Nourish a Grateful Attitude
By Diane Petrella, MSW
If you’re like most dieters, you probably don’t like your body so much. You probably are frustrated and angry with being overweight. But do you realize that criticizing yourself undermines your efforts? Shake that trend with an attitude of gratitude and lose the weight with ease.
How Gratitude Works
Releasing weight requires a calm, peace-filled body. Your body is a living, breathing organism and every cell responds to your thoughts. Various chemicals are released in your body based on how you think and feel. Some of these chemicals enhance a sense of calm and peacefulness while others heighten states of tension and anger.
Your cells understand the message of gratitude. Think of each cell as a tiny representation of your entire body. A lack of gratitude blocks weight loss progress because your body does not respond well when criticized. When you feel thankful, your cells share that joy and transmit chemicals to reinforce that feeling. Being grateful for your body inspires you to eat food more consciously, to value the importance of exercise and to be more self-loving.
Don't Wait
You may think that before you can appreciate your body you need to be fit and healthy first. You may think that thin people love their bodies because they are thin. But it’s the other way around. They love and appreciate their bodies first and that appreciation helps them to stay fit and healthy.
Think of it this way. What if you did something positive for someone and at the same time angrily told them “I hate you and I hate doing this for you?” Most likely they’d feel pretty confused and awful. Whatever kindness you did for them would have no meaning. Well, it’s the same with your body. The more you try to eat well, exercise and “do the right things” while telling your body how much you hate it, loathe it and can’t stand to look at it, the more confused your body becomes. What’s a body to do with that message?! Most likely it responds like a confused, angry child and resists giving you what you want. You remain stuck and frustrated that your body isn’t releasing the weight you want to release. But, honestly, can you blame it?
Nourish Gratitude
To stop that cycle, be grateful for all your body does for you. Then go a step further and say “Thank you” to your body. Thank your legs for taking you where you want to go, your arms for helping you hold things, your heart for beating, your lungs for breathing, your stomach for digesting your food. Consciously thanking and appreciating your body helps you feel calm and peaceful. Releasing weight from a calm and peaceful body produces better and faster results than trying to release weight from a body that feels criticized.
Practice this simple exercise to become a grateful friend to your body:
- Every day take a few moments and thank your body for all it does for you. Thank your legs, your arms, your heart, your stomach, etc.
- You can either speak silently to yourself, out loud, or write it down on paper. Do what feels most comfortable.
- While you can do this at any time of day it’s most powerful when practiced right before getting out of bed in the morning or right before falling asleep at night.
The November Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States reminds us to give thanks for our blessings. One special blessing is the very body we have been given that carries us through our life journey. Take time this month to give thanks to your body for all it does for you. Your body will appreciate you and you will appreciate the results.
Your thoughts....
What do you appreciate about your body?
Diane Petrella, MSW is a psychotherapist and life coach. She offers her clients a spiritual approach to weight loss and helps them develop a loving, respectful relationship with their bodies. Receive a free copy of Diane’s Seven Easy & Effortless Weight Loss Secrets by signing up for her monthly e-newsletter, Living Lightly, for spiritual insights and tips to release weight with confidence and love. To contact Diane directly visit her website at www.dianepetrella.com
- Read more about the scientific basis of how gratitude works in Thanks!: How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier by Robert Emmons, a professor at the University of California, Davis and one of the leading scholars in the positive psychology movement.
Comments
What a inspiring article. What a perfect time of the year as the holidays approach to present this confidence building words of wisdom.
Thank you.
Definitely agree we need to be thankful for life, but never really thought about thanking the different/individual parts of my body. Interesting. I do try, but often fail, to also remember that my body is God's home and I need to treat it the way I want people to treat my home....with respect and love, taking care of it and using it for Him.
Thanksgiving is actually one of my favorite holidays... and this year I will think more about being thankful for, not only life, health, friends, family, etc., but also the weight I've lost! And, hopefully, be able to push back from the table and all the food that will be around during the entire holiday season. Happy "Thanksgiving!"
Im often down on myself if i dont make my weight loss goals; and forget to thank my body for what we have accomplished already; i truley beleave this article.
Thank your body :)
What an inspiration. I try to instill gratitude in my grandchildren by having a ritual at meal time where we hold hands and each express one thing we are grateful for. I need to thank my body more for the wonderful way it digests my food and (when I listen) lets me know what the right food is to eat. There are so many things I could not do without my body: no prayer, no singing, no play, no work, no walking, no listening...each part contributes to make my life a wonderful whole. One thing we all have is a body. That is a good place to start learning to express gratitude.
wow....I really needed this. I reached my goal about a year ago with a 120 lb weight loss. Since that time menopause has arrived...my middle is expanding and 5 lbs has creeped back on. Thank you for reminding me to look at the larger picture!
Am I the only one who thought this was cheesey? I agree with the overall message but having your "cells share the joy" is a little too much.
I'm 28 years old, and frequently contemplate how amazing it is that any machine can last that long.
I needed this the article... I actually brought tears to my eyes because I was was really feeling down and bad for not meeting my personal goals. And about to just say forget it, eat, be fat and and die happy... after reading this I think I will press on.
