While surfing the web for a fabulous new hairstyle that would make me as flawless as the model wearing it, (it never quite works out) a potential image appeared. It flashed at me with a message that said, “For a higher resolution image click here.” I didn’t need a higher resolution image, but reflexively clicked.
A blast of dire warnings about the fate of my computer instantly popped up, only to freeze everything. I rebooted without incident, even though I was warned not to do so.
Only days earlier the call display on my ringing phone indicated my own phone number. What? I really wanted to pick up the phone and shout, “Who are you, anyway?” I didn’t pick up.
Don’t you think it’s kind of weird that we don’t even answer our own phones? We can’t trust salespeople, strangers, advertising, and we certainly can’t trust politicians. But trust we must or we would never step out our door.
The weight loss industry is not without fault. It has a history of boasting dubious claims. You can spot the charlatans by the promise of a quick fix. There is no quick fix.
If you don’t know what to believe, here’s some weight management advice that should stand the test of time. Trust me.
1. Put your health first and put your weight in perspective. Your weight is something. It’s not everything.
2. Accept yourself at any size. Self-loathing and shame just create stress, which is more conducive to weight gain than loss. Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up. It means not resisting what is.
3. Don’t diet. Short-term efforts yield short-term results.
4. Cook at home more. It’s okay to keep it really simple.
5. Eat more whole foods like vegetables and fruit. Eat less refined, processed food. Restaurant food is often refined and processed food.
6. Eat slowly and mindfully. No multi-tasking. Just be present to the food and your experience with it.
7. Focus on moderation and small steps instead of all-or-nothing thinking. Trying to do everything perfectly eventually leads to not trying at all.
8. Make your life better so you don’t count on food to make you happy.
9.Practice healthy coping strategies for regulating emotions and stress, for example: mindfulness, deep breathing, being in nature, exercising, journaling, therapy, leaning on support, getting adequate sleep, and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT, often called tapping).
10. Move your body. It makes everything better.
You see there’s a lot more to this than surviving on celery sticks – because that’s not surviving.
By the way, if you call me and I don’t answer please leave a message. Unless you’re the CRA threatening to deport me again, I’d love to talk with you.