Difficult Walk

[Jennie P]

Yesterday I went out for the most difficult walk ever as it was steep and hard going. I felt so out of condition and all I could think of was if I wasn’t so fat it would be less difficult. I was cross and angry with myself but proud that I actually achieved it! The diet mentality is still stuck in my brain and I feel it is so hard to get out of this way of thinking.

Does anyone else feel this?

[Gillian]

Jennie, I see that you’re asking others, but I really want to add something here, and that is it’s not a matter of getting out of the diet way of thinking. Please don’t expect your old ways of thinking to go away; the aim is simply to learn how to respond to those existing thoughts.

So, when you think, “I wish I wasn’t so fat” you respond to that by remembering non-weight motivation you’ve seen or hope to see soon.

That’s it!

[Louise]

I get that too – I used to walk for hours with my dogs, and now I am puffing away if I just go up the stairs! Overeating has made me unfit, but every time that thought pops into my head, I remind myself of something good that has happened because I am eating less.

For example, I have had fewer headaches, and, very strangely, a post-op scar I have on my knee that always feels sore, as if it’s sunburnt, has stopped hurting, even if I touch it. I discovered that quite by accident last night and it was the last thing I expected! I wonder if it’s something to do with the inflammatory foods Gillian was talking about?

[Jennie P]

That’s a good thought Louise l’m trying to concentrate more on having less inflammatory foods

[Jennie P]

Thanks Gillian that is helpful. I would like to add that at the same time the thoughts of non weight motivation were popping up in my brain so hour teaching is definitely coming to the surface more.

[Jennie P]

Whoops your teaching!

[Barbara D]

I can really connect with what you are saying Jennie, and I think for me it is also part of my old habits of saying mean stuff to myself and needing to remember to be kind to myself. What is helping me is to turn it around and tell myself I am now making positive steps towards a healthier lifestyle and look forward to the benefit that this sort of difficult walk will get easier. Also the outcome when I choose to overeat is that activities like this which should be enjoyable are not because I am less fit. I am also finding it difficult to focus on the non weight benefits but it will take time to break this habit I think.

[Jennie P]

Thanks Barbara I so agree with you – it’s a difficult walk in more ways than one!!

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