Step 1: Think Like a Thin Person: Tell the Truth About Food and Eating

If you want to be thin, the most important thing you can do is to change the way you think and talk about food and eating. My first recommendation is to tell the truth. Holding yourself to the standard of truth is an amazingly powerful way to change your thoughts and behavior.

What does truth have to do with weight? And why do I seem to assume that you're not telling the truth? Trust me, I know you probably don't realize that you're not telling the truth, but I hear the same things over and over, and I know that truth-telling about food and eating is very difficult. How often have you heard:

• If there's an open bag of chips (cookies, chocolate, whatever), I just have to eat the whole thing.
• I can't drink water--it doesn't taste good.
• I can't standing seeing good food go to waste.
• I really shouldn't, but I just can't resist (or I have to be polite).
• I have to keep it around for my kids (husband, dog, grandmother, whatever).
• My kids have to have chips with their lunch, cookies after school, and I need to share that time with them.

What these statements and other similar comments tell me is that I'm listening to a person who doesn't realize that he or she is a responsible adult. No matter what your circumstances are, you have the responsibility for making wise choices about your life, and that includes choices about what you eat. You have the responsibilty for teaching your children how to eat well, and for modeling what a healthy lifestyle looks like. If you're thinking "Oooops!" right now, you're probably not alone. Don't worry, we'll talk about how to include your children in a healthy lifestyle in another article.

What is the truth about each of those statements above?

• I've chosen to bring chips/cookies/whatever into the house, when I know I haven't built up my resistance to temptation. I choose to eat things that will make me fat.
• I have chosen to create a taste for sugary, often chemical-laden liquids, and I refuse to cultivate a taste for pure, fresh water.
• This food tastes good, therefore I choose to eat it now, rather than save it for later or dispose of it, even though my body has had enough. I am willing to use my body as a Dispose-All.
• I either choose not say "no, thank you," or I choose not to plan ahead and save room for a treat.
• I have chosen to provide my family with food that should be an occasional treat as an ordinary and expected part of their diet, thus cultivating a taste for things that are unhealthy in regular doses.
• I want to spend time with my children, and for some reason, I choose to do so around unhealthy snacks.

In weight loss and healthy living, there is no room for "I can't." It's almost always "I won't." When I hear someone say, "I can't resist eating the whole thing," what I really hear is, "I won't pay attention to my body's needs, and I'm going to eat everything in sight whether I need it or not!" Many people eat so fast that they don't have time to feel full before they've downed twice the amount of food they should be eating. Others seem to believe that the food in front of them may be the only food they'll get all day. That's rarely true, and when you think about it, it's just silly. Most of us are surrounded by food, which means we shouldn't ever feel the need to consume more than our body needs at that moment.

When you choose to tell the truth about food and eating, you'll often find that you suddenly have the ability to do something you believed you couldn't do. For example, if you are wrestling with the temptation to eat more than you need, don't let yourself think or say, "It's so good, I just can't resist." Instead, acknowledge the truth. "It's so good that I don't want to resist, and I'm willing to pay the price of feeling overstuffed and staying fat, just so I can enjoy this momentary pleasure." If that is the truth, acknowledge it and eat whatever is tempting you. Chances are, being truthful will make you think twice about what you're doing, and will give you time to make a better choice. Just don't say things that aren't true, because quite frankly, you are an adult, and you CAN resist if you decide to;-).

Links to all the weight-loss articles:

1. Think Like a Thin Person: Tell the Truth About Food and Eating
2. Eat Like a Thin Person: Good Food Without Compromise
3. Dress Like a Thin Person: Look Good, Feel Good

 

 

Disclaimer: I'm not a health professional, nutritionist, dietician, or weight loss specialist. I'm an ordinary person who is freely sharing my personal experiences, study, and observations about food, weight loss, diet, and weight maintenance. If you have health issues, you may wish to consult your personal specialist for advice that applies specifically to your situation. I share these things in the spirit of Titus 2-- to teach good things. Grace and peace to you, as you progress on this journey.