A Counter-Cultural Revolution

While talking with a friend about the ways our bodies are genetically programmed to slow down metabolically during times of famine (bodies don't differentiate between starvation caused by crop failure or by self-imposed diets), she said," You need to eat some fattening food to trick your body in order to increase your metabolism."

I'm so pleased that my immediate gut response to that was, "NO! I don't want to trick my body. That makes it sound like my body is something I have to overcome, outwit, beat into submission!" I want to honor my body not trick it.

What a wonderful body it is to be programmed with thousands of years of ancient survival wisdom to know to slow down metabolically during lean caloric-times in order to preserve life. What a wonderfully wise body it is to know that during times of abundance to create potentially life-saving stockpiles of fat stores. (And man-oh-man, have we ever had a 10-year streak of bumper crops! ) I want to honor my body's wisdom and learn from it, instead of trying to man-handle it into conforming to my expectations. (Which incidentally is what I have done every time I've ever dieted, controlled calories, counted fat-grams etc.)

During those times when I'm not losing weight, perhaps a better approach would be to listen to what my body is saying. Perhaps it's saying, "I'm not getting enough calories to survive. I'm deficient in vital substances, vitamins, chemicals, necessary for life. I'm not getting enough fat... or protein... or carbohydrates." Maybe it is saying that it needs a piece of chocolate cake. Or maybe a steak. Or spinach. Or maybe brussell sprouts. (Nah. Ancient wisdom says to banish brussell sprouts.)

Speaking of losing weight... I am approaching this journey towards wellness very differently this time. I haven't been near a scale since I started. I don't know if I've lost 10 pounds or 30. I do know that my clothes are looser and I'm wearing clothes that I formerly couldn't button. I do find that I am still in "diet mentality" however. I feel good about myself when I fit into a smaller size (or, conversely, bad about myself when I don't change sizes as quickly as I think I should) and that has become the replacement measure for success/failure.

This mentality, whether it uses scales or clothing sizes, to gauge "success" is what I hope to change. It is still the mentality that my body is defective and will only be good when it's a size 8. I want to gauge "success" differently. Did I honor my body today? Did I fill it with nutritious, life-giving foods? Did I listen to what it needed? Did I take pleasure in moving it? Did I thank it for all that it does for me? Did I tell my feet and legs how amazing they are? Was I compassionate and loving towards it, or was I judgemental and shaming? How did I talk to my body today, and were my words kind or were they abusive?

I want to take care of my body and treat it kindly and, in so doing, help it grow stronger and healthier.

I'm becoming a counter-cultural revolutionary. The culture says only Cindy Crawford is good enough, worthy enough. (And even she is getting older!) I'm beginning to proclaim (not without a few feelings of discomfort! it takes faith to say this) that my body is worthy of the same honor. And even if I'm the only person to say that, and even if the rest of the world thinks that's foolishness, it's my gift to myself and my stand against the lies and the tyranny that enslave so many.