|
D
o you ever find yourself putting
something in your mouth when you
really don’t want to? You’re not
remotely hungry, but you fancy that piece of
chocolate cake or that extra helping, and so
in it goes. Then you feel weak and pathetic,
without will power or control. And every
time you slip up, you tell yourself that if only
you had more discipline, if only you weren’t
so flawed, you could be thin.
“Eating too much isn’t about
will power, and we shouldn’t
hate ourselves for thinking
that we don’t have it.”
Most people think that being thin is about
self-control, and they are judgmental of
bigger people who clearly don’t have it. Most
overweight people believe that reaching for
that extra slice of cake is about will power.
They know they don’t want to eat it, but
they seem unable to stop themselves. So they
vow to cut down on sweets, eat the right
foods, and join a gym. But before long, they
find themselves reaching into the fridge
again. Inevitably, trapped inside this cycle of
determination and failure, self-loathing
eventually sets in.
But eating too much isn’t about will
power, and we shouldn’t hate ourselves for
thinking that we don’t have it. Naturally
thin people don’t have more self-discipline
than fat people, and they don’t resist food;
they simply don’t want any more than their
body wants.
|
|
 |
Naturally thin people eat when
they’re hungry and don’t care how many
calories their food contains. Their bodies can
be trusted to burn off what they eat. More
calories just means fewer hunger signals
later on. Food doesn’t mean anything more
to them.
When we’re carrying extra pounds, it can
mean we aren’t simply eating for physical
reasons, but for emotional ones, too. If you
don’t think this is the case, look at your life.
You will find the triggers: boredom, sadness,
anger. A job you don’t like, a relationship
that is making you unhappy – you may be
using food to avoid any or all of this. Some
people use alcohol, some cigarettes, and
others food. People with full, happy lives
don’t worry about food, and don’t need
distractions.
Going on a diet will not solve the problem.
Diets only make you obsess about food more,
not less. And diets can’t work, since they only
address the effect of overeating and not the
cause. The real work in the battle to lose
weight is internal, not external – and that is
where you must begin.
|
|
