Weigh-In Ambivalence, Response #1

I heard from several people about this post both in blog comments and emails.  Thanks so much!  My friend M said I could share her response.  (I divided her email into sections for the blog.)


"First of all, it WILL be easier for you to exercise and get your mind together while E is at preschool.   We all need personal time to re-center ourselves.  


"And, honey, ambivalent is my middle name when it comes to weight loss plans.  I decided last week that I do NOT want to follow W.W. rigidly either.  They allow way too much fruit for my sugar sensitive body.  In addition,  I do not care if I ever reach their goal weight.  What I really want to do is learn how to eat and nourish myself in a normal, healthy way.  I want to learn how to really taste and savor the foods I choose to eat.  


"Years ago, my internist told me that exercising is way more important than dieting.  I am convinced that when I seriously get back on track with exercising, I will have won more than half the battle.  I am exactly where you are at this moment with all of this - trying to decide what my plan will be.  This is what I have learned over the years.  THERE IS NO PERFECT PLAN.  And, whatever plan we choose, we are going to have to modify and change it according to our daily needs and activities.  


"So what this really comes down to is this:  Each one of us possesses the internal power to do this for ourselves.  You've done it for yourself and so have I.  We both know it's not easy.  I'm going to attempt this again by reminding myself minute by minute to stay fully conscious about what I'm putting into my mouth.  The tool I am going to use is journaling.  I will write down my feelings surrounding my food choices - minute by minute if I have to.  I need to learn to recognize why I'm overeating.  This is going to be a ton of work but I truly believe it's the best way for me to get a handle on this thing.  My plan will consist of exercising, staying conscious, making better food choices and journaling.  I'm tired of turning my life over to other people, organizations, etc. to solve this problem for me.  It's time for me to take responsibility for what I am doing to myself.  I also believe that it helps to have a forum to discuss these actions and decisions with others who understand the nature of this very frustrating beast.  What do you think?"
  --M