It's Not
About
the Scale

By Karen Preston

Karen lives, plays, and works
in Portland. A member of TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), she also founded Pounders, a weight-loss support group focusing on being fit through exercise and healthly lifestyle changes. Her story
was recently featured in Self magazine (September 2003).

I still find each
day too short for
all the thoughts
I want to think,
all the walks I want
to take, all the books
I want to read and
all the friends
I want to see. 

— John Burroughs

An Honored Guest

I'm told that the theme of this issue of Walk About is “A Better You.” That seems appropriate for the beginning of the year when many of us make resolutions to lose weight. Most overweight people vow to lose a set number of pounds, but perhaps instead their goal might be to get fit no matter what their current weight. If that seems reasonable think about eating healthy foods in the right portions, increasing your exercise, drinking water and treating yourself like an honored guest.

I imagine that you were expecting those first three suggestions, but the last may have puzzled you. What I'm proposing is that you act as kind to yourself as you are to others who visit you in your home. A few ideas spring to mind.

I bet you wouldn't make a guest eat standing up or sitting at a messy table stacked with papers. Guests deserve pretty placemats, candles, and colorful, balanced meals and so do you! It is important to be able to slow down to savor and appreciate your food when you're losing weight. Sitting at a pretty table helps set the right mood. Perhaps you would enjoy listening to some restful music during meals.

Only eat foods that taste good. Some readers will wonder what I'm talking about, but others will understand immediately. Have you ever started eating a meal and realized that you didn't like the way something tasted? Perhaps it is simply not as good as another brand you usually buy. If you don't like a particular item then I'm all in favor of not finishing it. I realize that many people will have a problem with this statement, thinking that with so much hunger in the world you shouldn't waste food.

When I was young I was told that I should always finish my entire dinner since there were children starving in India. I hope parents are not using this line to guilt their kids into eating their vegetables anymore. Wouldn't it be a bigger waste to eat something you don't like or eat when you're full? You certainly wouldn't make a guest force down something she obviously doesn't enjoy, would you? So if you taste something and discover that you don't like it, please give yourself permission to stop eating it pronto!

Several years ago I traveled out of town with some friends for a marathon. We stayed in a hotel with a reputation for having a good buffet that was included in the price of the room. But when you’re trying to eat healthy foods in reasonable portions, buffets can be dangerous. I remember going to dinner and carefully considering everything on display before I selected the food. I walked the entire buffet line without a plate, checking out my options. I knew that I wanted to save extra room when I saw the pecan pie. Growing up in the Midwest as the daughter of a father from South Carolina, homemade pecan pie was a rare, but prized treat.

It was no contest to decide I would have a piece for dessert since I hadn't had any pecan pie in ages. After eating my main meal I went and fetched a slice of the coveted pie and discovered, much to my dismay, that it was dry and lifeless. It sure didn't taste like the kind my mom made. One bite was all I needed to realize that I didn't want to finish. In the past I would have continued eating the pie, but now I realize that it only makes sense to eat foods you truly like. Life is too short. So I simply pushed aside the pecan pie and found something else more appealing.

Finally, may I make a plea for being as compassionate with yourself as you are with others? On occasion I've mentally scolded myself. I would never consider telling a friend or even a stranger, “Geez, you really messed up. What a dope.” But I certainly have told myself that sort of thing and even worse. Be aware of your thoughts, stop yourself as soon as you realize you're mentally beating yourself up, and most important counter any negative statements with positive ones.

I'm sure that you can probably think of other ways to treat yourself like an honored guest in your home. May 2006 be filled with kindness and compassion for all the honored guests in your life, including yourself.