Skating Uphill-February 2014
PINK Magazine
By Judith Lawrenson
Sometimes facts do not have to be cold or hard, but they must be true, ladies, or they are not really facts, are they? “The Uphill Skater”
Last month I promised that I would share some real truths about why you may not be feeling better and why you may not be losing any weight. As I write this I am finding it very difficult not to be trite or corny or repetitive. So often when we read these types of things they seem to be all alike. Oh, you should eat less. Maybe you should exercise more. Have you tried the latest diet in PEOPLE Magazine? Walk 5,000 steps per day. I could go on and on, and probably any or all of these things are true for many people, but I would like to go deeper than that.
It may be, by the way, that your plateau is as simple as miscalculation. That is the most common reason. By that I mean that there are errors in the figuring of calories in calories out. This could be a result of not finding the actual calories in foods or losing track of portion control. It could also be the result of incorrect expectations regarding exercise. That is, as we all tend to do, saying that you will exercise off that binge, or saying that a particular amount of exercise equaling a set amount of calories will work every day every time. Remember that diet is 90% of weight loss and exercise is 10%. That is a fact.
In the interest of perhaps opening a different door, I will share with you that I find that the hardest thing for me personally is to do what psychologists call eating mindfully. I have years and years of very bad eating habits and not that many years of healthy living. I would guess that many of us are in this same boat. I buy things I like at the store-salty things are my downfall. I used to actually find myself in the fridge or pantry eating and almost not knowing what I was doing. I could be thinking that I was not supposed to do this while I was actually doing it.
For a long time, I thought that I was the only person in the universe who was capable of doing something so stupid. Then I saw an article in a magazine that showed me that not only was I not the only one, it was quite a common problem and actually had a name. Non-mindful eating is a real thing that people do-who knew? Anyway, try to eat mindfully. That is think about what you are doing to your lovely body that is the only one you will ever get. Look at that body in a full length mirror and think about loving what you see.
All that having been said, I must now get to what I must call the “cold, hard, facts” that we have all been avoiding. Facts and truths can be very hurtful and especially so to those who are feeling down, sad, or depressed about their health or their weight. I am not a counselor or a Doctor, but I can speak from personal experience. Things like grief eating, emotional eating and spite eating are very real.
Years ago I worked with a high school girl who burst in to tears when I spoke to her about weight loss. It turned out that she was terrified that if she lost weight she would no longer have an excuse for not making the team, not having friends, not being a cheerleader, and even not getting good grades. She blamed it all on being fat. It was her easy way out. This also, like non-mindful eating, is not uncommon. You know that there are adults who do the same thing. Depression, being totally inactive or anti-social, binge eating or eating and purging are causes for serious concern. Boy do I hate to say this, but please do think about it and if you are in this situation try to talk to someone about it because you are endangering your life and health.
I am normally upbeat in this column and even give us a laugh at ourselves sometimes and that is a good thing. Looking at the lighter side of life is very healthy. Self examination is also healthy. Sometimes looking ourselves in the eye realistically can be very powerful. Often it can reveal truths that are difficult to face. If you are not feeling that you are your best self, do not hesitate to start your “new you” project with a complete physical. I know this is an expense, but perhaps if you speak to your Doctor or try a health clinic there will be alternatives available. Don’t be afraid or discouraged. Do this for YOU. You deserve to be your very best self.