Recently I noticed my 2 cats, especially my little girl Mitzi, getting kind of round around her middle.  She couldn’t be pregnant – she’s been fixed and so has Brian, my male cat.  He is like all males – more muscle and looks leaner than my female feline.  So some food restrictions needed to be implemented in our home.  Did everyone get excited about the new changes – No!  Did she realize or even care that eating less would mean being leaner and prettier?  Nope, Mitzi really doesn’t have any insecurity around her looks. She knows she’s wonderful –sweet and purrrfect! 

We can all learn a great deal from our wonderful pets. So she really had no clue why her loving human parents wouldn’t give her what she wanted – FOOD – lots of it and all the time.  And don’t get me started on her gargantuan “need” for cat treats.

I got to thinking how similar we are to these furry friends.

You don’t really want to eat the things you should.  You really don’t want to have to follow any food lists, count grams or control your portions – right?   You want none of that!  “It’s crazy making!” you claim and yet – what are your options?  You know you have to do SOMETHING, because your weight and your eating have gotten out of control or worse yet you are doing “everything right” but nothing’s changing – your clothes are tight, you feel unhappy.  Welcome to the world of discipline and determination which, believe it or not, can breed a true sense of comfort.

Here are some of the ways you may think you are on the right track and but you really you aren’t.  It’s the old playing cat tricks and, essentially, only fooling yourself.

Here are some ways you may be fooling yourself:

#1  I’ll think about it tomorrow.  Remember this classic line from Gone with the Wind?  It was virtually Scarlett O’Hara’s mantra.   Scarlett hoped all her problems, challenges, and things that upset her would disappear in the morning.

The only problem is if you keep pushing what you need to take care of today to tomorrow, hoping  and praying things will change, the awful truth is it probably won’t.  You need to make a concerted effort to do something about your situation.  In the end, Scarlett, learned to increase her humility and take charge of everything life threw at her. She became stronger and wiser.

#2  Are my friends sabotaging me?  Do you ever find that pleasing your friends is more important than pleasing yourself?  Even though they say they are your friends they may secretly, or not so secretly, be threatened by your new resolve to take better care of yourself.  They may shoot down your plan even before you start your healthy eating, exercising, or getting to sleep earlier. Keep your new plan to yourself or the very least share it with those who you know will support you.  Be really clear about what it takes for you to feel supported.  Don’t fool yourself into thinking someone is on your side but they really aren’t.  Do they criticize you?  Do they tend to be jealous of you or what you have?  Do they have unhealthy habits they either don’t realize they have or don’t want to change?  These are all questions you need to ask.

#3  I’ll buy bigger clothes.   I seriously know this is not on the top of your list but you may find yourself using this excuse as a safety latch just in case you end up doing nothing. Do like the French women do – they have their simple, classic, well made wardrobe and if anything feels tight they automatically cut back on their eating.  You may say it’s easier to do when it’s only 1 or 2 lbs – what if it’s more – what do you do then?   That’s where it begins.  By taking better care of yourself today, with discipline, you can take pride in yourself by maintaining your healthy body.  And by doing all the right things to get you to your ideal weight and stay there you, too, will be able to use this exquisite French Method.

#4 Crying over Spilled…  No sense looking at your past.  Starting today you will be making some changes.  Forget about any past “mistakes” or past “failures”.  They were a necessary part of your journey – they got you to where you are right now.  Just move on – start fresh.  Really it’s much easier if you take a fresh look at yourself and your life rather than dwelling in the past.  You have a tremendous opportunity right in this very moment.

#5 Too much complaining.   My cat Mitzi has been doing a lot of that lately – she meows, whines, crooks her neck in her oh so cute way.  I used to give into to her pleading – after all she looked so sweet and her meow – well, enough to make any frustrated parent melt.  Nonetheless she needed to be reigned in and restricted.  After all it was for her own good.  Remember this, too.  It is for your own good.  You are not doing this – healthy eating, creating new healthy habits or losing weight – for anyone but yourself – please remember that.