Behind the Weight Loss Curtain

Jul 31, 2012 by Rachel

So many times we ask ourselves, “Why am I not seeing results?’ We are doing all of the “right” things, We monitor our diet and do plenty of cardio, but our results aren’t showing the effort. It’s that point that we find ourselves switching diets, trying new workouts, or giving up. It’s time to start looking behind the curtain of weight loss and finding the real reasons we aren’t succeeding.

There are plenty of medical reasons that could be causing a lull in weight loss, but most of the time it’s something much simpler. It goes back to finding the cause for your weight gain in the first place. It goes beyond realizing that you eat crap and that you snack when you are bored. This is about delving deep into your psyche and realizing the culprit. This culprit is the reason you eat crap and snack when you are bored. It is the reason you eat for comfort and are too tired to work out. Don’t leave just yet, hear me out.

On The Biggest Loser, they capitalize on the moments when the trainers reach the contestants on an emotional level. The contestants usually have a moment of realization and this moment is the catalyst for their success. They suddenly begin dropping weight and are more vibrant in the gym. The popular weight loss blogger Andie Mitchell of Can You Stay for Dinner, writes about realizing her weight problems were as a result of her unstable home life as a child. Her father was an alcoholic and drank his way into oblivion, leaving his daughter to find love and comfort from other sources. Her source was food. (She is an amazing writer by the way, you should definitely check her out.) After she realized this and started to focus on healing herself emotionally, she was able to shed the pounds.

Not everyone has an emotional trauma in their past with which to place the blame. Sometimes, it’s just about analyzing how we handle normal every day situations. For example, I have been trying to write a novel for two years now. I have written the first paragraph about one hundred times. After I finish the paragraph, I always erase it, because I am not satisfied. I get so hung up on that first paragraph that I cannot move forward. Why? I am a perfectionist. I am afraid of failure. I am not too good at commitment.This can translate over into my struggles with weight loss as well. I can’t commit to a degree major, and I can’t commit to a healthy lifestyle. I am afraid to fail at writing, and I am afraid to fail at weight loss. Everything in my life needs to be perfect. When you are first losing weight, NOTHING is perfect. You can’t do the workouts perfectly, you can’t cook the meals right, and having the need to work out makes you realize all of your imperfections.

I’ve been pretty open about my mental health. I have anxiety and depression and those definitely contribute to my neurotic tendencies.They are also part of the reason I have not been successful in my other weight loss attempts. After being diagnosed, I was able to start the process of healing. When these issues were addressed everything else in my life started to fall into place. While that novel is still not being written, I am able to blog daily, which is HUGE for me. While I am still afraid of failure, I am no longer afraid to try. I definitely am still very fickle. I can’t decide on a college major, what i want for dinner, what I want to write my blogs about, or what shirt to wear. I believe however, that my lack of commitment in my own decisions will evolve as I do. Being confident in yourself and who you are, generally helps with being more self-assured in life’s big choices. Since starting to heal myself emotionally, my weight loss has been much easier. I’ve successfully lost ten pounds, and I haven’t been able to do that in a very long time.

Okay, okay, enough about me. What I am trying to say here, is that healing yourself emotionally is just as important as healing yourself physically. In fact, it could be just what you need to start losing those pounds. I challenge you to really look at yourself. Think about all of those demons you’ve kept hidden. Those demons may be keeping you from succeeding. Don’t just think about them, start the healing process. Evaluate how you handle situations outside of losing weight. Find the flaws and figure out why you have them. Those same flaws and things holding you back in “real-life” may be what’s holding you back in the weight loss world.

Changing your attitude is huge, too. I am a pessimist by nature, but an optimist by choice. You have to be positive about all of your weight loss efforts. You are going to have weeks you lose, and weeks you don’t. You have to be able to take it in stride and move forward. Also, dealing with your past demons or examining your flaws must be done with positivity and with a sense of humor. It’s hard to examine yourself in a critical light, but if you don’t you can never get better.

Look behind the weight loss curtain, and see what is stopping you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or to reach out for advice. There are some things we can’t deal with on our own. Be strong. Be diligent. Be positive. Don’t be afraid to change. We can totally do this!

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