I'm not sure that I will be thanking my individual body parts; but I will not be talking badly about myself or even hating what I see when I look in the mirror. I definitely have a body to be thankful for I am 300 pounds and 5' I think that I do owe my legs ankles and feet a thank you for carrying me around all of these years. Most for the time with no pain unless I have been to the Zoo, or an amusement park, or been up and down a ladder.... uh yeah I do all these things. Most people in my situation sit at home and hate them selves while I am still quite active... Cheesy maybe.... but I expect good results from what I have learned here.
great advise and i intend to follow it. I am greatful for so many other things but never really gave me and my body a second thought. I guess I am grateful for the great hearth and immune system my body has. I am fortunate that I Very Rarely get sick. I may feel lousy for a day but I can count on one hand how many days I have been sick in the past 10 years. Not too shabby for an old girl. Thanks body for taking good care of me.
This article just reminded me of how messed up my family is. I spent my birthday week with my aunt and uncle, and they paid for a lot of stuff, but my uncle was an absolute bastard to me the whole time. He even made my mom sleep on the floor two nights in a row!
Then after the trip he said I was ungrateful and he was ashamed of me. But all that really mattered was we be nice and respectful of each other. He could spend money, but not have the decency to treat me as a human being. It's all so fake.
I can very much see how this works with your body. If you crticize yourself, you feel bad and nothing goes right.
I think the article is extremely important. Our mind greatly affects the way our body responds to everyday life. I was thinking just this morning of the importance of positive thoughts. We have the ability to create a positive mood in our mind and bodies each day. We can also create a negative mood in our mind and bodies by giving in to "bad or unhealthy negative thoughts".
Think about it. Have you ever found yourself in a good mood on a particular day and then suddenly, before you even realized it, you created or found something that made you worried, fearful or depressed? Before you knew it, your entire mood had switched and your body became tense. When this happens, your body starts secreting chemicals to create the tense, depressing mood. That's why it is extremely important to keep the mind in a healthy thankful, place throughout the day. That's why it is important to catch that bad or negative thought and not let it take hold. We need to not give these type thoughts power.
We must all work hard each and every day to turn negative thoughts around and be thankful for every day we are alive. Most of us take things for granted in our everyday lives.
I try to instill these thoughts to all three of my adult children each day. It is extremely important to be thankful for all you have each day, whether you are overweight or at your goal weight. You're alive and that's awesome! You have the ability to make any changes you wish in your life in regard to what you choose to eat each day of your life but life is great today and we can't forget that and take it for granted.
Just recently my 26 year old son broke his shoulder in a recreational softball game. We couldn't believe it; he had been a strong athlete his entire life with no major injuries and then this happens. It was a freak accident. It has made him greatly appreciate normal everyday life and things he took for granted, like buttoning his own shirt and putting on a tie for work. We didn't know it but the shoulder joint is a difficult area for a break to occur. The operation and recuperation period has not been easy.
We have to continually work on being thankful and thinking positive thoughts everyday and throughout the day. We owe it to ourselves first and our loved ones.
This is so timely for me. I've really lost my momentum lately, and the weight loss (or lack thereof) is showing it. I hate eating healthy, I hate going to the gym, and I'm not excited about my weight loss anymore - I'm just focusing on the fact that I'm not losing "fast enough." I should be more focused on what I've accomplished - 45 pounds gone, and halfway to my goal weight. I should rejoice in that rather than being cross that I'm only losing 1/2 a pound a week right now. Hey, 1/2 a pound is still a loss, and if I appreciated it more, maybe it would become more like it used to be when I would lose 2 pounds a week and be ecstatic.People around me are proud of me, excited for me, and imspired by me.... why can't I adopt that same attitude? I need to work at that. Thanks for the article!!
I agree this post was awesome!! I have lost 6 pounds so far so 4 more for my goal of 10 pounds down before Thanksgiving! Quite a few more to go before I reach my goal but I feel I can do it and this article really helps!! :) Thanks! :)
If you like this article and want to continue fostering gratitudes on a daily basis, please come join our "BDG" thread on the fosums!
http://caloriecount.about.com/bdg-game-ft129701
BDG = Brag, Desire, and Gratitude
We have grown a little group of BDG'ers who come daily to share positive thoughts and energy with one another and support each other through our health journey.
Here is my BDG for today!
BRAG - My hard work at the gym and counting calories is really starting to pay off - the pants I am wearing today are practically falling off! YAY
DESIRE - to not eat any more candy today - just came into work from a hard work out this morning and felt I needed some quick energy as my brain was foggy. So I ate a small box of Dots and some gummy life savers .... Halloween sized so not a lot of damage ... but STILL .. no more candy today!
GRATITUDE - for cc.com ... without this site and all of the fantastic information, support systems, and means for logging progress, I could never have continued my weight loss and fitness journey
Thank you CC!!!
Have a beautiful day and share the positive energy with all you meet!
kristinkay26 - it sounds like you need to pat yourself on the back and realize your accomplishment of losing 45 pounds. That's awesome!
