New glasses

(Beth)
On this healthy lifestyle change journey, I feel like it's about more than just losing weight.  As we mentioned in the first blog, our minds had to change before we could change our physical bodies as well.  I'm beginning to understand that my mind is constantly changing throughout this process.  I feel like I'm in therapy!

From hohiho.wordpress.com.

I'm realizing that as an obese person, I didn't see myself or the world clearly.  I couldn't even admit I was obese - I preferred the word "chubby."  I am calling this wearing "obese-colored glasses."  When I saw myself in the mirror, I saw a "normal" person.  I lived life unaware of what I really looked like unless I happened to see a photo of myself.  And I avoided that more and more as I gained weight.  When I saw thinner, healthy people, I thought they looked too skinny or bony.  I would have those thoughts like, "She needs to eat a hamburger."  To me, "normal" was having too much fat on the hands and body.  

Now my eyes are changing to wearing "healthy-colored glasses."  I really hope this isn't offensive to anyone, but now I see what is and isn't healthy.  I know having bony hands and feet should be normal.  It shouldn't be normal to have so much weight around the middle of the body.  And of course, on the other side of the spectrum, it's not healthy to be too thin either.  Instead of suggesting that person eat a hamburger, how about we suggest they eat some lean protein, fruits and vegetables?

When we started this journey, I was afraid my mind wouldn't get used to seeing a healthy me.  My fear was that my mind would sabotage me into gaining weight back.  But now I know that as my body is changing and getting healthy, so is my mind and heart.  True lifestyle change involves all three aspects.