Weight Loss Empowerment

Empowerment: a sense of being in control. Having proof that our efforts matter and create change. Also: unconditional acceptance of yourself. Having your own back.

When you are unhappy with your body, you may imagine that when you finally lose all the excess weight – you will feel empowered and better about yourself. That may happen, but this is not the body that will make you feel so.

Two kinds of empowerment

I observe that there are two kinds of empowerment, that are available to us, when we are ready to decide: to lose or not to lose.

You can empower yourself to stay where you are: in the current weight, or

You can empower yourself to lose the pounds you consider excessive.

In the first scenario

You do not have to wait to lose all the weight to FEEL good about yourself. There are countless examples of women who are a “plus size”, who own it. They feel confident and they love themselves. There is no doubt they are beautiful and they feel beautiful. They are an example.

So why lose weight?

In the second scenario

… you have a certain idea of your Preferred Operating Weight, and you work hard to get there. You are not ok with the excess weight, knowing it’s not the “real you”. You are ready to make the physical and emotional effort, to prove to yourself – you can.

But here is the thing: this is not the body at the lower weight that makes us feel empowered and confident. If that was true, all slim people would feel proud of their bodies and empowered. This is not always the case.

The empowerment is in the process

It’s the process of getting there, that is truly the road to empowerment. Why is it so important to know?

Because you may try to beat yourself up and be miserable on your weight loss journey, waiting for the moment to hit the 175 or 150, or 120 pounds, whatever it is for you, expecting that THEN you will feel great. You need to manage your emotions, make effort to accept yourself and the process before you get there. You need to make a promise to yourself to not give up. To choose yourself. After all, it takes long months, or more to reach the goal. Why feel bad along the way.

It’s in the process

It’s not the body at the desired weight, that will make you feel great. It’s the process you will go through, it’s the changes and challenges your mind will go thru, that will result in a sense of empowerment.

It’s when every day you do something hard.
It’s when you do what you thought was impossible.
It’s when you say no to flour and sugar for a period of time, even though its tough
It’s when you stick to your exercise plan
It’s when you push thru the whole gym class
It’s when you face your emotions in emotional eating
It’s when you learn about food
It’s when you say no to the addictive foods. One day at a time.
It’s when you recommit every morning
And when you keep loving and accepting yourself along the way.