Goodbye Scale. Hello Life.

Dear Followers, (sheesh, what's to follow?? I haven't posted since September!)

I completely apologize for being MIA. But I've soured on the diet concept and have decided that it's ... well, just wrong. I lost any desire to focus on it, much less write about it. My last post of, yikes! six months ago sums up how my thoughts about "diets" have evolved but a couple of beliefs have truly crystallized since then. They have to do with:

THE DREADED NUMBERS
While we think that focusing on the dreaded numbers is a smart thing to do while trying to lose weight, it's really sabotage. All that attention and energy that goes toward the numbers ... what the scale says, counting the calories, carbs, grams, units, points, measuring the inches ... all that simply fuels one idea. "I am fat."

I've read this or heard it said in a dozen different ways by mentors and motivators .... Marianne Williamson, Mike Dooley, Martha Beck, Rick Hanson, just to name a few. Our obsession with weight has led to our obsession with weight. We create our own arena for happiness and health; it simply depends on where we put the energy. Shut off the "weight" valve and turn on the "health" valve. One of my favorite guys, Mike Dooley, says it simply in his latest book, Manifesting Change.

Since perspective is such an important concept, let's look at the example of wanting to lose weight. If your only action were to buy diet, low-fat, low-calorie, low-this and low-that foods, such behavior would perpetuate your condition (no matter how much visualizing you did) because every single purchase would be screaming to the Universe, "I have a weight problem!" And the Universe would reply, "I heard you the first seven hundred times, and it's done!"

In other words, the Universe lovingly dishes up whatever you order from the menu.

Months ago I decided not to weigh myself anymore. My gauge is now how I look and feel, and how my clothes fit. I'm still wearing the same dress size as I was a year ago and yep, at times my clothes are quite snug and at times they are not. Whatever! I'm healthy! My 57-year old body has been so good to me! I'm happy! I'm not trying to look like I'm 25 anymore! Shut up! And let's remember that it is normal for a woman in her 40s, 50s and beyond to have the padding and reserves that comes in the form of a muffin top. What's not normal is to be fairly lean at this age. Not justifying added pounds, just saying we need to recognize and accept what nature has intended for us, and stop slamming ourselves for a muffin top! Which brings me to the single most important thing I have done in the past six months. I've decided to ....

STOP CRITICIZING MY BODY
The positive effects I've seen from that decision have been tremendous. I mean, really. This poor body .... after all the abuse it's taken and all the crappy things I've dumped into it over the years ... has stood by me, forgiven me, loved me, and housed my thriving spirit! I began to think of my body as a sweet little child whose super-horrible-meanie-parent continually criticizes and berates her and no matter how loyal and devoted she is, she just can't seem to do anything to please the cruel parent. The poor little thing constantly struggles to thrive and protect but only feels hatred in return. This breaks my heart. But when I shut off the criticism and turned on the gratitude, amazing things happened. My body image changed substantially. Not only do I see my body with new eyes (yep, muffin top and all) but my body responds to the love and gratitude with a healthier attitude about food and fitness. It's circuitous, folks. Circuitous. Very important word. Love and gratitude begets love and gratitude begets love and gratitude and on and on and on. (Works on people too.)

Now, please don't think for one minute that I claim to have mastered all of these fabulous concepts and practice them 1000% of the time. I believe these concepts to be true and I am doing really well! But I'm a student of the Universe right alongside the rest of you ... learning, growing and progressing. That's the beauty of our lives, knowing that we can always grow. We are forever ripening.

I want to thank you, dear followers, for coming down this unexpected path with me. I hope you've found it to be as illuminating as I have. Funny how that works ... you start out with a certain plan and what you end up with is so, SO much better. Because if you keep your mind open and an ear tuned to the magical force that guides us, the Universe will lay gifts at your feet. And those gifts will be joy, health, love, abundance and more ... if that's what you've ordered from the menu.

Good-bye diet blog. This is my last post. I've launched a new blog called A Ripening Life, which is MUCH more fun. I hope to write about and celebrate the everyday beauty of our lives. It is a place for honest thoughts, tender words, a big dash of hilarity, and your welcomed ideas.

Please come on over. www.aripeninglife.blogspot.com

With thanks and fondness,
Michelle