Diets --- avoid them!

I am pretty sure I came out of the womb on some kind of diet because as far back as I can remember I was on a diet.

As a kid, my parents and family were always reminding me of how fat I was with every mouthful. They watched everything I ate and frequently made comments about how much I ate and how big I was.

During my teen years I read about many different diets, saw reminders of diets plans on TV on a daily basis and had girlfriends tell me about how many pounds they lost with the newest diet. All these diets promised success, a thin body and a better life.

By the time I was an adult and obese I pretty much crowned myself the “DIET QUEEN”.  I took uppers and downers, drank weight loss shakes, had cow’s urine injected into my body and even had my jaws wired shut, all to get rid of the fat that constantly reminded me of how imperfect I was. I pretty much felt bad about myself all day long. I was always told that I had a pretty face; if only I could lose the weight.

Over the years my weight was the topic of most family conversations. I was somehow the scapegoat for all of the other family problems, so my weight brought comfort to my toxic family who could not face the demons that prowled around the family table.  To me that translated to I was somehow damaged property and until I lost the pounds that surrounded and captured my body I was less than human.

Being thin was on my mind day and night and the battle I fought was getting even harder. My thoughts growing up consisted of two things...eating all of the time and how to lose weight for the last time. I had to get thin at any cost.  Food was the comfort, friend and relationship that I had with myself and until I got thin that was how it was to be. My weight was a constant struggle and battle and losing weight was always the ultimate goal.

That is how it is still for almost every fat, overweight or obese person. We are constantly bombarded with diets every day. Society tells the overweight person you are less than perfect and until you become thin, your life means nothing. The message is loud and clear no matter which way you turn.

For me dieting was so damaging physically, emotionally, and mentally that at one point after drinking only Optifast every day and not learning how to eat I was rushed to the hospital with my electrolytes off and could have went into cardiac arrest. That was many years ago and while those days are far gone the memory still haunt me sometimes.

Today, I live a very different life. Once I learned that dieting was getting me nowhere and took matters into my own hands, I began to breathe and learned how to live. I began to not only eat better, but befriended food and realized that I was in control of food. I had the power, not the diet. I commanded what was to happen, and no longer focused on negative thoughts about myself.

If you are still dieting and living a life that is getting you nowhere fast, let me plead with you to re-think this. By learning how to use food as fuel and nourishment for the body your life will change. It is time to stop DIETING and start to own your life and live happier!

Hugs,
Debra