Why You Gain Weight (long but sooo good)

I posted this for anyone trying to lose weight. Yes it was written for WLS patients, but it is truly beneficial for anyone struggling with weight gain or anyone in maintenance. This is a little lenghty but so worth a read.

Why You Gain Weight
by Katie Jay, MSW, Certified Wellness Coach
Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
www.nawls.com

When you see the scale go up a few pounds it's easy to panic.
A few pounds emotionally feels like a ton. You wonder if you
will ever be able to get off that extra weight, as if you were
David facing the Giant. You feel guilty for how you've eaten or
for skipping exercise.

Then, almost without a thought, you surrender. You tell yourself
you messed up, so you might as well give up. Let the Giant win.

That's why you gain weight

You see, it's not the few pounds that is the problem. They can
be lost. It's the giving up -- the "all or nothing" thinking
-- that is the real problem.

Try being honest with yourself

It's time to get out your sling shot and poke holes in this
lie you are telling yourself -- the lie about not being able
to take off a few pounds.

Your problem isn't the few pounds you've gained; it's not your
body. Your problem is in your mind. You start playing an old
tape in your head and believe it, even when it's not true.

You tell yourself you can't say no to chocolate. You are too
tired to exercise. You don't have time to cook. All lies.
Really.

Eliminate "I can't" from your vocabulary

As surely as David knocked down that big menace, you CAN
knock off a few pounds -- if you will stop telling yourself
you can't do it.

Act on the facts, not on your feelings

You CAN take action to drop the pounds no matter what you're
feeling. This new way of being will take some practice, but
you will get better at it over time.

Here's how to act on facts, not feelings, to defeat the Giant:

1) Take aim. Figure out what your target weight is and make a
little chart to track your progress -- and then use it! (If
you're like me, you'll be tempted to skip this step, but that's
the old tape. This time, don't skip what seems silly or useless
-- that's a lie.)

2) Use your tool. David had a great sling shot to use and a nice
sized stone, I bet. You have your tool, too -- your weight loss
surgery.

Follow all of your surgeon's guidelines (yes, dig out the papers
you were given at orientation or call and ask for a new set to
be mailed to you -- and then read them every day for a week).

And at meal time, try chewing forever, and not drinking with
meals, and eating dense proteins to fill you up.

3) Feel your feelings and do it anyway. David must have been
terrified, but he didn't let that stop him. He bravely walked
out into the open and faced the Giant.

You can face your powerful foe, too -- your negativity. Feel
your feelings: anger, fear, sadness, deprivation, defiance,
shame, disappointment, whatever they are ... and then do the
next right thing anyway. Don't let your feelings dictate your
actions today.

Be like David

Like the people David was defending, your life is depending on
you. Your hopes and dreams need you to protect them. Your
health and productivity need you to stand up for them.

When David stepped out, he had no guarantee he would win. He
took a leap of faith and acted. He felt the fear and did it
anyway.

It's your turn.

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