The Bleeding Obvious

Some time ago, I read an exchange between several people attempting to lose weight. One of them said that she couldn't get through the whole thing without having treats so she enjoyed a little everyday. To this, another said, 'if you can't get through the day without a piece of chocolate, you've got bigger issues.' I didn't say it, but I thought, "no kidding, Sherlock."

People who want to lose weight, but haven't had severe issues with food don't approach food the same way as those who have. Many of us are like alcoholics that were drinking several six packs a day. Getting down to one beer a day is a monumental accomplishment. In fact, as long as quality of life is not compromised by that one beer, there is no reason to extinguish it from our lives, particularly if having that one keeps us from having 12.

Perfectionists, absolutists, and people who measure their self-worth in body weight, calories or the nutritional composition of their diet are one of the single most destructive elements in dealing with obesity. For those people, "good" is never "good enough", and they cannot accept that any other viewpoints other than their own are valid. For them, the trivial, such as whether you have 4 Hershey's Kisses a day to help you mentally deal with the changes to your lifestyle, is a springboard for a smug sense of superiority. They are "stronger" than you because they don't need this little emotional crutch.

My response to this thinking is that if your self-worth and valuation of others is measured by the composition of your respective diets or a number on the scale, then you have bigger issues. Such a shallow definition of self will ultimately undo you far faster than a few bites of chocolate to help you get through the day.