I recently noticed that both of my cats, especially my girl Mitzi, were getting a little round around her waist. She couldn’t be pregnant, they fixed her and so did Brian, my male cat. He is like all males: more muscular and slimmer looking than my female feline. Therefore, it was necessary to implement some food restrictions in our home. Is everyone excited about the new changes? Nope! Did she realize or even care that eating less would mean being slimmer and prettier? No, Mitzi doesn’t really have any insecurities around her appearance. She knows that she is wonderful, sweet and purrrfect!
We can all learn a lot from our wonderful pets. So he really had no idea why her loving human parents didn’t give her what she wanted—FOOD—lots of it all the time. And don’t get me started on her gigantic “need” for cat treats.
It got me thinking how much alike we are to these furry friends.
You really don’t want to eat the things you should. You really don’t want to have to follow any food lists, count grams, or control your portions, do you? You don’t want any of that! “It’s crazy to do!” you claim, and yet what are your options? You know you have to do SOMETHING, because your weight and your diet have gotten out of control or, even worse, you are doing “everything right” but nothing changes: your clothes are tight, you feel unhappy. Welcome to the world of discipline and determination that, believe it or not, can bring a real sense of comfort.
Here are some of the ways you may think you’re on the right track and actually you’re not. It’s the old cat tricks and essentially just fooling yourself.
Here are some ways you may be fooling yourself:
#1 I’ll think about it tomorrow. Do you remember this classic line from Gone with the Wind? It was practically Scarlett O’Hara’s mantra. Scarlett hoped that all her problems, her challenges, and things that bothered her would be gone by morning.
The only problem is that if you keep pushing what you need to take care of today for tomorrow, hoping and praying that things will change, the awful truth is that it probably won’t. You need to make a concerted effort to do something about your situation. In the end, Scarlett learned to increase her humility and take charge of everything that her life had in store for her. She became stronger and wiser.
#two Do my friends sabotage me? Have you ever realized that pleasing your friends is more important than pleasing yourself? Even if they say they are your friends, they may secretly or not secretly feel threatened by your new determination to take better care of you. They can throw off your plan before you even start eating healthy, exercising, or going to bed earlier. Keep your new plan to yourself, or at least share it with those you know will support it. Be very clear about what it takes to feel supported. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that someone is on your side, but in reality they are not. They criticise you? Do they tend to be jealous of you or what you have? Do they have unhealthy habits that they don’t know they have or don’t want to change? These are all the questions you need to ask.
#3 I will buy bigger clothes. I really know this isn’t at the top of your list, but you might use this excuse as a safety latch in case you end up doing nothing. Do what French women do: keep your wardrobe simple, classic and well done, and if something feels tight, they automatically cut back on their eating. You can tell it’s easier to do when you’re only 1 or 2 pounds. What if it’s more? What does he do then? That’s where it starts. By taking better care of yourself today, with discipline, you can take pride in yourself by keeping your body healthy. And by doing all the right things to get to and stay at your ideal weight, you too can use this exquisite French Method.
#4 Crying for Spilled… There is no point in looking at your past. Starting today you will make some changes. Forget about any “mistakes” or “failures” of the past. They were a necessary part of your journey: they got you to where you are now. Just keep going, start over. It really is much easier if you look at yourself and your life from a new perspective, instead of living in the past. You have a great opportunity right now.
#5 Too much complaining. My cat Mitzi has been doing a lot of that lately: meowing, whimpering, twisting her neck in her cute little way. She used to give in to her pleas, after all, she looked so sweet and her meow, well her, enough to make any frustrated parent melt. However, she needed to be controlled and restrained. After all, she was for her own good. Remember this too. It’s for your own good. You are not doing this – eating healthy, creating new healthy habits or losing weight – for anyone but yourself, please remember.