Be Kind to Yourself & See 'The Bigger Picture'

A big lesson I think a lot of people (including me) who have struggled with their weight need to learn is to be kind to themselves.

Why?

Firstly, because so much of society is against us. As in 'us' being the overweight, the fat, the obese, the large. There is so much discrimination against people of size and it is so widespread that is seems normal and thus has become ingrained into our brains.

Secondly, because no one else is going to!

Thirdly, because being kind to yourself means loving yourself and being positive about yourself - both of these are essential to success. Look around you... how many people do you see or know of who are extremely pessimistic and negative and who are extremely successful?

It's so easy when you are trying to make long-term changes to your life - whether they be dietary, exercise or something else - and to feel every little so-called failure. As in: I feel bad/guilty/a failure because I just ate a cake/a chocolate/some fries. In reality, it's not a failure. In other areas of life, we probably would not notice or feel these challenges or slip-ups so keenly. However because we are so used to feeling negative about ourselves on a weight-related level, eating something we feel we shouldn't or not doing enough exercise, manages to take hold of us in a big way. Being able to rationalise these moments, whether they be minutes, hours, days or a week of our long-term journey, is so important. If you are able to rationalise that in the general scheme of things it's not such a big deal, then you are being kind to yourself. You are seeing the bigger picture. 

The Bigger Picture =

Rationally I know that: one day or one week of slip-ups is not going to be detrimental to me losing 10, 20, 30, 40 pounds and keeping it off long-term.
Reality is... it may stall my weight loss for one week or two even, but it doesn't stop me from reaching my goal in the long-term. I might lose the sprint, but I can certainly win the marathon.

Pace yourself. Be kind to yourself. See The Bigger Picture.