The Devil Made Me Do It
Sep 23 '01
The Bottom Line You have got to realize, there are NO MAGIC DIETS; and finally losing weight is not going to be the source of all happiness.
If you are reading this opinion, you are probably a lot like me. Through the years I have tried just about every diet known to society, and also some of my own concoctions. All with the same goal in mind - to finally have THE most beautiful body. This has been a long-time obsession - and that's exactly what it is, an obsession. As a teen, I began comparing myself to the celebrities of the day. Many of you may not remember, but in the 60's, Twiggy was every teen-age girl's role-model for what the perfect female should look like. However, she really did not have a female body at all. She resembled the appearance of a 12 year-old boy, rather than a mature female form. But, that was the role model for the day, and I was determined to look just like her. I stopped eating lunch, I tried not to eat breakfast (to my mother's strong disapproval). If I could, I would skip supper, as well. Finally it got to the point that I realized that I was in total control of what I ate and how much weight I lost. At one time, my 5 foot 4 inch frame weighed as little as 89 pounds. Thankfully, I was able to realize that this was far too thin and unhealthy. Gradually, through the years, after marriage, pregnancy; birth control pills and a hysterectomy, I found myself a little heavier (15 pounds) and in need of some type of weight loss program. I looked into several. I tried several. I paid good money for several. Some worked. Some did not. I exercised. I began teaching exercise classes (if you're the teacher, you can't just do a "no show" at class time). If the pounds came off, the pounds always returned. I could not believe that as a teen, I had so much will-power and control as to nearly stop eating, and now, as an adult, I was powerless to lose, and keep off 15 pounds! Then I agreed to teach a weight-loss class at our local YMCA. I am sorry to say, that the first 10 week session failed to help me lose more than a 5 pounds. I hit a plateau and my body decided to take up residence there. However, I agreed to teach another 10 week session. Something began to click. The group of folks that had signed up for the class began to function as a support network. We got together each week, discussed strategies that had helped and those that did not. We discussed various types of diets and learned what good nutrition was all about. I finally moved off that plateau and began the down-hill trip to a healthy weight. I agreed to teach a third 10 week course, and discovered a book written by a member of Overeaters Anonymous, TAKE IT OFF AND KEEP IT OFF. This book helped me to realize that I was compulsive with food. For a long time much of my waking thoughts and energies were focused around food - what would taste good right now, why did I eat all that cheese-cake, if I eat this I'll look like a blimp. What a waste of my precious life and time! I also learned that there was no magic diet. No matter what the advertising logo read, no diet will give me the body I so desired. And, even if it did, having the perfect body was NOT going to make me happy. I learned that my happiness is not dependent on what I looked like, my happiness was a choice. I could decide that the latest crisis du jour was going to send me on a Sara Lee binge, or I could take charge of my emotions and decide on a HEALTHY alternative. I also learned that the bag of chips or the cookies in the pantry do not have voices and do not call my name, begging me to gobble them up. I am in control of what I put in my mouth. And what I put in my mouth will either add or detract from my health and well-being. If I sit back and think about how much better I feel if I stick to a sensible eating plan, I will make the right choice. I'm not eating the "right foods" just to look good. I want to feel healthy, have enough energy to meet my family's needs and live an active life. I think that the best tool I've learned to use is a tiny little notebook. I write down the foods I plan to eat each day, determining calorie and fat content, and try to include the proper amounts of each food group. When I'm faced with the dilemma of the cheese-cake with my name on it, I can see that it's not part of the plan, and I'm not as likely to eat it. I've also learned to depend on the help of others. All of us in our weight-loss group support each other in our efforts to maintain a healthy eating plan and life-style. Although it may not seem like much to some, losing these 15 pounds has been a great challenge. I have finally accomplished my goal, and I have not regained the weight. I also know that I now have the right motivation to keep my weight at a healthy level and never look for "the magic diet" again. I now weigh 110 pounds and I feel great! There is also another motivation for me to make wise decisions about what I eat. As a Christian, I know that every morsel of food set before me is a gift from God. However, my body is also a gift from God. He gave me the food to nourish my body, not abuse it. One day I will stand before Him. I don't want to have to hang my head in shame because I chose not to take care of the precious life He gave me. I don't think for a minute that he'll accept the excuse that "the devil made me do it".
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Epinions.com ID:
shirleyh
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Location: Greenville,AL
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
I am a Christian wife,R.N. and concerned parent of two boys and one girl.
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