Are you going to let what you eat define who you are? There is an old saying that, “You are what you eat!” The increase in portion sizes and the increased consumption of junk food created an epidemic of obese individuals who are no longer defined by their moral character or level of intelligence. Many members of the general population define themselves and others by the numbers on the scale, the size of their clothing, and their Body Mass Index (BMI). These factors cause some people to experience a decrease in their overall self-esteem. The negative feedback from their peers, medical professionals, the health industry, and the general public causes them to experience a low evaluation of their self-worth based on the condition of their health.
The first step in overcoming “The Battle of the Bulge” is to identify those personality characteristics that can be wellness motivators on your weight loss/weight management journey. Learning how your personality can impact your dietary choices, your exercise routines, and your intake of nutritional supplements can help you on your journey to self-discovery. Knowing who you are and how you respond to life will allow for you to optimize your wellness decisions. Good quality decisions will cause you to achieve the results that you deserve
In August 2010, I made a life changing decision that changed my life, I lost 130 pounds and gained a whole new perspective on life.
My journey redirected my focus from the physical aspect of weight loss to the emotional and mental aspect of the weight loss process. I realized that concentration on the amount of food I eat and the calories I burned through diet and exercise became a mental stronghold in my life. That mental fortress that I created through a focus on the physical aspect of weight loss caused me to feel as if I was a prisoner in my body. It was not until I stopped focusing on the physical aspect of weight loss that I began to learn that the mental component is more important than the physical part of weight loss. Contestants on weight loss shows such as "The Biggest Loser" testify that losing and maintaining the weight is more than the food you consume and the amount of exercise that you obtain. Getting to the very root of those issues that direct nutritional and physical behavior is the key to weight loss success.
In my own weight loss journey, multiple attempts to lose weight resulted in fluctuating numbers on the scale. I personally felt a sense of desperation in bringing my own "Battle of the Bulge" to a conclusion. Previous weight loss and weight management attempts gave me moderate success; however, the physical change could never account for the emotional and mental scars I acquired over the years.
I used weight loss products and weight loss programs only to lose and gain the same 15 pounds after the birth of my first child. The emotional and mental scars that can develop through the "Battle of the Bulge" can have grave consequences. I realized this in my ability to maintain weight loss. I fell into depression as I began to feel as if I no longer had control over my weight or my body.
As I pursued my graduate studies in Clinical Psychology, I gained insight into the biological, psychological, and sociological implications of weight loss and weight management. My academic development began to overshadow my personal growth as I began to focus on my studies and less on my health. My experience helped me to realize that like Professor Klump, one can be academically and professionally successful, yet experience personal failure in their approach to health.
I wore a mask of contentment when I was actually dissatisfied with my appearance. I felt that my academic success and self-perception was not being reflected in my physical appearance. I felt as if I was the female version of Eddie Murphy in the movie, The Nutty Professor.
One day I visited my doctor who advised me of various health issues related to my obesity. She suggested I pursue bariatric surgery to address these matters. I was not inclined to follow her advice at first because I felt I would be cheating or taking the easy way out of losing weight. That doctor's visit reminded me of my previous weight loss attempts, my desire for more children, and the amount of weight gained during my last pregnancy. I decided to pursue the surgery in hopes of gaining control of an issue that plagued me for years.
Since my weight loss surgery, I decided to use my academic training and personal experience to assist others in their pursuit of overcoming their weight loss battles through focusing on emotional issues that may hinder their ability to be successful in The Battle of the Bulge.
In The Battle of the Bulge Begins in the Mind: Lessons Learned From The Nutty Professor, I take you down my path of self-reflection while providing you the opportunity to follow your own path down self-discovery. You will become engaged in the process of self-discovery as I provide lessons learned through analytical observation of Professor Sherman Klump, Buddy Love, and the Klump family. You will understand the relatability of your journey as you begin to reflect on your experience with weight management and self-esteem. Personal insight into critical familial, societal, internal and spiritual issues allows for discussion of those factors surrounding your ability to overcome past weight loss failures. You will gain an understanding of how these critical issues impact battling weight loss to obtain a healthy lifestyle successfully.
The goal of this resource is to help you to evaluate your emotional, mental, and spiritual focus to understand the direction of your decisions and behavior in "The Battle of the Bulge." Self-Reflection activities will assist you in your ability to redirect yourself towards your goals when you find you have got off track. This resource promotes self-awareness and self-acceptance through personal and spiritual development to increase your self-esteem. It includes life-changing activities to coach you through your 'Battle of the Bulge' by helping you to deconstruct negative self-perceptions to construct positive self-esteem so that YOU can 'STRUT YOUR STUFF.'
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Created with images by Meditations - "appetite beef big" • Meditations - "appetite apple calories" • dbreen - "carrot kale walnuts" • luxstorm - "weight loss scales young woman"