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Affirmation: I, ___________ ,love and respect myself. I choose a diet that nourishes me and reflects this love.

Music: Written and performed by Kevin Elliott – for more information contact kelliott28@hotmail.com

APPROXIMATE TRANSCRIPT

 â€œSelf-Love as Diet Motivationâ€?

If you are uncomfortable with your weight, should you try to take off some pounds or endeavor instead to accept yourself as you are? I faced this dilemma in my middle 30s. My life, although moving in a wonderful direction, was a hotbed of stressors. I had quit smoking, moved from my hometown, and sacrificed my income to become an artist and a full-time student. In addition, I was a single parent dealing with an adolescent child who was, to say the least, rebelling. I gained more than 30 pounds.

Someone made a negative comment about my weight, and I was outraged. I argued, “I don’t have to look like a model. Your concern with my weight is your problem, not mine. I am perfect just the way I am.� However, as I was defending myself, one question loomed in my own mind: If I love myself so much, why aren’t I taking better care of myself? My diet did not reflect self-love. In addition, while I was arguing for the right to self-determine my own weight, I had to admit my weight was not consciously determined but simply the result of some unhealthy eating habits. Eventually, I internalized that I loved myself enough to stop the weight gain.

Thankfully, I had done a significant amount of spiritual and emotional healing in my life before my weight started climbing; in addition, I didn’t have a history of dieting fueled by the motivation of hating my body size. So after I worked through the turmoil caused by the comment about my weight, I approached dieting, not as so many do -- motivated by self-loathing -- but instead motivated by self-loving. I really wanted to be taking care of myself. I have determined this to be the biggest factor in my long-term dieting success.

Many people have a long history of self loathing with regard to their bodies, some since childhood. Some people hate their weight; others go even so far as to hate themselves because of their weight.

But most of us have a measure of both self-loathing and self-loving in us. What dieters need to do is reinforce the self-loving as they put to rest the self-loathing. This needs to happen immediately. It is not enough to say you will stop the disparaging remarks about yourself when you reach such-and-such weight. Don’t wait to start until you’ve been following a diet successfully for a week, or month, or year. No. The time is now.

Most anyone can follow a diet and lose weight. Many folks have done it time and time again. But a secret to keeping it off is to approach it not just from a physical or nutritional point of view, but from a holistic mind-body point of view. You have to change your thinking as well as your eating habits.

Try this as a first step if you are contemplating changing your diet or are already in the process: Read the affirmation below several times a day. Say it when you brush your teeth in the morning, each time you eat or make a food decision during the day, and again before bedtime. Say it as you step on the scale.

“I love and respect myself. I choose a diet that nourishes me and reflects this love.� Try saying it out loud right now.

Note: Do remember the “affirmation dorkiness factor,� that is: The dorkier you sound when you say affirmations, the more likely they are to work!

HOPING FOR PEACE IN THE WORLD AND WISHING YOU PEACE OF MIND.

Sandra

This podcast is of the initial meeting of the Wednesday 7AM AIM support group of the Reasonable Diet.

AIM: Accountability; Information; Motivation.

Sandra Ahten, author and diet coach, is the group facilitator and producer of the program.

During this episode we meet Sara, Susan, and Jenn.

The episode was recorded on March 29, 2006.

You can see pic and bios of the participants at the website
www.reasonablediet.com

Resource mentioned in the podcast
www.fitday.com
www.weightwatchers.com