No denial, no anger, good health
Yesterday morning I went running as usual. Unlike other days, instead of watching Bloomberg news, following currencies and stock market movements, I decided to watch Oprah Winfrey. There was an interesting show in which she had brought a bunch of obese teenage boys and girls to attend a workshop.
I guessed most of them must have weighed over a 100 kgs. It wasn't their size that fascinated me, but what they did during the workshop. It changed their lives.
They faced up to their fears and acknowledged what it was that had been gnawing at them inside and causing all this unhappiness and emotional overeating. It's something that many many people succumb to without realizing it and then they get stuck in this vicious cycle that becomes hard to break and detrimental to their health.
The workshop had these teenage boys and girls start sentences with " If you really knew me, you'd know I ......" A lot of things came out. A lot of private things.
Think about it. Have you ever felt like telling those closest to you something about you they didn't know but you wished they knew? Has it been stuck inside you and disturbing you?
My motto is always best to get things out into the open. Open communication with family and loved ones are most important. Afterall, if they really loved you for who you are, they'll understand you.
Don't keep things inside that like a cancer grows.
Another activity the children had to do was stand in front of their parents and vent out their anger and frustration. They were to start sentences with "I'm angry that..........., I'm angry that...." It went on and on. These children really had a lot of anger inside of them . They kept going through the list until they couldn't go anymore.
Parents were to just stand there quietly listening. No excuses, no solutions offered, but to just listen and lend them an ear. A hug in the end was all that was needed.
What I found interesting was that this workshop made all these somewhat unhappy children face up to their fears and vent out their frustrations. Once all these problems are out of our system, it can then be the start of a journey to better health. Both emotional and physically.
Some children, were frustrated at being teased in school, angry at themselves for giving up on every diet, angry that they can't go out to buy a beautiful prom dress, angry they don't have a date, angry that their parents divorced, angry, angry angry.
Anger is of no use to anyone. It made them eat. Eating made them gain weight. Weight gain made them angrier. Anger made them not fit in clothes. Not fitting in clothes made them angrier. Anger made them try to lose weight. Not being able to made them angrier....
It's a horrible vicious cycle.
The journey to a sound mind and a sound body thus starts by being aware of oneself and understanding what it is that makes us tick. No denial is permitted. If we're emotional eaters, then stop eating when we are frustrated. Drink water instead. Vent out all those frustrations. Change the mindset. If the mind can do it, then so can the body.
I guessed most of them must have weighed over a 100 kgs. It wasn't their size that fascinated me, but what they did during the workshop. It changed their lives.
They faced up to their fears and acknowledged what it was that had been gnawing at them inside and causing all this unhappiness and emotional overeating. It's something that many many people succumb to without realizing it and then they get stuck in this vicious cycle that becomes hard to break and detrimental to their health.
The workshop had these teenage boys and girls start sentences with " If you really knew me, you'd know I ......" A lot of things came out. A lot of private things.
Think about it. Have you ever felt like telling those closest to you something about you they didn't know but you wished they knew? Has it been stuck inside you and disturbing you?
My motto is always best to get things out into the open. Open communication with family and loved ones are most important. Afterall, if they really loved you for who you are, they'll understand you.
Don't keep things inside that like a cancer grows.
Another activity the children had to do was stand in front of their parents and vent out their anger and frustration. They were to start sentences with "I'm angry that..........., I'm angry that...." It went on and on. These children really had a lot of anger inside of them . They kept going through the list until they couldn't go anymore.
Parents were to just stand there quietly listening. No excuses, no solutions offered, but to just listen and lend them an ear. A hug in the end was all that was needed.
What I found interesting was that this workshop made all these somewhat unhappy children face up to their fears and vent out their frustrations. Once all these problems are out of our system, it can then be the start of a journey to better health. Both emotional and physically.
Some children, were frustrated at being teased in school, angry at themselves for giving up on every diet, angry that they can't go out to buy a beautiful prom dress, angry they don't have a date, angry that their parents divorced, angry, angry angry.
Anger is of no use to anyone. It made them eat. Eating made them gain weight. Weight gain made them angrier. Anger made them not fit in clothes. Not fitting in clothes made them angrier. Anger made them try to lose weight. Not being able to made them angrier....
It's a horrible vicious cycle.
The journey to a sound mind and a sound body thus starts by being aware of oneself and understanding what it is that makes us tick. No denial is permitted. If we're emotional eaters, then stop eating when we are frustrated. Drink water instead. Vent out all those frustrations. Change the mindset. If the mind can do it, then so can the body.
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