Talking about weight is controversial; it’s a sensitive subject. However, I want to talk about it from a post-fifty, post-sixty, and now-hit-seventy idea that, after a certain age, it’s inevitable: weight sticks.
I know it doesn’t have to if you don’t want it to. The want has to be a desire that outdoes anyone and anything that could get in the way, including yourself.
Mindset when it comes to weight is powerful.
The emphasis on having too much weight is that it is unattractive, a philosophy my generation embraced. Often used cruelly as a curse at school, ‘fatty’, and even by parents and partners, no wonder the Body Positivity movement started, albeit slowly, to eliminate ridicule, depression and a lot of frustration in not being the so-called right shape.
I too was under the influence to try and have somebody else’s body. By the time I reached 21, I was in my mind overly chubby. I can’t quite pin down how my mindset changed at that time, but I decided instead of blaming my weight on comfort eating, parents’ divorce, puppy fat ( is that an expression used still?), because of whatever issues I’d do something about it.
At that time, I wasn’t aware of values, yet the value I identified later, ‘challenge’, no doubt helped me. I can’t remember diet being part of the process, but I did start moving a lot more. Working in London at the time, I took every opportunity to walk, swim, and exercise. It was what I needed as that so-called puppy fat disappeared, although I still wasn’t satisfied with what I looked like.
At forty, I noticed that my weight increased each year. Why I didn’t do something about it, I have no idea. Eventually, at fifty-four and post-menopause, I thought, “This is enough.” I’d seen a photo I didn’t like, and yes, the anxiety of being judged for how I looked played a role, although I always liked to believe it was about pleasing myself, not anyone else. The idea that, as a post menopausal woman, I needed to give up on how I looked didn’t please me.
At the time, the Dukan diet was my saviour, and I lost 10 kilos (22lbs). The diet had a lot of replacements, such as Dr Dukan’s own biscuits, Dr Dukan’s own this and that, the book, which must have made him a fortune. The weight loss didn’t last for me, or anyone I know who did it. In my opinion, its faults had a lot to do with replacing foods you may be addicted to, such as sugar; it wasn’t about easing into a pattern of eating that could potentially last forever.
Extra weight negatively affects the ageing process. Pressure on bones and organs; therefore, less activity; prone to heart disease and some cancers; and, overall, entering into a dangerous zone. You may say not everyone who is overweight will have those problems, but it’s a risk. In the West, obesity is high; therefore, why is education not addressing this issue, and why is the focus still on accepting weight?
I am tired of hearing arguments about weight, centred on how you look. I think we’ve concentrated too much on the pros and cons of the anxiety that this causes, and now it’s time to focus on healthy ageing.
In any program about the science of longevity, it’s not about reaching a high number; it’s about reaching a high number and still feeling good, being able to move, and therefore being independent.
Mindset when it comes to weight is powerful. I’m convinced that you must have a tangible reason for losing weight, and that it must be personal to you to direct your mindset toward success.
In my case, I couldn’t accept not being able to wear my clothes. Landfill guilt made me more determined. I don’t want to be an eco-warrior lifestyle hypocrite. With all this in my head, by way of a slimmed-down connection, I came across the Human Being Diet by Petronella Ravenshear. 
After hearing the description, I found it appealing and not unrealistic, so I investigated by reading the book. This was not going to be straightforward, since one of your partner’s big joys in life is eating well and drinking wine. I had to choose my moment carefully. Fortunately, he had an overseas mission, and that’s when I started what I intended to be a permanent effort to eliminate excess weight. I need to fit into my clothes more than drinking coffee with milk or eating what I want.
The point is this: is having sugar, milk, or the other ingredients you will have to give up (and in some cases not forever) more important than the extra weight that might be negatively impacting your life?
Think about the following: A few minutes of pleasure from sugar isn’t worth years of reduced mobility.
Your grandchildren won’t remember what you ate; they’ll remember whether you could play with them.
Giving something up doesn’t mean losing something; it can mean gaining freedom. Freedom to move more easily, travel, play, and enjoy life without physical limitations.
Some dietary changes may only be temporary, while the benefits can last for years.
Ask yourself: what matters more in five years? The cake, biscuit, or sugary drink, or being able to climb stairs, go for walks, and stay active?
You know you want to get rid of those extras, but your self-doubt kicks in, and you’ve stopped before you’ve started. It’s time to shift your mindset to a positive, serious attitude to begin permanently eliminating what you don’t want. If you had diabetes and were asked to follow a program that would make a difference to your life, financial security, career advancement, and personal well-being for three months, you’d probably give it a go. Hence, this Human Being Diet program is much the same, with results.
I set out to eliminate 7 kilos, and I shed 10 in three months. Even in the first week, I’d already said goodbye to a kilo, which was motivating.
How can you redefine weight issues as having nothing to do with how you look and everything to do with your personal health?
Instead of asking: “Do I look thin enough?” “Am I attractive at this size?” “What will people think of my body?” you ask: “Do I have enough energy during the day?” “Am I sleeping well?” “Are my blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol in healthy ranges?” “Can I move comfortably and do the activities I want to do?” “Am I nourishing myself in a way that supports my long-term health?”
Small sacrifices today can prevent bigger sacrifices tomorrow. Choosing healthier habits now may help avoid pain, medications, or limitations later.
Rebecca Ronane