Feed the thin person inside you

Posted on April 7, 2015

I had read some time ago that if you fed the thin person inside you, that you would eventually become that person. At the time, I just kind of dismissed it because I wasn't ready to tackle my weight. It's a concept that could easily be dismissed because of its (over)simplification of what is usually a complex issue. However, the words still stuck with me.

[Disclaimer: I don't recall where I read this, or any of the accompanying principles, products, theories, celebrity endorsers, etc. The ruminations in this blog are just about that phrase that stuck with me.]

Lately I was giving this simple idea some more thought. Rather than just dismissing it as a catchy phrase from some fad diet, I looked at it more critically. The reality is that if I was to feed my body 1,200 calories per day I would be "feeding the thin person" inside me because for the last many years, I've been eating far more than that. Over time, if I stayed at that 1,200 calorie level, I would lose weight and eventually level off at a weight that can be sustained at 1,200 per day. In other words, I would become the thin person I'd been feeding. More realistically for me: I would be very motivated by the weight loss and soon start to add some exercise to see what additional weight loss that would bring. After a while, just like most other people, the calorie-counting would get old, and I would let the occasional treat slide "because I deserve to celebrate all the success I'm having". It's at this point that most of us need to pull up our socks and get back on track - and that's no easy after having tasted cheesecake for the first time in months!

So where am I going with this? Well, I guess I have realized that the idea of feeding the thin person inside of me works well as a mantra, as a way to stay focussed when walking through the aisles of that cafeteria past the chicken fingers, onion rings, zucchini sticks, mayo-laden pasta salads, sticky sweet BBQ pork, etc toward the salad bar. I can repeat it to myself as I wash the dinner dishes to keep myself from wolfing down a few spoonfuls of leftovers as they are packed up for the refrigerator.

However, I still hesitate to use this phrase as a summary of how I plan to lose weight. I find that it doesn't adequately describe how lifestyle-altering it really is to lose a significant amount of weight. It requires a mind, body and soul approach. Every part of me needs to be on board to get any type of success. Hmm, maybe that can be a good summary of my approach: "Mind, body and soul renovation project". Yes, that speaks to me. It feels right - and it seems much more reflective of an actual successful weight loss process than striving to be a 'skinny person'.

Okay everyone, the pieces are falling into place for me. I am fully committed to losing weight and adopting a much healthier lifestyle. While those results speak mostly to my physical being, it will require that my emotional and intellectual beings also step up and look at themselves in the mirror. I can do this. All of me wants it and is ready to put in the work!

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bahhhhh

04/13/2015 1:09PM

I relate to this post as well. The emotional and intellectual beings are absolutely the hardest ones to bully into compliance, aren't they? The body is, in comparison, the easy part. Good for you for taking the time to internalize the process! I think that's what I've been missing in all my past diet attempts. We have to embrace completely what all of the changes we make will do. The good and the bad-- I mean, of course the end result is overwhelmingly positive, but there comes a lot of soul searching too with having to redefine yourself, reconnect with yourself, et cetera. Thought provoking. Thank you :)

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GlampingGal

Thanks for reading. As much as I wouldn't want to scare someone who is attempting to lose weight, I think people should be made aware of how life-transforming this process MUST be. I knew I needed to lose weight a long time ago but I just didn't have the motivation required so I consciously put that on the back burner for a while. I wasn't prepared to put myself through a battle of wills. It wasn't going to work at all. One day, it clicked. I knew I was ready, and that's when I made a lot of changes. The time is right for me (goodness knows what changed) and I'm doing well.

katcha

04/07/2015 4:26PM

you will find what you need Put in the work

Cheryl C.

04/07/2015 1:56PM

Thanks for posting! The idea of using it as a manta, as a helpful reminder (knowing that it can be infused with much more than just a trite statement ), is a fantastic way to bring the goal of the healthier self to the fore in our weaker moments! Last year in one of the EDBS DietBet's Teresa suggested finding our personal mantra for just this reason, it is something to bring us back to our intention and goal!

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Travis

04/07/2015 1:02PM

Let me start by stating I loved your disclaimer :) Anyway, right at the end you point out a realization that most people are not prepared for. This journey we are sharing in is just as much if not more an emotionally and intellectually fueled path than a physical one. The successes, struggles, failures and victories put us through huge emotional waves that can be hard to stay afloat in, I know it took me a bit to come to terms with that. You are awesome, keep up the great work. Thanks for sharing.

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GlampingGal

Thanks for the vote of confidence.