Do Whatever it Takes to Get Whole

Yes, there is something broken inside us.  We don’t get to where our fat is making us crippled and miserable without having something broken inside.  There are a whole range of things it could be – external, internal, spiritual, emotional, mental, past or present.

It doesn’t matter what it is.  No matter what it is, you can find a way to heal.

I just read an article about a journalist who used very violent sex to heal her PTSD.  Does that make sense?  Maybe not.  Would her therapist have recommended it?  Almost certainly no.  Did it work for her?  Yes.

I’m not saying you need to get that extreme.  What I am advocating is an extreme commitment to fixing yourself.

Shaking Fat Person Syndrome - Taking Up Space

A lot of heavy people have what I call “Fat Person Syndrome.”  It’s that belief that they’re not worthy that makes them slouch through life trying to be invisible and not take up any space.  Many fat people even buy tiny cars – have you noticed this?

Let me assure you of two things: 1) slouching and trying to hide does not make you any less fat, and 2) being fat does not make you any less lovable, no matter what our culture tells you.

This is a problem that has to be attacked on two fronts.  Taking off some of the weight can definitely help you feel better about yourself.  When we’re thinner, we naturally want to show off for the camera, go out more, ride on amusement park rides, and insist on a decent table at a restaurant.

Choose Your Transfer Addictions Wisely

On a lighter note, yes, many of us have been addicted to food in one way or another.  Food has taken up a lot of our time: thinking about it, planning what to eat next, shopping, cooking, restaurants, savoring the meal.

Suddenly it’s taking up less of our time.  It’s not being the focus of our attention.  Worse, it’s not performing its old function anymore, as a cure for boredom, loneliness, anger, grief, etc.  Now what do we do with ourselves?

We need to find transfer addictions.  Have you ever noticed how many people at AA meetings smoke?  They’ve transferred one addiction to another.  Yes, of course, we should endeavor to cure ourselves of having addictive personalities at all.  But not only does that sound like hard and boring work, it may also be completely futile.  So whether you call them “hobbies” or “transfer addictions,” you need to stay on top of the selection process.

It's Not a Sin, It's a Food Choice

Somewhere along the way we ended up with all this moral context around our food choices.  A Ding Dong isn’t just a stupidly sweet petroleum product we occasionally opt to eat.  Instead, it’s wickedly delicious, a sinful treat.  What exactly is “sinful” about it? 

It's not really “good” or “bad” to eat a certain food, right? It's just a food choice. Different foods have different effects on our bodies. Some fuels are healthy for our engines, like gasoline, and some are not, like shampoo. It's smarter to run our cars on gasoline and avoid shampoo, but not “good.”