One of the
first mindful tasks I did on my journey to shed pounds was to find out why I
wanted to lose weight.
For me it was
key, because my M.O. was to lose weight for an event – a wedding, a vacation, a
reunion. The week before the event luscious, sugary food treats would begin to
invade my mind.
When the big
day came, instead of congratulating myself on a job well done, I awoke thinking
about all the foods I could eat that day. If anyone could read my mind they
would see ice cream, cookies, cake, Twizzlers – all the foods I had deprived
myself of for way-too-many months.
And eat I did,
because I told myself the next morning I would wake up and go right back to my
diet. And you know what happened next: The next morning came and went. And the
pounds started to creep back on, until one day I said enough, would get on the
scale, and discover – if I was lucky – that I was back to where I started. In
most cases, I had packed on extra weight.
What was different this time?
I looked at the
big picture. I was not losing weight for an event. Here’s what I asked myself:
Why do you want
to lose weight?
Because I want
to look good.
Why?
Because I am
tired of my fat clothes and want a new wardrobe.
Why?
Because I feel
better and more confident when I am wearing something new and honestly, I am so
tired and my knees hurt that my confidence is at an all-time low.
Why?
Because I am
eating foods that make me tired and keep me fat and because I want to be
healthy.
Why?
Because I want
to lead a healthy, long life. And if I keep going, I will not do that.
Why?
No answer. So I
found my big picture. I wrote it down and keep it posted all over my house.
So here’s what to do.
Get out a piece
of paper and do this exercise, trying to find your big-picture why.
Please make
sure your why is not event drive. Why? Because that just sets you up for
failure.
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