It's been a long while since I posted on 'Weight Loss'. There is a reason. I have not been doing justice to my weight maintenance plan. And I have a lot of work to do. But I also know, that weight loss is achievable.
How would you define your relationship with food? Do you obsess about food? I was talking to a dear friend and we both agreed, we tend to think about what to eat next, what to cook next, let me try out this recipe, that recipe. Sometimes, we remind ourselves, that we talk so much about food, what restaurant we've been to, or that new restaurant is really good, have you been there...you know, we ordered this and that, oh gosh, it was so delicious..... Whenever we go out, the climax to enjoying the outdoors would end in devouring our favorite foods or trying out some new food in a new restaurant. We have an ocean of restaurants around us that can be so tempting. Thanks to advertisements and tantalizing photographs of food everywhere, we can spoil ourselves tirelessly and mindlessly. I told her, when I return from vacation, we can help each other lose weight.
Poor digestive system. What must be happening inside our body when we eat all those food to entertain ourselves?. Who shall we blame when we get lifestyle illnesses, but us, for our careless food habits and overindulgence. Don't we all engage in some sort of gluttony except for those really enlightened ones who is mindful of everything that they eat, because they know, what long term effect those sweets and fatty foods can have on their health and they consciously restrain from pleasing their taste buds and abusing their bodies. They care about themselves, they care about their health. That's called being responsible for your well being. They care about their liver, pancreas, heart, kidneys and they know how food has a direct effect on our brain, our moods, thinking and clarity of mind. And how being obese or overweight puts their knees, spine and hips under tremendous pressure. What happens when a machine is overworked, overused and not maintained according to specs? Breakdown right? That is what will happen to our bodies. Breakdown and refusal to do it's part because it has been abused, overworked and not maintained. So follow those specs of healthy eating and exercising, you can turn into an enlightened being too!.
We are hard wired to think about food, because food was always ingrained in our subconscious as the ultimate celebration of all events, everything happy from childhood. When food lovers are stressed they go for chocolates, cakes, pastries and carbs and fattening foods. These foods release serotonin the feel good hormone. Like a drug addict or alocholic getting his kicks, we depend on the temporary feel good element food can provide us. The other day, I picked up a 5 kg rice bag from the supermarket. It was so heavy. Well I could carry it, lift it and keep it in the trolley. My husband asked me, that's heavy, how did you lift it?. Imagine, all I did was just lift a 5 kg rice bag and place in my trolley. What if I didn't keep the bag in the trolley and instead walked around for an hour with that bag, how about two of those five kg bags? I would have collapsed, well I would have given up after a little while. I would not last for an hour. Same way, if we are overweight by 5 kg or 10 kg, we are actually struggling each day for 365 days a year to carry about that extra weight. It's as if a 5 kg or 10 kg rice bag has been strapped on to us. It is actually weighing you down, tiring you out, limiting you from experiencing and enjoying life to the fullest. If you are overweight, or desirous of losing weight, next time you go to a supermarket, try lifting a 5 kg rice bag and hold it for a short while, and put it down, you will know what I mean. Imagine the strain and difficulty if you carried two of such bags! So you see, if you weighed 5 kg less, how much lighter and better you would feel. You would be flying around like an acrobat.
Food is for nourishment, not for stuffing or abusing the body. The ego is always on an uncontrollable journey of extremes, believe it or not. Most of the time, we act out of habit rather than logic. The ego says, I want that now, I want this, let me do this, let me eat this, the ego cannot think of consequences, or whether a choice is right or wrong. There is something beyond the ego, beyond your conditioning and your learned habits. Your true essence. What if you stop entertaining your ego and stop giving in to your unhealthy eating habits, and turn to thinking thin?
Thinking thin is a commitment. Stop thinking of all kinds of food that's not good for you for a month. Make a healthy meal plan and stick to it. Think thin. Write down all the foods you need to avoid, in journal under title 'Not Good, Unhealthy' and names of all the food that would help you become thin, under 'Thin and Healthy'. Now you know what foods to stay away from and what foods you should eat. Imagine yourself shedding weight each week and you will. Early morning or before you retire to bed, write an affirmation or mantra in your journal. Write a whole page. For example, "I shall only eat healthy food and stay away from all kinds of food that's bad for me". "I will do what it takes to lose weight by eating healthy and exercising". Be committed to get through the first month successfully and continue the same for the next month and the month after, until you reach your target.
Eat healthy for a month, and you will be so happy with the result that you will experience a re-birth with your new awareness, with your improved state of health and shedding of weight. You will forever want to follow 'Think thin', a permanent journey of good health. You my friend, will be astounded and thrilled at your weight loss. Think thin ! Oh one more thing, no crash diets, no yo-yo diets, no weight loss pills, please. They are harmful.
