12 Steps to Weightloss

Many of us have struggled with our self image. The constant bombardment of the media ensures that if you are not a skinny thin, size zero, you tend to feel just a little bit hesitant about your body type in public. The concept of self love and self acceptance takes a while to filter in and yes, it is totally worth it when you can finally say “I love and accept myself exactly as I am” and mean it from the bottom of your heart. Getting to the point where you can say this affirmation with ease and honesty does take a while.

The journey will ensure that you work through a number of obstacles, and I was interested in reading the 12 steps to weight loss that the Overeaters Anonymous follow in the United States of America. I doubt they have an Indian counterpart as yet, but the information was made interesting to me as each step was underlined by a spiritual principle. Rather than just focusing on reducing the food you eat and exercising more than you do, they advice you to get in touch with your true self. A fact that is reiterated in a book called, A Course in Weightloss by best selling author, Marianne Williamson.

Does being spiritual have anything to do with your weight gain or loss? I submit the material to you to see if you can make the connection. Here are the Principles in the Twelve Steps (as listed in Step Twelve of The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous)

Step One:  Honesty

Step Two:  Hope

Step Three:  Faith

Step Four:  Courage

Step Five:  Integrity

Step Six:  Willingness

Step Seven:  Humility

Step Eight:  Self-discipline

Step Nine:  Love for others

Step Ten:  Perseverance

Step Eleven:  Spiritual Awareness

Step Twelve:  Service

When we take each step one at a time, we begin to build a new self image of ourselves. One that is not based on the media and what it expects so called attractive women to be. Rather it is based on being true to your own self, your own needs, wants and desires. You choose to lose weight if you are overweight because you love yourself and want to be healthy, not because you are trying to fit in to a world of super thin women who are considered beautiful.

As you are honest with yourself about what you want, you develop the hope that you can achieve your desires. You begin to have faith and courage to follow through with your own convictions. Since you are doing this for yourself you do it with integrity and willingness. You know your limitations and face them with humility even as you enforce self discipline to overcome them. As your love for self increases, so does the scope of love for others. You are persistent as you are aware of your spiritual path as well as the material world that you reside in. And best of all, your service begins to make a difference to everyone near and dear to you, as you serve yourself first! 

Ways to a Happier Inner Self

The only way to be happy is to make peace with yourself. No matter how many material things you manage to buy, no matter how many people look up to you for financial advice, no matter how many people you look to for approval, if you do not live a life that reflects the truth of who you really are, you will not be happy.

Live Your Truth

Begin with self acceptance. You are made a certain way. Be it physically as a body type, or mentally as a thinking soul. This is the essence of who you are. You can always work on yourself to improve, but accept who you are to begin with. Now acknowledge that you have certain desires, aims, and passions. Remember these are not the goals that have been thrust upon you by your loving family or society. These are the inner self’s desires, what your heart really and truly would like to do. The small things that make you happy and keep you content. Find out what they are and then devote more time to them.

Follow Your Intuitive Guidance

Your higher self, I Am consciousness, or inner soul, no matter what you call it, is a great source of guidance. When you face a doubt about your life purpose, or simply want to know which of the choices facing you is a better option to undertake, call in this inner guidance to come and tell you what you should do. This gut feeling, or intuition is usually the right way to go. Remember it will be a loving feeling and not one that causes you fear. It may challenge you to work harder, do better, but it will never ask you to put yourself in harm’s way. That is not guidance its premonition.

Cultivate Your Talents

Every soul on earth has a special gift from God. A talent which makes it easy for you to do something while others struggle with it. This is a gift that you are here to share with the world. These soul gifts are natural and do not have to be learnt. You can teach them with ease to others who are interested in them. Take the time to honour your talent by honing it. Spend time doing this pleasurable activity and developing it further. The more effort that you give to your talent the more joy and rewards it will bring to you.

Indulge in Self Love

In a society always looking outwards for the next big thing, we forget that the biggest thing is ourselves. Ease out the personal suffering through love. There is truly no greater medication for any sort of conflict that we may face with ourselves or with others. Cull out the drama from your life and show others how much you love them. Stay away from conflicts and make the important people in your life understand that you love them, no matter what they do. Trust that their higher selves will make them behave better straight away. Love yourself and the world will bring back that love to you.