Figuring Out the "Why"

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I have just enough Irish in me to be able to wear green with a touch of pride today.  Even though I've been at my goal for almost two years, my St. Paddy's Day celebration doesn't center around food like it used to.  Unfortunately, all of the foods that most say "Irish" to me are just too high in calories and fat for me.  It also helps that no one else in my family likes those foods, so they are very happy that they no longer are forced to "eat Irish" once a year :-).

Yesterday morning I happened to catch a segment on the "Today" show that featured actress Kirstie Alley, who talked about the weight loss program she's founded.  I won't talk about the pros and cons of this program (but you can probably make a good guess about my thoughts . . . ), but there was something else Kirstie said that caught my attention.  The interviewer, Meredith Vieira, commented that Kirstie's battle with weight, including famously regaining over 80 pounds, has been the stuff of tabloid news for several years.  Kirstie responded that she wasn't focused on the "why" of gaining the weight, just on the "did."

From my humble perspective, I think that if Kirstie doesn't address the "why" of regaining all of her weight, her chances of successfully losing and keeping it off this time aren't very good.  That's true for almost all of us.  If you're on this program because you've picked up a frustrating ten pounds you can't lose on your own, then you possibly don't have a "why" that you need to address.  [Note: I don't fault anybody for using this program to drop 10 pounds and learn new, healthier eating habits - in fact, I applaud it.]  However, if you've been dealing with a significant amount of extra weight for a long time, my guess is that there is a "why" that needs to be addressed.

At 268 pounds, I was painfully aware that I hadn't doubled my weight just because I enjoyed a good meal.  I'm a great cook and I enjoy a good meal, to be sure, but the amount of eating required to get me to 268 pounds had very little to do with a hearty appetite and well-developed taste buds.   I've shared about my journey in the past, so I won't take the time to rehash my story today.  However, I know that the reason I reached my goal and am maintaining today is because a lot of healing happened in my heart.  God used this program as the catalyst needed to finally address some deep issues in my life.  The food part was the easy part of the program - 5&1 couldn't be more simple.  Not running to food when stressed, upset, angry, sad, tired - THAT was the hard part, and it required digging deep to discover why I was doing it to begin with.

People see the physical changes in me and many find the changes remarkable.  What they can't see are all of the changes that happened inside, and they are far more remarkable than the externals.  Of course I'm thankful for the externals - I love being at a healthy weight and wearing size 6 jeans - but I'm even more thankful for all of the emotional and spiritual growth that's occurred in the process.

Addressing the "why" is a choice - you don't have to do it, but I highly recommend spending some time working through the "whys" of your own struggle with weight.  By honestly looking at your own "whys", you will take another step towards a healthier rest of your life.

So many choices to make on this journey!  Choose wisely :-)