How many years, how many times have I asked GUS (That’s God/Universe/Higher Self) to help me lose weight? Alone all my life!
I’ve never actually been very overweight, living most of my life on the high end of the “ideal.” But a few years ago, I suddenly gained 15 pounds for no apparent reason. I was only 38 years old, and doctors weren’t about to blame premenopause or a thyroid problem, just the need to move more and eat less as I got older. Hmph. I wanted to pinch them.
I tried to lose this annoying weight that had crept in and targeted me so unfairly. I ran. And I mean, I RUN. I ran at least 4 times a week for over four months. Nothing.
I tried one of those herbal weight loss products. Double nothing. Although I have to say that maybe one or both of these attempts prevented me from winning. Who knows how fat I could have ended up?
When it was all said and done, in 2007, she was about 30 pounds over what she wanted to be, which would be “not too skinny, still feminine, nicely slender.” So I asked GUS one more time: “Could you help me lose weight?”
One day, without thinking, I went for a walk. He had nothing on his mind, just maybe some fresh air. The next day, I went for another walk. Before I knew it, I was walking every day and rarely taking a day off. Nothing special, just walking for about 35 minutes.
After 6 or 8 weeks, the scale suddenly showed a slightly smaller number. Over the next few weeks, the number and my body continued to decline.
Hallelujah!
How did this happen? I was wondering if I had changed any of my eating habits along the way, so I started analyzing (I like to analyze) and sure enough, a few things had changed. Subtly, slowly, my habits had changed as if by MAGIC, or at least by instinct. My body and my soul had spoken and I had listened!
As of this writing, I am down to that sneaky 15lbs and two sizes! I’ve purged my wardrobe of the larger items that are now too big, and revamped the closet space for those items that used to be tight. When I buy, I even flirt with the next size down.
Here’s how I’ve done it, almost without thinking:
WALKING: I walk every day for about 35 minutes, sometimes more. Every once in a while I take a breather, but usually I don’t mind going. In fact, I almost crave it.
NOTHING IS FORBIDDEN: I eat what I want, but I don’t want as much as before. If I want M&Ms, I eat them. But I don’t want a lot of things that are traditionally fattening.
SODA: Well, maybe soda is off limits. I know myself and on my own I would drink Coca-Cola every day. I love it. And none of that diet crap, either. But I know it’s fattening for me (apparently it’s not fattening for everyone), so I limit Cokes to “once in a while.”
ALCOHOL: I’ve never been a big drinker, but I do enjoy the occasional glass of red wine. It’s supposed to be good for you too, so if I want it, again, nothing’s off limits. Most other alcoholic beverages are very weird to me.
BREAD, PASTA, POTATOES: I think I eat less of these now than before, but I still eat them if I want them. If I eat potatoes, I am reminded of all the nutritional value they have, along with the fiber. Everything is alright!
SALAD: I try to eat salad every day. I make a great salad, plus the dressing I really like happens to be “light.” I don’t know if it’s low carb or low fat or what, and I don’t care. I eat what I like, and I like to eat raw, green vegetables every day. My grandfather is 96 years old and in excellent shape, having eaten salad twice a day for as long as I know.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES: I have always eaten a lot of these. Nowadays, every time I turn on Oprah, Dr. Oz is there, talking about flushing out your colon. So I eat fruits and vegetables (they have a lot of fiber). I can’t hurt. I also eat red meat, chicken, fish and everything I like. Remember, nothing is forbidden for me.
SCHEDULE: I go for a walk after dinner and usually don’t eat anything between then and bedtime. Unless you really want something or are really hungry. I usually eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m satisfied, not full. That’s another thing I’ve done for years, so I guess GUS contacted me early on that!
HAPPINESS: I was pretty happy with my weight and body before, except when I saw myself in photos. Then he’d say, “I didn’t know I was that fat!” I’m pretty happy with where I am now, 15 pounds off. And if I lose more weight, I’ll be happy there too. Maybe even a little happy. Happiness helped me lose weight, along with many other good things.
LOVE: I eat with love. If I choose to have ice cream, I say, “I love myself and this ice cream is good for my soul!” So I recommend that you love yourself, love your food, and love the life that makes all of this possible!
I can’t say if these methods will work for you, but hey, there’s a reason you’re reading this article right now. My advice is to listen to your own body and soul, and do what they want you to do. It worked for me.
Now I think I’ll see where GUS takes me when he asks for more money.