Lose Weight by Being Happy
Happiness is generally something we all want. We strive for it. It may come in the form of money, love, or beauty. If we don’t have happiness, we often fantasize about that one thing that we think will make us happy. Unfortunately, that kind of strategy seldom works. Gamblers fantasize about hitting that jackpot. Mistreated men and women fantasize about changing their cheating lovers’ ways. And fat people fantasize about being thin and beautiful.
There’s nothing wrong with dreaming, but obsessing over one aspect of life leads to inevitable failure and here’s why: Life has ups and downs; success and failure, wins and losses. If all you ever focus on is one ultimate goal, then everyday you are enduring a loss. The failure of having not yet met that goal. It’s about morale.
When you finally eat that hotdog after two rough weeks of successful dieting, do you ever ask yourself “Why did I do that?” ? Before you ate the hotdog you were absolutely desperate for that hotdog. No one could talk you out of it. You had to have it. Why? Because you craved it? Why? You’re sure your nutritional needs had been met. You weren’t starving. Your will to lose weight is immeasurable. So why the weakness? Some might say that our bodies are addicted to the chemicals that eating a hotdog would release. But think of it in a simpler way: We are addicted to happiness. We absolutely need some sort of happiness in our lives, and if you’re not getting enough in the way you live life then you’re going to get it somewhere else. Maybe from the taste of that greasy hotdog. When it’s over, you’ve gotten your happiness, and now you feel guilty. Back to square one. You beat yourself up, wallow in self-pity, find some motivation and begin again.
Consider this – what if our lives were more enriched, more enjoyable, more full of experiences – would we be more likely to make healthier food choices? Before you answer, consider the last time you had a really busy fun day. There have been times in my life when I went to the beach with family or to a park with friends and at the end of the day I had eaten healthy without really trying to. I thought to myself, “Wow. I wish I could eat like that everyday.” It was easy because my mind wasn’t on those cravings. Or maybe I didn’t have those cravings because I was happy.
Living healthier can be achieved by living happier. First, don’t let your weight stand in the way of your happiness. Weight is an important health issue, but it is only a small fraction of who you are. You are dynamic. Allow yourself to be who you are and forgive yourself for being imperfect and (heaven forbid) human. Don’t diet, but don’t focus on food as your happiness. Find something you love to do and then do it. If your schedule is hectic, find a way in incorporate fun into your life. Don’t let food be your hobby. Appreciate the little things too. Notice how blue the sky is or how great the rain smells or how great the grass feels under your bare feet. Read books, take hot baths, sing, dance – do whatever it takes to bring yourself some happiness everyday as long as it doesn’t involve food. And at meals, eat something healthy that also sounds tasty. Don’t obsess about it. Don’t wonder about the amount of calories or fat that are in the meal. It might sound like intuitive eating, but it’s not quite. It’s more about not letting food be the source of your happiness.
