to 183 lbs. I then got pregnant with my 2nd daughter immediately after my loss.
After Abigail was born I weighed in the upper 190's. Abigail is about to turn TWO years old and I'm just now getting my butt in gear.
I enthusiastically embrace weight loss now and I do not fear it. I WANT it so desperately. But back then I did fear it. I hated my body for the miscarriage, I hated my body for getting so out of control--- I just took me out on myself. I didn't care if I looked good for hubby or not, but I DO NOW! I didn't care about setting an example then because then my daughters were so little to understand, but I CARE NOW!
I was angry at my body for the first miscarriage and let it eat me. I was angry with my body this past November when I miscarried another baby but I let that anger FUEL me not overpower me. I want to be healthy NOW.
This was very empowering and I'm glad you asked this question. There's still so much more, of course, but that is the summary of it for me.
"Do you embrace weight loss enthusiastically? Are you afraid of failure? Is there an underlying reason you are holding on to the weight? Do you find it somehow comforting or safe?"
WOW!!! Your first paragraph grabbed me! Almost exactly 2 years ago, I was sitting at the computer reading at a weight-loss site an article entitled, "Are You Afraid To Be Thin?" The title, like yours, spoke to me. At that time, I was around 156 lbs, down from 210+. But until that day, I NEVER realized that *I* was using my weight as a shield. Sure, I had heard of that - but, *I* was just not active enough AND I ate too much. Simple math: more calories in than calories burned.
Would that it were that simple! That day, I had to face the fact that there was some unthinkable pain in my past, and facing it meant that now I had to stuff it (NOT GOOD!) or deal with it. I chose, courageously, to deal with it.
I reached my goal weight in 04/07. Unfortunately, I only maintained it for 8 months. In Dec. of 2008, I began gaining again and I re-gained 33 lbs. Fortunately, I put the breaks on at 33 lbs - and not the whole 70+.
I say all that to say this: You asked in your first paragraph if I embrace weight loss enthusiastically. Well, actually, YES, I DO! I'm quite good at the weight-loss, as a matter of fact. I think I've earned a PhD! The experience I'm determined to excel in THIS TIME is in maintaining the weight-loss.
You also said, and I know it's true of weight-loss, so why not for weight-maintenance???
- Not if, but when,
- Not try, but will
- Not hope,but belief
You know one big difference between now and 2 years ago??? My friends on MedHelp! I'm not kidding. And, I didn't even crack one joke, did you notice???
WOW!!! Your first paragraph grabbed me! Almost exactly 2 years ago, I was sitting at the computer reading at a weight-loss site an article entitled, "Are You Afraid To Be Thin?" The title, like yours, spoke to me. At that time, I was around 156 lbs, down from 210+. But until that day, I NEVER realized that *I* was using my weight as a shield. Sure, I had heard of that - but, *I* was just not active enough AND I ate too much. Simple math: more calories in than calories burned.
Would that it were that simple! That day, I had to face the fact that there was some unthinkable pain in my past, and facing it meant that now I had to stuff it (NOT GOOD!) or deal with it. I chose, courageously, to deal with it.
I reached my goal weight in 04/07. Unfortunately, I only maintained it for 8 months. In Dec. of 2008, I began gaining again and I re-gained 33 lbs. Fortunately, I put the breaks on at 33 lbs - and not the whole 70+.
I say all that to say this: You asked in your first paragraph if I embrace weight loss enthusiastically. Well, actually, YES, I DO! I'm quite good at the weight-loss, as a matter of fact. I think I've earned a PhD! The experience I'm determined to excel in THIS TIME is in maintaining the weight-loss.
You also said, and I know it's true of weight-loss, so why not for weight-maintenance???
- Not if, but when,
- Not try, but will
- Not hope,but belief
You know one big difference between now and 2 years ago??? My friends on MedHelp! I'm not kidding. And, I didn't even crack one joke, did you notice???
Personally, I had lost my self-esteem and found it easier to hide behind my weight and be invisible to others. I had experienced much pain and loss and had recoiled from romantic relationships and the disappointments in life to avoid being hurt.
What I realized was that the person who was hurting me the most, failing me the most, was me. When a dear friend shared this quote .. I began to ask myself .. was I afraid of success .. of happiness?
"Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be?" Nelson Mandela
He also sent this to me ...
Eliminate the language that allows for excuse
- Not if, but when,
- Not try, but will
- Not hope,but belief
then it will not be a dream, it will be a reality.....live into it!
I learned that I could experience pain; it was only a feeling .. one I would survive. I learned to that pain only helps us more fully appreciate joy! I also realized that I held the power to my success! Those events in my life did not hold the power .. my mind and my choices did! I learned to BELIEVE ...
To this day I carry that quote with me and each time I stumble or question my path, I take it out and ask myself .. are you afraid to succeed?
YOU CAN DO THIS!!! It is our dream no one has a right to prevent us from reaching it, least of all us!
What I realized was that the person who was hurting me the most, failing me the most, was me. When a dear friend shared this quote .. I began to ask myself .. was I afraid of success .. of happiness?
"Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be?" Nelson Mandela
He also sent this to me ...
Eliminate the language that allows for excuse
- Not if, but when,
- Not try, but will
- Not hope,but belief
then it will not be a dream, it will be a reality.....live into it!
I learned that I could experience pain; it was only a feeling .. one I would survive. I learned to that pain only helps us more fully appreciate joy! I also realized that I held the power to my success! Those events in my life did not hold the power .. my mind and my choices did! I learned to BELIEVE ...
To this day I carry that quote with me and each time I stumble or question my path, I take it out and ask myself .. are you afraid to succeed?
YOU CAN DO THIS!!! It is our dream no one has a right to prevent us from reaching it, least of all us!
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