Intuitive Eating, 3rd Edition by Tribole Evelyn & Resch Elyse

Author:Tribole, Evelyn & Resch, Elyse [Tribole, Evelyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2012-08-07T04:00:00+00:00

BODY IMAGE: A WAIST IS A TERRIBLE THING TO MIND

Most of our clients are adept at being overly critical or hating their bodies. And putting an end to body worry and self-loathing is no easy task. Most of us have trouble accepting a compliment, let alone the idea of accepting our bodies. We have found that the notion of accepting your body was too far of a stretch to our clients as a beginning point. They feared that if they accepted their current body size, it would mean complacency, giving up, and getting even bigger. It’s one thing to lose the battle of the bulge, they’d say, but to totally give up would mean ultimate failure. At least there’s honor and dignity in continuing the fight. Our clients also argued that embracing the notion of body acceptance felt hypocritical. After all, the reason they sought our help is because they did not accept their current body—they wanted a change.

What a paradox. Our experience has shown us that if you’re meant to get to your natural ideal weight, you need to loosen up on yourself, put weight loss on the back burner, and treat your body with respect.

Remember, repeated diets and a disparaging attitude toward your body have not helped—it’s part of what got you to where you are right now. When you are caught in the I-hate-my-body mind-set, it’s all too easy to keep delaying good things for yourself, waiting until you have a body that you think is more deserving. But that day never comes (especially when your standards are unreachable). So, you put off treating yourself better. Many aspects of your life literally get weighted down. “I’ll join the health club after I lose ten pounds,” “I’ll go on a special vacation after I reach my goal weight,” “I’ll start going out with my friends when I just get some of this weight off”—and so the empty promises go. And life gets a little emptier during these times.

Body image expert and psychologist Judith Rodin notes in her book Body Traps, “You don’t need to lose weight first in order to take care of yourself. In fact, the process actually happens quite in the reverse!” We also have found that if you are willing to make weight loss a secondary goal, and respecting your body a primary goal, it will help move you forward.

We are not saying disregard your body—we are urging you instead to respect and appreciate it. This does not mean that you throw in the towel. This does not mean that you should disregard your health. In fact, respecting your body means taking care of your health. There is a growing movement that shifts the focus to health, rather than to weight—it’s called Health at Every Size (HAES). Instead of focusing on numbers (weight), the emphasis is on healthy living and behaviors. For example, physical activity is vital for health, for everyone. Yet, lean people may conclude that they have no reason to be physically active since their body weight is considered to be normal.

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