Written by Jenn Hand, Holistic Nutritionist, Board Certified Health Coach, NBC-HWC

I spent probably 20 years of my life wishing I was thinner. But no matter how much weight I lost or gained, I still never thought my body looked “right”. I always wanted to change it or “fix” it, so that I would look different than how I was.

So much of my mental energy and thoughts  over the years have been consumed with thinking about my body and wanting to be thinner.

It’s like we fantasize about when we will be thinner. It becomes the promise of a new life…

• When I’m thinner, I’ll start dating.
• When I lose weight, I’ll stop avoiding social outings and go out with friends more.
• When I get back to where I was last year, I’ll rock this new dress I bought. 
• When I’m a different size, I’ll sign up for that dance class I’ve always wanted to take. 

But if or when we do lose the weight and actually get to the size we want to be…then what?

It may bring a moment of elation.

We fit into that dress, we look great in a pair of jeans, or we don’t mind being naked as much.

But then…?

We still have to deal with life. We still want to stress eat when we get angry at our partner. The tub of ice cream is still our go-to coping mechanism. And we still hear the call of the cookies when conflict arises and we don’t want to deal with it. 

We lose the weight, but we are still us.

With the same habits, behaviors and reactions.

This desperate “wishing to be thinner” only derails the journey; the real work is about going inside and looking at WHY we do what we do with food. (But that’s for another blog post!)

So when you find yourself desperately wishing you were thinner, remember these two things:

1. Find “enoughness”

We are all born knowing we are enough. Little kids don’t ever question whether or not they are enough.  They simply know. They show up exactly as they are in this world and never for a second wonder if they “aren’t good enough”.

Being “not enough” or thinking we aren’t acceptable until…(we are thinner, have a nicer car, get a better job, etc) is a learned behavior.

We’ve learned that we “aren’t enough” until we are smaller, more toned, prettier or more perfect. We’ve grown up learning that in order to be acceptable, we’ve got to look or be different than we are.

But I’m calling BS on all of it. Who ever said that a size 16 is “less than” a size 4? Who actually determined that this shape is better than that body type? It’s all begins with how we perceive ourselves.

And it starts with finding enoughness.

What is enoughness? The deep belief that you are acceptable enough just as you are. 

So, where and how do you find this? (I hear you asking all the way over from your computer 😉 )

You find it inside of YOU.

If you can’t find it, don’t know what it feels like or are confusing being enough with needing to change…make this your mission. Fervently explore how to “find” the feeling of enough.

I found it through meditation, journaling, connection inside, and a deep knowing that innately, I AM enough. You may find it through any of this or something else: religion, spiritual work, writing, a passion, affirmations, etc. If you need permission to believe it, here is that permission. Permission to be exactly who are you in this world: enough just by being you.

This isn’t something you find once and are done. It’s a life long process of remembering and forgetting.

How do you believe you are enough? Because you just are.

Whether you are 3 pounds overweight or 300 hundred pounds overweight, you are still you. You are still YOU with or without the extra weight. There is no one as beautifully unique, with exactly your qualities, look, quirks, personality, and way of being in this world. Accept that. Embrace it.

Enoughness isn’t something you “get”. It’s something you discover that was there all along…a deep whisper in your soul that beckons and calls and waits for you to connect with it.

2. What Do You Really Want?

What else do you want besides being thinner or having a different body? Go deeper here. What do you deeply, truly, desire for more than anything?

• Comfort in your skin?
• To look better in clothes?
• Confidence?
• To look good naked?

These are all just scratching the surface.

What ELSE do you really want? For me when I desperately struggled with food and my weight, I asked myself this question. It took some prodding to go deeper and “hear” the answer, because for so long, I stuffed it down and ignored it.

What was it that I deeply longed for?

• I wanted to travel and explore the world.
• I wanted to do something big with my life.
• I wanted to explore my passion of writing.
• I wanted to find deep connection in an intimate relationship.
• I wanted to end a relationship that I was in.
• I wanted freedom to explore who I was without the expectations of others.

But wanting to be thinner was easier.

I knew how to “fix” that problem. Diet, exercise, restrict, control my food.

Boom, problem solved.

Except you all know how that cycle goes…(cue binge, overeating and then promising to start over again).

You see, I wanted to travel, but felt terrified of quitting my job.

• I wanted to do something big and bold with my life, but was afraid I never would.
• I wanted to explore my passion for writing, but was scared of what others would think.
• I wanted to be more intimate, but was horrified at the thought of baring my soul to someone.
• I wanted to end a relationship, but was scared at the thought of being alone.
• I wanted so much MORE…but change, uncertainty and failure terrified me.

Focusing on controlling my food, “fixing” my body, and changing the number on the scale was a much more familiar issue. It made it possible to avoid facing my biggest desires. It was an easy, familiar problem that I knew how to fix.

So, my dear, what is it that you deeply want? If you don’t know, ask the question anyway. See if anything comes up. Begin to open the conversation with the deeper part of you; she’s always speaking to you…it’s learning how to listen 🙂

It’s your turn now. When you find yourself wanting to be thinner, how can you use these two things to bring yourself back to your journey?

Read More:

🌷Related Post: How to Stop Bingeing at Night 

🌷A new perspective on weight here: 7 Biggest Myths of Weight Loss

I’d love to hear your take on “enoughness” or any answers to the “what is it that you truly want” question 🙂 Share in the comments below. 

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About the Author: 

Jenn Hand has been helping women like you become normal eaters since 2015.

She’s worked with thousands of women, helping them to balance their bodies, end bingeing, stop obsessing over food, and start feeling amazing again.  As a board-certified health coach and holistic nutritionist, Jenn knows how to support you in making real positive changes that last.

Her articles have been published on Mind Body Green, Tiny Buddha, Thrive Global and other local and global media platforms. She’s the author of How to Be a Normal Eater and the creator of The Normal Eater’s Club program. Listen to Jenn’s advice and tips on the Cake Doesn’t Count Podcast, or read more of her articles for free on the Food Freedom Blog.

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