It is very true – permanent weight loss is not about eating or restrictions.  It is about changing long held, deeply ingrained not-helpful beliefs and habits.  A belief is a recurrent thought and the subsequent action becomes a habit.  And as I have mentioned before (and will again) thoughts are optional.  If you want to change your habits, you must change your thoughts first.

I self-sabotaged and suffered – for decades – thanks to my version of the “Except-For” diet.  You can call it what you like but in essence, the “Except-For” diet is self-sabotage in its best disguise.  You commit to ‘behave.’  You follow all your healthy eating rules…. You pass on the croutons, you dutifully munch on styrofoam rice cakes (I am so glad those are a thing of my past!), or choke back that nutrient dense dreadful tasting chalky consistency protein – kale – avocado oil enriched green smoothie.  Ummm… Yummm… <<Gasp>>  And then <<BOOM>> blindsided by the weekend or a birthday or anniversary or some convenient holiday….  And a munch-fest is born. 

Incidentally, weekends arrive quite predictably as do birthdays or anniversaries or holidays… or insert ‘reason – ur um… excuse’ to bend the rules.  So we cannot be blindsided by these things! 

I had a ready made justification for my “Except-For” munch-fests – I met with my trainer very consistently for years… “I worked out three times this week…” Then Saturday night – pizza – 3 (okay truthfully 4) slices… or just a few potato chips (translate into half a family sized bag…) just a couple of Almond Crunch Cookies (half a package)… <<SIGH>>

Given the financial considerations of retirement, I gave up my ready-made justification.  I was spending hundreds of dollars per month on strength training and self-sabotaging myself every step of the way…. A luxury I could no longer afford.  And not so unpredictably, I gained my hard-earned weight loss and lost my hard-earned strength! 

Yet another chapter in my yo-yo dieting saga, closed.

I am not sure when I equated thin with happy or successful or worthy.  But I am sure it was before I was 20.  Seriously?  For more than three decades, I chased this untruth?!?!  Seriously?!?!?

Frustrating as all the yo’s of my yo-yo dieting were, I would not understand the real truth behind my weight related challenges without them.  It’s not about the food.  It’s about how we think about ourselves and how we respond to those thoughts (often with eating.)  It is about managing our minds – managing our thoughts and emotions without food. 

Once we can unhinge eating from our emotions, and our weight from our self-worth…. Maintaining our weight after our weight loss journey is a done deal.  

Food freedom – so worth it!

Buff it up, my friends
Dr. Karen

Are you ready to Buff Up Your Brain? Ready to, lose weight and the brain fog?  Ready to polish up your thoughts? Let’s chat.
Email: DrKaren@karenbackwaymd.com