Mind Games 4: Taking the Reins

There's a movement out there encouraging people to have a more positive body image, no matter what kind of shape they're in.  It's sort of push-back against the long-standing tradition of fat-shaming that has become almost a national pastime.  I totally sympathize with folks who are sick to death of the world assuming they're lazy, stupid, or ugly just because they're not as fit as the models on that Ab Roller commercial.  But I'd also like to remind everyone that being overweight does have health issues that go with it.  Please don't try to get fit just to appease the @$$-holes.  But please do keep trying to get fit for your health and happiness.

Re-imagine Yourself

For the first forty years of my life, I saw myself as a Fat Person who was therefore clumsy and ugly and hopelessly unathletic.  It is astonishing to me how much Being Fat was pretty much my whole identity.  One of the biggest struggles I’ve faced was seeing myself as a Person Who Needs to Lose Some Fat, as opposed to a Fat Person.  It may seem like a pointless distinction to someone who’s never been fat, but the rest of us understand there's a colossal difference there.

You might think it’s impossible to reconfigure how you look at yourself, but it can be done.  I did a number of things to convince myself that Being Fat was not my eternal destiny:

• I taught myself some basic Photoshop skills and morphed pictures of myself so I could see what I might look like as a Thin Person.  By the way, there are some good image manipulation programs that you can get for free on the internet.  Just sayin’.
• Reading inspiring stories about other real-life people who had lost a lot of weight did help, some.
• This is weird, but fun: I would buy one shirt at the thrift store that was just a little too small for me.  Then when no one was home, I played dress-up by wearing a couple belts around my tummy, and putting the shirt on over that and looking at myself in the mirror.  If you try this, don’t be stupid with the belts.  You do have vital organs in there, you know.

Beware the Scale

Weighing yourself is a two-edged sword.  When you’re on a regular exercise program, your weight is going to fluctuate for a variety of reasons.  Even if you're not lifting weights, there's a good chance you'll gain some muscle mass, especially if you're new to the form of exercise you've chosen.  That's the kind of weight gain that you need to rejoice over, because it means you're stronger.

Water retention is a terrible villain in this story, because countless folks trying to lose fat weigh themselves every day hoping to see some rewards for all their hard work, but become frustrated because their body is retaining water, making their weight stay the same, or even go up a bit.  When I lose fat, my weight tends to go through a long period of stagnation, followed by a sudden drop of several pounds.  If waiting through that stagnant period is going to frustrate you into giving up, STOP WEIGHING YOURSELF DAILY!  You don’t need that kind of stress.  Have someone hide the scale if you have to.

Let me ask you this: if a genie offered to remove from your body all the fat you wanted, and make you look fit and be healthy, on the condition that you'd still weigh as much as you do now, would your weight even matter that much?

Instead of your weight, pay attention to how your clothes fit.  Take progress pictures.  Measure your waist, or have a friend measure you.  If you absolutely must weigh yourself, don’t do it more often than weekly, and still take those numbers with a grain of salt.  

If you can afford it, buy a bathroom scale that measures your bodyfat percentage.  Keep in mind they’re not the most accurate way to measure your bodyfat, but they can give you a pretty good idea.  And it might help your peace of mind if you see your weight remaining the same but your bodyfat percentage going down, to know that you really are making progress.

Most Important of All

Have patience.  It's better to go slow.

The idea of losing lots of fat really quickly may be exciting and inspiring, but your body tends to react to such tactics by turning your metabolism dial way, way down, and turning your hunger and craving dials up to eleven.  And nothing is less exciting or inspirational than gaining all the fat back, plus ten percent.  Slow and steady wins the race.  Keep exercising, and finding excuses to love it.  Find that inspiration.

Plan occasional cheat meals, if it helps.  (But not frequently, and don’t go crazy!)  Remind yourself you’re not a Fat Person, you’re a Person Who Needs to Lose Fat.

Most importantly, you’re a person.  Read that again.  Sometimes we forget.

And I’ve got one more bit of advice: when you fall off the wagon, the wagon doesn’t leave without you!  Forgive yourself, and get back on the dang wagon!  Take the reins, drive that wagon, and you’ll get where you’re going.

I know you’ve got this.  Sometimes, you just have to convince yourself!
The Friendly Lifter 

Also don't miss...

Mind Games 1 (about diet)

Mind Games 2 (more on diet)

Mind Games 3 (exercise)

Momentum vs. Motivation