Your Excuse: "I Don't Know Who I Am Anymore!"

The Excuse Buster: Being overweight and out of shape often creates an inner problem that most people may not be aware of - a disconnection from their authentic self. They get so used to feeling badly about themselves that they shut down and tune out emotionally, directing all of their attention outward to other people while feeling like an empty shell inside.

Has this happened to you too? It's important to understand that losing weight will not automatically make you feel more centered again. In fact, this is one big reason why people who lose large amounts of weight begin gaining it back almost immediately. They were so sure that being overweight was the reason they felt so unhappy; they didn't realize that they gained weight because they were unhappy. Once the weight was gone, they were more aware than ever that they felt hollow and empty inside - but now they didn't have the illusion of safety and comfort their excess flesh once provided. Instead they felt naked and vulnerable, and quickly began gaining weight to make themselves feel safer again.

There is a very easy way to prevent this from happening to you: get back in touch with your authentic self beginning now. When you are connected to your authentic self, you truly love and respect yourself. You feel more confident, happy, contented, and fulfilled. You have an easier time connecting with others and building meaningful relationships with them. You are less apt to try to fill your inner void with food because it is already filled with love and joy.

How do you get connected with your authentic self? By getting to know yourself again. By "yourself" I mean your TRUE self, the essence of who you are. There are no wrong or right ways to do this; simply spend time with yourself. Do things you love. Spend time with people who are supportive and accepting of who you really are. As you begin to truly love yourself and allow others to love you too, you'll find that there's nothing scary about losing weight - instead you'll be freeing yourself from a heavy, restrictive cocoon that you never really needed anyway.