Thursday, August 21, 2008

Beck Book - Day 2

Choosing a Diet

My therapist of several years and I discussed the idea that I was ready to lose weight and that I was ready to maintain it after the loss. We discussed my mindset during the weight loss phase, but more importantly about how I would view myself after I had gotten to my goal. So many people lose weight and when they get to the goal, they are not sure how to view themselves as thin and cannot maintain the weight. Before I began to diet, I needed to set my mind to a healthy attitude and body image. I needed to understand that how I related to myself and those around me would change. This was a new concept. After all, I am who I am, how would being thinner change my core self. I am so glad that he really opened my eyes to the concept. I have not arrived at my goal, but already I am a different person. My thinking has changed about myself and my ability to succeed. My attitude toward food is different. And I really am relating to others differently. I do not feel as though I am less worthy of attention or blessing. I am so grateful to him for preparing me for some of the changes I would face. I haven’t had an appointment since I started Medifast. I see him next week and he doesn’t know that I have even started a diet. I made this appointment for two reasons. First, I am getting close to my goal and I need to further prepare myself for transition and maintenance. Second, I want him to be proud of me for what I have already accomplished.

Specific diets weren’t discussed, but several were mentioned in passing during our session. Let me share some of the reasons I choose Medifast over other diets. I wanted something that didn’t offer me a lot of confusing choices. I needed something simple. I don’t have the focus or time to plan for weeks at a time and study everything I put in my mouth. I had success a few years ago losing some weight by eating three smaller meals a day with 2 snacks. I enjoyed that because I never felt hungry. There were two coworkers about 5 years ago that were on Medifast. Both lost a significant amount of weight in a short time. At the time, I thought it was a poor choice with the very low calories and few choices for food. After further research into Medifast, I realized it is a well balanced, sound diet plan even with the very low calories. I decided that it was the diet that would help me succeed. And it has, far beyond my wildest expectations!

On a side not, the one coworker I saw recently had regained the weight and more. It is a scary thought to me, but I will learn from her. She did not follow the transition guide and slowly reintroduce other foods into her diet. When she reached her goal, she was done with “dieting” and went back to her previous eating habits. I believe that following the transition and maintenance guide is crucial to success.

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