Everyday Systems: nosdiet: message 2085 of 3212

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Cathy, I hope you will feel as welcome and instantly a part of a community 

as we all do when we join this group. Your post has prompted me to say some 

things I've had on my mind for a while. I hope they will be a small help to 

someone.

First of all, I admire your courage and your perseverance. It's been said 

by many authors, but I'll say it again... It is simply AMAZING that all of 

us overweight people keep trying to conquer this problem, day after week 

after month after year... How many diets have we all tried? I've lost 
count. That's why I finally said NO MORE DIETS. It's amazing, it's 
admirable, but it's also irrational. We always end up fatter and more 
discouraged after regaining what we lost too fast using the wrong methods, 

so isn't it time to stop the insanity? ("The definition of insanity is 

doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." - 

Benjamin Franklin)

BUT, the very fact that you are willing to try again, not using a "miracle 

diet" but a sensible, lifetime eating approach, otherwise known as "good 

habits" (which can at times be as difficult to stick to as any stupid diet), 

should be great cause for encouragement. The battle is fought in our minds 

(usually after being attacked by our hormones), isn't it? If we were 
completely unemotional, not only would we be able to stick to any diet 

without a bit of trouble, but we probably wouldn't be fat in the first 

place. When those emotions threaten to sabotage us again, it will take a 

continuing effort (though I've heard it gets easier with practice) to remind 

ourselves of what we KNOW, and keep doing the right thing. Some of us (like 

me) look to God for the courage, wisdom and strength to continue, though He 

*won't* do it for us--we have to "work out what He works in." We aren't 

supposed to discuss that angle on this list because it tends to stir up 

controversy, so I only mention it because for me it would feel dishonest to 

imply I'm doing this "just fine" all on my own. =)

Anyway, I'm trying to lead up to another thought. I've sometimes 
imagined...how would I be eating, exercising, and generally taking care of 

myself if I *did* have a beautiful, perfect body (whatever that means! but 

you know what I mean). If I looked like...oh, let's say Keira Knightley for 

example...would I be snacking and overeating and vegging out and eating too 

much of what I know isn't good for me? Ummm...I don't think so!! I don't 

think any of us would be that stupid consistently unless we were completely 

miserable and beyond caring. Sooo...why would I do any of that stuff to my 

own body? Trying to keep myself fat and unhealthy? Not! So is it really 

so hard to be sensible and eat right? Probably not. The really difficult 

thing is to stay on unrealistic, silly, too-strict diets. Now we just need 

to convince ourselves that the skin we were born into is worth saving and 

improving! and doing it the *right way.* None of us (movie stars included) 

will ever be completely satisfied with our appearance, so we may as well get 

over that and get on to a better goal. You and I can each define that goal 

for ourselves. The older I get, the less it has to do with how I look and 

the more it has to do with how I feel! =)

That's probably enough of a ramble for tonight, but I'll just add that I am 

quite sure this plan will work for any amount of weight anyone needs to 

lose--always assuming you have ruled out metabolic or other medical problems 

(thyroid and so on). Have you ever noticed how a "normal person" eats? 

It's worth studying. I don't mean the stick-thin ones who pig out on sugar 

and junk food all day--they are obviously abnormal and that will usually 

catch up with them. I also don't mean the stick-thin ones who exist on 

lettuce and lean chicken, plus maybe a pot of coffee and a pack of 
cigarettes per day...or alternately, three gallons of water and a 2-hour 

workout per day. =D Let's get real! Find a normal person, the kind you'd 

like to look like and act like, and study him/her. It could be 
enlightening.

By the way, your e-mail address is so cool! =) I wish I could be that 
original when trying to think of usernames!

I hope to hear lots more from you. We have a great group here and I wish I 

had more time to chat but every now and then a long ramble comes out! =P

Diane