Thursday, April 26, 2012

Week #17: Be Your Own Best Friend

By the end of my Weight Watchers week, I usually have some sort of idea what I want to say about the meeting topic. This week, I'm sitting here at a loss for words.

If I'm honest with myself, it's probably because this is an area that I still struggle with. And not just in the weight management part of my life. Perfection? I'm always striving for it, obviously never getting it.

I guess the takeaway from this is that you don't have to conquer every issue out there in order to reach (and maintain) your weight loss goals. I've kept the weight off for just shy of fifteen years, and there are still things I struggle with. But the struggle is manageable enough that it doesn't impact the end result.

Does that help? Does that make it seem more doable?

I found the final flip chart this week to be really thought provoking, so I'll repost it here:

What Food Can Do

Food can fill our stomachs.
It cannot fill our souls.
Food can nourish our bodies.
It cannot nourish our hearts and minds.
Food can make our taste buds happy.
It cannot make us happy.
Food can give momentary pleasure.
It cannot give lasting pleasure.
Food can distract us from our pain.
It cannot take away our pain.

-Author Unknown

1 comment:

Jackie Donaldson said...

Ah, I understand completely what you have posted, and yet having lived in another country, I now see this concept that food cannot nourish our souls, that it is not lasting, it completely a cultural notion. In Peru, and Latin America in general, and who knows, maybe other areas of the world, making food is such an incredibly cohesive experience. People take such pleasure in the fresh ingredients, coming together (usually women) to gossip and share and create together. And then sitting down to eat as a family, that's something so special and fun and enjoyable. I think some of us Americans are missing that experience. It's not about overeating but about enjoying the pleasure in eating, and that pleasure becomes a lasting memory of a great meal shared together. Honestly, I don't know how to convert this pleasure into the same for people who are challenged with losing weight, but I guess it's about enjoying and making eating food more than just about nourishment for the body for just a minute but for a lifetime. But of course, it's also about moderation...something for me to consider, although I'm sure you have some thoughts on this in the meantime! :0)