I envisage striving for weight loss goals like trying to obtain the elusive pot at gold at the end of the rainbow.
The journey to the pot of gold is never a linear line. It involved ups and downs, valleys and mountains. It involves beautiful scenery and challenging times.
Yet as we know, there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If we spend all our time chasing it and struggling for it, we forget to simply sit and appreciate the rainbow.
When we set goals, we believe that happiness, success and love will be found at the imaginary pot of gold. We can focus so much on the gold at the end of the rainbow that we forget to appreciate the journey, enjoy the scenery and realise that there are many paths to take. The path that appears to be straight to the end of the rainbow may not be the easiest or most enjoyable.
I encourage you to think of your relationship to food in a similar way.
Weight loss goals can be like reaching for the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow
Aspiring to an end goal of weight loss can be daunting and disheartening. We can find ourselves constantly struggling and feeling that the goal is moving further out of reach each step we take. This is because our focus is on obtaining that elusive pot of gold at all costs, rather than healing our relationship with food or finding peace with food.
Even as you start to heal your relationship with food and adopt more healthful eating behaviours, there is not a perfect ending where you will never again overindulge, eat for emotional reasons or consume what is perceived as unhealthy foods. There will still be times when you overeat or eat when you are not hungry.
However, if you can enjoy the journey, you can view your relationship with food as a tool for self-discovery. Just as you can sit and enjoy the rainbow, or take the path of least resistance, you can shift your focus from obtaining the end goal to being fully present and mindful when you eat. You can observe how your body responds to the foods you eat. You can enjoy the journey of self-discovery without depriving yourself the joy of this moment.
Every time you eat can be a step on your journey to forging a new relationship to food.
Enjoy the journey.
