Overcoming Obesity: Step 1

I used to hate my "cellulite-laden thunder-thighs." But the more I hated my body, the more I ate. The more I ate, the more weight I gained. The more weight I gained, the more I hated my body. You get the cycle...

Then, I had a "wake-up call," which helped me begin to love my body. Yes, Step 1 to overcoming obesity is to love yourself, exactly as you are. When you love yourself, you take better care of yourself. I can't emphasize enough how important this step is!!! Here is the story of my "wake-up call," excerpted from How Much Does Your Soul Weigh? (Harper Collins, 2003) pp. 116-117:

"A turning point for me was an experience I had while walking down the street one day. I happened to catch a glimpse of myself in a storefront window. The vision I saw was of a huge, misshapen person with over-sized hips and thighs. “Ugh!” I thought, “I am disgusting!” The negative self-talk continued, and I became focused on my “cellulite-laden thunder thighs.” Thoughts like, “I’ll never beat this,” and “I’m just going to be fat forever” swirled in my mind. The more I thought in this way, the worse I felt. I couldn’t even look people in the face as I passed them on the sidewalk. Feeling totally hopeless, I planned to stop by the candy store down the street to get a big bag of chocolate to drown my feelings in food.

Staring at the ground as I shuffled along in my depressed state, my downward spiral was interrupted as a voice ahead of me said a loud “Hello!” I looked up to see a man with a big smile on his face. He was in a wheelchair, and I noticed that he had no legs. “Have a great day!” he continued, as he passed me. I stopped dead in my tracks. A wave of emotion came over me, as if I had been plodding along in the desert and was suddenly engulfed by a large flood. Suddenly, the size of my “thunder thighs” no longer mattered. How my legs looked was not important. I looked up to the sky and said, “Thank you, God; I have legs.” I walked past the candy store and continued home. As I walked, I noticed how it felt to move my legs. I paid attention to my unique stride. I was able to affirm for the first time many positives that my legs gave me. My eyes teared up as the flood of emotions washed through me. I felt incredible sadness as I thought of the years I had spent putting myself down, minimizing the gifts that I did have, unable to appreciate my inherent value. I also felt great relief, because I was finally able to feel good about my body. Then, I froze. Suddenly I realized that I was feeling good about my body, yet I hadn’t lost a pound."

And, from this place of self-acceptance, I had no interest in overeating... This is Step 1 to overcoming obesity!!!