Weight Management is Not a Moral Issue

Believe you me, I know the feelings that bubble up when the scale is not cooperating! It’s as if all of your
goodness, your many achievements, and your value as a human being simply disappear the moment
that dreaded number shows up. However, it’s important to note that this is but an illusion. You are fully
intact: intelligent, successful, compassionate, and powerful. The scale doesn’t get to tell you otherwise.
I like to think of weight management as an intellectual rather than an emotional endeavor. This is a
problem that is solved though thinking and planning. For example, I have plans for maintenance such as
grocery shopping regularly, fixing foods that are light in fat, sugar, and calories, getting plenty of
exercise, and listening to my body’s signals of hunger, thirst, and satiety. I have a plan for dieting when I
feel I need to, doing all of my maintenance tasks plus cutting back on daily calories and tracking exercise
and activity. All of these weight management tasks can be done with a calm mental attitude and without
angst and misery.
We all know that society treats our body weight as a moral issue: We should weigh such-and-such and
should immediately address any pounds that others might find to be excessive. I contend that it’s this
moral stance that, paradoxically, triggers overeating. Afterall, what is the most natural reaction in the
world to stress? And didn’t we all learn to self-soothe at our mother’s breast (real or metaphorical)?
May I suggest that you begin to think about managing your weight as a game of skill? In this game, your
strategies are going to determine your outcomes. Do you have the right foods on hand? Are you getting
plenty of exercise? Are you tuning in to how your body feels as you eat? Sticking with the skills and
strategies while avoiding the hysteria will keep your goal of managing your weight in the mental rather
than the emotional realm. In other words, manage your weight without going on a head trip.