This Is What’s Different

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  •   #31  
    beautifulone's Avatarbeautifulone , 08-11-2009 10:42 PM
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DCHound
    I read a post by my friend Colleen recently (kaplods) where she was talking about being seen in a bathing suit and she said something like, 'I have as much right to be on this planet as anyone.' She certainly does. We all do. But up until quite recently, I couldn't have said to you that DCHound has as much right to ________ as anyone. I didn't feel that way about myself. Now I do. More than yesterday. And a bit more tomorrow. Join me, won't you?
    I definitely will join you!

    Thanks so much for sharing your beautifully written post. It's just what I needed to read and think about.
    Reply
  •   #32  
    lottie63's Avatarlottie63 , 08-11-2009 10:43 PM
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DCHound
    Just lie. Pretend. Go put on a nice blouse and a pair of earrings and lipstick ~ that's all, nothing special ~ then go look in your mirror, make eye contact, and say outloud, "Dek, you look good! I like you, and I love you." Doesn't matter if you think you actually look good or not, just do it. Doesn't matter how you really feel about yourself ~ just do it. Then do it again tomorrow. Twice. And the next day. And keep on doing it. AND EVENTUALLY IT WILL WORK. I promise. I believe I did this many times a day, for MONTHS, before I really started to believe what I was hearing. I learned I had to pretend I felt OK before I actually did feel OK. Then I started feeling good sometimes, and OK sometimes, and sad a little bit of the time. Then the ratio began shifting more to the good, and less to the sad. And on and on.

    Others here call it "fake it til you make it." It really, really works. Do I like myself all the time? No. Do I love myself all the time? Nope. Do I cut myself down sometimes? Sure. But, percentage-wise, I am 99% kinder to myself, and I love myself 1000% more, than I did a year ago. Or ten years ago. Or 39 years ago even.

    It's a process, and it's a journey, and you have to enjoy the journey. Just pretend to enjoy it at first...it'll kick in eventually.
    I was in therapy years ago and thought I was a 'bad person', thought all sorts of negative things and had awful self image. but...my then therapist told me to fake it, and every time I had a negative thought pop up to make sure I countered it with a positive one, regardless of whether or not I believed it, 6 months later and I was WORKIN' THAT.

    it sounds silly I guess, but it really works!

    it's kind of like when you hear a song you hate but the radio plays it over and over and at the end of the month you are singing along
    Reply
  •   #33  
    SnowboundChick's AvatarSnowboundChick , 08-11-2009 10:45 PM
    Wonderful post DC!
    Reply
  •   #34  
    waquilter's Avatarwaquilter , 08-11-2009 11:31 PM
    Beautiful post DC. You're an inspiration to all of us.
    Reply
  •   #35  
    starfishkitty's Avatarstarfishkitty , 08-12-2009 02:22 AM
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DCHound
    I think what I’m trying to say is, there’s a lot more to weightloss than simply losing weight. It is more than just a physical journey, it’s a mental journey.
    AB.SOL.UTELY.

    I cannot agree more.

    I can't believe how much I feel like I've learned about myself in the past 4 months of changing my lifestyle. Making the final plunge to become healthy in EVERYTHING, including my eating (which is what is making the difference).

    Sometimes it feels that the past 4 months has been 4 years... and sometimes it feels like 4 weeks. But for some reason... I feel so much older (in a good way though, maybe mature is the word), better, and STRONGER. And proud of myself. And happy.

    My whole LIFE just seems so much better for it.....
    Reply
  •   #36  
    caliyah's Avatarcaliyah , 08-12-2009 08:16 AM
    thanks so much for the beautiful post. i completely understand how you feel!
    Reply
  •   #37  
    diyana's Avatardiyana , 08-12-2009 09:09 AM
    DCHound - Thank you so much for putting your struggles and triumphs into words with this very moving, heartfelt and wonderfullly inspirational post. You essentiallly told my story as well, but much more eloquently than I. I can tell this time is different for me too...because I do care more and love myself more than ever.
    Reply
  •   #38  
    Onederchic's AvatarOnederchic , 08-12-2009 09:11 AM
    You truly are an inspiration to many of us. Thank you for this post
    Reply
  •   #39  
    BarbPA's AvatarBarbPA , 08-12-2009 09:51 AM
    DC - It was awesome to see this thread pop back up today! You Rock!
    Reply
  •   #40  
    scarletmeshell's Avatarscarletmeshell , 08-12-2009 10:28 AM
    Thank you for the beautiful post!
    Reply
  •   #41  
    findingfawn's Avatarfindingfawn , 08-12-2009 11:11 AM
    This is a great post. Very inspirational. Thanks for the post DC and thanks Judy for bringing it back to us.
    Reply
  •   #42  
    dragonwoman64's Avatardragonwoman64 , 08-12-2009 12:48 PM
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DCHound
    I think what I’m trying to say is, there’s a lot more to weightloss than simply losing weight. It is more than just a physical journey, it’s a mental journey.

    I’ve made this journey before but ultimately failed because I only made the physical journey, the “being on a diet and losing weight” part. I didn’t change my mindset one iota, and when tough times came I caved and gained it all back, and then some.
    .....
    I wish someone would have sat me down in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, early 2008, and forced me to spend time reflecting on my life, choices, habits and reality. I might have gotten here earlier. But what’s past is past. I’m here now. It’s a total life-change. And I’m truly happy.

    And last night, when I realized that I have finally stuck with it, and I’m really reaping the rewards…for a few seconds I was completely and utterly happy and content. What a wonderful feeling it was.

    Maybe reading this will help someone who’s teetering on the edge of beginning their journey take that first step. I hope so, anyway.

    such a moving post, thanks for sharing it. It does help me to read it (and I went through and read it twice).

    I've made a lot of lifestyle changes over the past years (changes that are sticking), and I can't help feeling like this is my time to figure out how to push myself harder and farther. so much of it really is in my brain; I consider myself to be teetering in a lot of ways. Not that I think I'll give up, or gain back the weight. But I think it's finally penetrating my thick skull how much I really want to know how spectacular it will feel to reach my goal weight.
    Reply
  •   #43  
    DCHound's AvatarDCHound , 08-12-2009 01:26 PM
    Wow, I'm shocked to see this come back up. I needed to read it myself...tomorrow's my one-year anniversary. Thanks y'all.
    Reply
  •   #44  
    Sandi's AvatarSandi , 08-12-2009 02:46 PM
    This one is so awesome, I even linked it in the posts to remember thread!
    Reply
  •   #45  
    linJber's AvatarlinJber , 08-23-2011 08:08 AM
    I'm posting today to say "Happy belated anniversary" to you, DCHound. I recognize many names as still active members on this site. This thread needs to be bumped. Great attitude and great job. You are 100% (possibly even more!) correct in all that you say about the mental process.

    Lin
    Reply
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