Oprah.
 

Did anyone else watch todays Oprah about the people doing the weightloss thing?

The "weight loss thing," eh? I didn't watch it, what was it about!?

LOL, sorry for being so vague.

She got 6 people from around the country, and they're all starting a weightloss challenge with Dr. Greene.

I watched it.

So...do you think you really do need to identify the core reason why you overeat/sabotage yourself in order to be successful?

Cause I know I do it, but I dont know why yet.

same here ennay!

I watched it and was thinking the same thing. Hmmmm, what don't I know that I should. Why did I get so fat? Mostly though I was thinking, I am now at goal and how can he say a person can't reach their goal without knowing "why". I always just thought it was cause I love to eat.

I just posted this on the 100 lb club forum.

I USED to think I had to figure out the hows and whys I got so fat and then DEAL with it. I'm not sure if I will ever know for sure. I wasted a lot of years trying to figure it out. I realize now it's not that vital.

For me it finally became you're fat. Incredibly, morbidly obese fat. The REAL big question was: Are you willing to make the changes necessary to lose the weight - permanently? That for me was a much more important question. I may never know how or why I let myself get so big. But I do know I AM willing to make the changes to rectify it. Much more important.

Rockinrobin, I couldn't agree with you more! Yeah yeah, some of us drink too much, or smoke, or are addicted to video games, or TV, or yes, food. We've ALL had tramatic experiences in our life but at some point it doesn't seem to matter why that behavior got started, because now its a BAD HABIT! Habits need to be broken and breaking them doesn't necessarily require knowing how they started all those years ago.

I agree and disagree with him at the same time. I think it's important to find out the WHY, if only because it will help you learn your triggers. However, some people really don't have anything specific that triggers their poor eating habits, and others just never quite figure out what their triggers are. I think if you know that you need to change your behavior, and you're willing to put in the work and continue putting in the work for the rest of your life, you don't necessarily need to know the WHY.

I agree with everyone -- if I waited to take control until I knew exactly why I eat/binge, I'd probably continue to gain weight for years. I'm sure we all have a vague idea the "whys", but it's the "what" you do about it that matters the most. Taking control of my eating removes the "why" anyway and puts food in its place -- as a source of nutrition and to fuel the body.

I know mine are more than just triggers.

I know I sabotage myself in more areas than just weight. I've sabotaged my career too. I probably need deep therapy to discover why I dont think I deserve to be successful

I think it might make it EASIER to lose weight, but I disagree that it is vital. Who knows, ask me in a year

So, I've been thinking about this a lot. I think there might be a couple levels.

I DID have to figure out that I emotionally ate. I DID have to figure out that I have a tendency to sabotage just when things are going well. As opposed to just thinking I have a poor metabolism or a big appetite or like food (all of which are also true)

I know to be aware and look out for those things

I DONT need to know what childhood trauma caused those behaviors

i agree with you ennay... there is a thread on the 100lb club about this.. and I think I may have upset some people with my opinion that knowing why doesn't necessarily help you..

my thought on it is, I need to be self aware because it's important to understand myself in order to correct my behavior... however if I spend too much time thinking about all the bad men in my past, and traumas of growing up - well I'm just going to get more upset and set myself up to eat more. There must be a balance somewhere. I know what I did to get myself here, but what I need now is to find a way to change it.

Lizzi I really don't think you upset some people with your comments. In fact I think I may have been the one who first said "It's not necessary to know the "whys". I think many of us had those same thoughts. And that's okay, we're entitled to our opinions and we're entitled to state them. And if some people get offended by it, well that's really unfortunate. I feel badly that any one was offended, I really, really do, but I don't think I would change one word of what I wrote and I don't think anyone should feel that they should either. Whatever happened to freedom of speech. And I don't think any one was insenstive at all. That's just my 1/2 cent.

And I agree, delving too much into the past, just makes me want to eat more. Yuck. Who wants to do that?

robin - :) I don't want to change anything I said either. I understand being sensitive to a subject this personal, but I don't understand the reactions from people. But I guess I view all of life the same way. Things happen, a lot of them bad, and then eventually you move on...

Perhaps it just depends on where you are in those steps...