The Present Moment & Weight Loss

If you think about it, life only happens in the present moment. Deciding to try something new or making a different choice can only happen in the ‘now’ moment. I share this topic because something that derails many people when they want to change their food choices is, “I’ll start tomorrow.”

If the changes you’re going to make are always in the future, you never actually make any changes. However, a question that you can ask in the moment is, “What can I do differently now to improve my health?” Sometimes, it is as simple as noticing that you’re comfortably satisfied so you choose to not eat more food than you need. Or, when you plate your food, you may choose a smaller portion. Notice that these actions only happen in the ‘now’ moment.

So why do so many people avoid the present moment? Often, it is their fear of being intimately aware of the choices they have made in their life. They may be so angry at themselves for gaining weight that they cannot tolerate their feelings in the ‘now’ moment. Something to consider is that it’s exhausting to constantly distract yourself from the present moment and it often leads to weight gain and poor health. In time, there can be peacefulness in allowing yourself to be fully in this moment. It can be freeing. However, it takes in-the-moment courage to allow yourself to experience your current state of being.

It’s been my experience that creating sustainable changes to the way you nourish yourself begins with being in the present moment. A strict diet often uses willpower for a certain period of time, but that usually comes to an end. Unfortunately, when most people stop their ‘diet’ they return to their familiar eating choices and patterns. However, when you get in touch with the present moment, you can notice and begin to heal the underlying causes of your need to soothe with food. Being in the ‘now’ moment empowers you to make sustainable, long-lasting changes to your health.