Lose Weight - Lighten your Mental Burden (DAY EIGHT)

Confide your problems and worries to a clergy member or trusted friend.  You've probably heard the adage, "it's not just what you're eating, it's what's eating you."

Are you letting the weight of your body become an emotional weight on your mind?  Are you full of worries about your health?  Concerns are normal and healthy, but too much worry or anxiety about your situation may be causing you to seek relief by overeating, or eating too many fattening "comfort foods."

When I was obese, I was very worried all the time.  Worried about how I looked and what people thought of me.  I was overly anxious about not being able to do many things, often thinking I was a failure.  I couldn't fit in chairs, and that felt embarrassing; sometimes I broke chairs.  Imagine how that felt.

I needed some relief, physically and psychologically.  Eventually, once I was able to feel better about myself, I was able to take better care and slowly make simple changes to my eating habits.  The relief came from confiding my problems to someone else, and to God.  I finally was able to let go of some psychological heaviness.

I began attending a free program for overweight people at a church.  There I found others with problems like I had.  When they talked about their problems and worries, I felt comfortable telling them mine, and they completely understood.  It was a safe, confidential environment, with a lot of mutual trust.

You could confide to others who share similar problems as you, perhaps in a class, weight loss or health group, or Twelve Step program.  Or, you could speak to someone who is a professional listener with spiritual qualifications:  a clergy member such as a minister or priest, someone in experience or authority like an Imam, Xiansheng or Sensei.

You may feel comfortable with a specialist in psychology or mental health work: a therapist, social worker or psychologist.   They are trained to actively listen and validate your feelings, and help you uncover things that you may not be consciously aware of.  You might be experiencing some really difficult challenges, like depression, low self-esteem, or even self-hatred.  If that's the case, there's no time like the present to be freed of this heavy burden.

You may feel a whole lot better after speaking out your closely held worries and emotional "baggage" you have been carrying for so long.  I sure did, so much I now make sure to speak my truths every day.

Life's a balance; we're not just one part - we are composed of many parts.  If one of those aspects of us is weighing down the others, like a mental worry, then it takes much more energy for the other parts to recover.

Ease the burden and drop the weight, tell someone else what's going on deep inside you.


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