I have frequently been asked this question: How did you start this weight loss? What happened that you were able to take the initiative and begin to change your behavior so the weight started to come off? Now this is a really important question, and I have been doing a lot of thinking about the answer. What happened within me that I finally, after months or years of knowing I needed to lose weight, was able to take the first step and then stick with it?
Today I was having a therapeutic massage and Carole, the wunderkind of massage, said that she knew she was having pain and health issues because of what she was eating and the fact she wasn't getting any exercise. She knew she should change her behavior but she just didn't. After chatting with her about my search for the answer to this question of how you go from thinking about what you need to do to doing it, I think I may have discovered some pieces to the puzzle. You know you need to change because your inner voice/spirit is giving you that information. You hear it - you know it. But then your logical voice pipes up and says but I can't change because... and then you tell yourself all the reasons you can't possibly change and you do nothing. I think that when you make the decision to change, instead of tuning out the inner voice, you welcome it and tune it in at a higher frequency to get rid of the static! You say in effect, "Tell me more. Help me know how to proceed. Be with me as I work to make changes". And, you keep tuning in so that your logical voice can't override your inner voice.
Does this make any sense to you? Have you experienced this or something like it? If you have been able to lose weight, does this ring true for you about how you managed to begin and then stick with it?
This is getting way too long so I will quit now, but I know I'll keep thinking about this and I look forward to your comments.
Monday, February 22, 2010
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2 comments:
It's a constant struggle. It isn't like changing an outfit, it's more like quitting smoking. It's a behavior. Getting started is hard. I know when I started running it took an enormous effort to tie my sneakers and hop on the treadmill, not to mention keep running after the first half mile. And years later, it's still something I have to MAKE myself do. But I know I will be happier for having done it.
YOur discussion reminds me of "yabuts". As in, "I should exercise more"; "Yabut I don't have time" etc. Someone once told me instead of thinking of all the reasons why I can't do something to think about how I can get around those reasons.
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