Is it productive to think about my weight?

Are you a flab fanatic? Do you make sure every last bit of clothing is removed - including your pinkie ring - before you weigh yourself? Do you measure success in life by how "good" you were at your last meal?

It would be one thing if this fuss over flab was constructive, but ironically, putting energy into weight only makes you fatter. Obsessing over what you're going to eat next or what you’re never going to eat again is counterproductive. Extra vigilance, in this case, does not work. What you eat for dinner shouldn't be any more problematic than balancing your checkbook or scheduling a dentist appointment.

Plus if you're so preoccupied with your weight you're often distracted from solving other problems. You see everything in your life - your dead-end job, your deadbeat boyfriend, and your dead sex life - as revolving around your bathroom scales.

Weight becomes a lightning rod for all of life's dissatisfactions. So the first rule in this program is to forget about your weight. It is now a non-issue. Do not get on your scales. Not even one last time to see what your starting weight is. Do not wonder how many calories are in that half serving of peach yogurt. Do not think about anything at all having to do with your weight or food or fat grams.

When you're perennially worrying about diet-related issues, you have a built-in excuse for why you don't really live life. I mean if you didn't have those fat grams to count or those sit-ups you didn't do to feel guilty about you might just have time to walk to the park, visit an old friend, or write a letter to your mother.

Every time the subject comes up - let's say you start wondering how many extra pounds that last bag of chips contributed to your physique and you'd really like to get out the scales and take just a quick peek - take three deep abdominal breaths instead. Put your hand on your abdomen and really push that inhale into your gut. Focus on your breathing. Notice how it feels.

At first, you're going to be breathing every five minutes. You'll be shocked at how often the subject comes creeping into your brain. You'll be appalled at how comfortable it feels to focus on your fat forearms. Stepping off those scales for good is quite literally stepping out of your comfort zone. But just keep on breathing.

Find out more about this book: Jumpstart Your Metabolism: How To Lose Weight By Changing The Way You Breat...

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