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Gain Life: Building a Strong Core December 11, 2005

After doing research on Weight Watchers, I determined that losing weight wasn't the only issue for most participants. It seemed that most were starving for a fulfilling life and were eating to feed this need.

When you focus on weight loss, you give too much power to food and your outward appearance. Your intent might be better health, but your gauge is a series of numbers – the number of calories you’re consuming, minutes you’re exercising, pounds on your scale, and your pant size. It certainly helps to measure change, but does it truly measure the success of your life? Do you naturally make food choices based upon numeric data? And by doing so, do you feel like you’re obsessing over food?

Everyone’s relationship to food and reasons for eating when & what they do are unique to them. In addition to the emotional aspects, you also have a unique physiological relationship with food. How you metabolize and what satisfies your nutritional needs are yours alone and they change all the time! Stress, seasons, illness, and environment will alter your dietary needs.

Putting calories and pant size in an inverse relationship might reduce weight control concerns to an easily understood problem, but it doesn’t get to the core of the issue. Humans need to feed their souls in order to satisfy their hunger. What you put into your body is what you’re going to get out of it. If you’re feeding yourself junk television, nasty gossip, poorly made products, and self-loathing thoughts, you are going to poison the beauty that each person has at his/her core.

Life change often happens gradually and with numerous setbacks. Your patience might be challenged. You may continue to weigh yourself and evaluate your pant size, and it will hopefully provide informative feedback. A more difficult measurement is your satisfaction with life and your ability to cope with difficult situations. Life’s problems are not going to disappear, but with a better toolset for facing them, the negative impact might be reduced.

I BELIEVE...
We need to nourish our souls in order to satisfy our hunger. What we put into our minds and bodies is what we’ll get out of it. A nutritious diet of music, literature, arts, seasonal foods, physical activity, and fulfilling relationships will help develop a strong emotional core. With this inner strength, we will be able to tackle life’s difficulties in a healthy way. Our goal is to feel more calm and centered, which should help to reduce emotional eating and improve our overall physical well-being.

POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES

  • Look for activities through local organizations and businesses:
    • Cultural institutions – museums, symphony, theatre, dance, and lectures
    • Yoga and pilates studios
    • Natural foods markets
    • Craft classes – ceramics, sewing, knitting
    • Bike shops
    • Book stores
    • Weight-loss programs and centers

  • Create a companion system:
    • Arrange to meet up with other friends at classes and events
    • If you have kids, find activities that provide childcare, or build a network and plan activities together that involve children.
    • Organize get-togethers – cooking classes, field days, parties, etc.

  • Engage in online activities that feed your mind and connect with other people.
    • Quizzes and other mind games, try some that are multi-player and connect you with others
    • Questionnaires and profiles that help you process relationship difficulties
    • Make use of life planning tools – financial management, time management, etc.

  • Pariticpate in cause-based events:
    • Team in Training – running training
    • Habitat for Humanity – home construction
    • Local organizations – public gardening, tree planting, park clean-ups
    • Big brothers/sisters – spending time with children


    CONSIDERATIONS

  • Participate in activities with friends and family members that don’t need/want to lose weight but do want to enrich their lives.
  • Find activities that fit your schedule and interests.
  • If you're concerned about costs, apply money you're spending elsewhere towards more enriching activities.
  • Try different weight loss and exercise programs and see what sticks. Some programs might work for 6-months and then they plateau. Be open to trying something new, rather than be discouraged.

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