Losing Weight - Mentally and Physically

Body weight and aesthetics occupy the thoughts of many women. Not so much for the guys. Why? In my mind, it boils down to the qualities which define our femininity -- emotionally responiveness, sensitivity to external feedback, the desire to preserve and nourish and, oh yes, that which goes to the very heart of our nature, the willingness and ability to give beyond our internal resources.


It's no secret that Americans are heavier than ever. Ill health and obesity are quite politically correct. They do not discriminate based on gender, age, race, income or religion. So what is nearly everyone doing 'wrong'? 


Sadly, the answer is very simple -- allowing others to select, portion and prepare their food. 


As women have become more educated and taken their considerable multi-tasking and organizational talents into the workplace, the time they are able to spend in the kitchen has dropped precipitously. We have increasingly asked minimum-wage earners to prepare substandard products in an attempt to satiate our hunger. Worse, we have allowed our food regulatory agencies to be man-handled by gigantic corporations, chemical companies and food production alliances. 


So, 2010 finds us mired in a national health crisis of overworked, under nourished adults who eat more or less blindly. As women, we struggle with guilt over not having time to cook (and often we truly don't) and stress pushes us toward ever more emotional eating patterns. We no sooner eat the last bite than we start mentally running ourselves down because we don't look the way we 'should'.


Hmmm...sound familiar? Want to to turn all the noise in your head off? Want to enjoy eating anything and everything and not feel guilty about it? Want to feel better and learn how to let your body return to its natural 'set point'? It's not easy and it's not an overnight process but the rewards are many and lasting. 


Now, I'm not a nutritionist or a food scientist but I began a personal 'study' of food five years ago. I know the changes that we've made and what they've meant to our family. For me, it's not about rules, individual nutrients or counting grams of anything. It's about eating for sustenance, joy...

...and, yes, maintaining a healthy body weight.

If this is of interest to you, please keep visiting to learn ways to achieve your goals. The methods are so non-diet that they're appropriate for the entire family. Pair them with some physical activity that you enjoy and, before you know it, you'll be walking around feeling fit and confident.