Sometimes our bodies slow down a bit here or there and we hit small plateaus. That's OK and it is to be expected. It will pick up again before you know it and you'll lose all of it along the way.
We have to be patient at times on this journey. We didn't put all of the weight on at one time and we're not going to take it off with the snap of our fingers.
It's important to realize that "eating healthy" is a great thing. You're putting prime foods into your body, not junk.
Eating healthy is what helped you to secure this tremendous 45 pounds weight loss. Eating healthy is what is going to cause you to lose the remainder of the weight over time. Eating healthy is going to help you maintain your weight after you reach your goal.
So, eating healthy and in the right amounts is a great thing that always leads to success in long run.
People look up to you and are proud of you because you have a found a way to turn it all around. Approximately 67% of our nation is either overweight or obese. We have to start making tremendous changes in our manner of eating and fitness patterns. Realistically, where would you be had you continued to eat in the former manner? That's what kept me on course to lose every last pound I had ever wanted to lose. I had little choice. It would have only become worse had I continued eating what and when I wanted.
People are excited for you because you're a winner. You did something positive and changed your life. Sure, it wasn't easy but you've already reached great success. You need to stay on course and reach your goal in a healthy manner.
You need to continue to pat yourself on the back and realize that "eating healthy" is the only way to go.
It sure beats the burden of carrying around unnecessary pounds day after day.
Definitely not cheesey!!!! Your cells are the ones that produce cortisol, the stress harmone, so if you feel stressed, guess what? Your cells are producing cortisol and keeping the fat and producing more! When you are happy your cells make serotonin and other feel good chemical . You are who you think you are, a child of God, or something negative. I think this article is very inspiring, and it may make you feel a little uncomfortable at first doing these things, but do them in private and you will feel better when you are out and about even if you are the only one that knows what you tell yourself. Thank your body and thank God, for he is the one that created you from the beginning from 1 cell!
Yep that's true ariesgirl417 - It's all about the chemicals in our body when it comes to feeling good. Our natural chemicals.
Exercising is great for that reason also because we know exercising burns calories but exercising also produces endorphins. We get natural highs from exercising that make us feel great from both a mental and physical standpoint. The added plus is that we are also burning off calories in order to lose weight or maintain our desired weight.
Thank you. I really needed to hear this today. It gave me a much-needed reality check.
Original Post by: mhmitchellAm I the only one who thought this was cheesey? I agree with the overall message but having your "cells share the joy" is a little too much.
No your not the only one to think this was cheesey! It makes it sound like the cells were children and you had to reward them. I too agree with the overall message but I felt like I was in a cult reading a message from some crazy profit who thinks hes Jesus. lol
Original Post by: divamakerI'm not sure that I will be thanking my individual body parts; but I will not be talking badly about myself or even hating what I see when I look in the mirror. I definitely have a body to be thankful for I am 300 pounds and 5' I think that I do owe my legs ankles and feet a thank you for carrying me around all of these years. Most for the time with no pain unless I have been to the Zoo, or an amusement park, or been up and down a ladder.... uh yeah I do all these things. Most people in my situation sit at home and hate them selves while I am still quite active... Cheesy maybe.... but I expect good results from what I have learned here.
You can do it :)
Original Post by: mamasue5Yep that's true ariesgirl417 - It's all about the chemicals in our body when it comes to feeling good. Our natural chemicals.
Exercising is great for that reason also because we know exercising burns calories but exercising also produces endorphins. We get natural highs from exercising that make us feel great from both a mental and physical standpoint. The added plus is that we are also burning off calories in order to lose weight or maintain our desired weight.
Yes, exercise gives me a 'good high' so much so that if I have somewhere to go on the week-end I try to exercise even more during the week for 'the feeling' that usually lasts through the next day and longer if I exercise (a lot of heart pumping cardio) a few days in a row. I can do more at home after exercise than if I go straight home with no exercise. Exercise has done more for me than anti-depressants! Now I'm talking depression that I had for years which led to a lot of weight gain, making me more depressed! You also feel as if you are doing something positive for yourself when you exercise, another plus which shows how much you do care about your body! I think cheesey is when you do something becuase someone else did it and you don't get anything positive out of it. I am for sure grateful for my mobility, eyesight, etc. etc.
Original Post by: mhmitchellAm I the only one who thought this was cheesey? I agree with the overall message but having your "cells share the joy" is a little too much.
It might be cheesy, but if either the message or the tone helps or inspires even one person, is it really that bad? :)
Feels good to read an article like this, I had fallen off the wagon and recently just got back on after finding a great source of motivation, knowing that if you appreciate yourself the way you are, helps with the weight loss, imagine when you improve! You'll appreciate yourself even MORE!
I constantly forget to be thankful for everything in general. Not just dieting & weight loss. I have a wonderful husband & an absolutely darling daughter. I'm grateful to have them in my life. The rest is just icing on the cake. I do have to remind myself to calm down, breath in and out and enjoy life and the things around me. I must block out the negatives. Sometimes they can take over and sabotage everything.
Sarah Ban Braethnach always says in her "simple Abundance "" books, "All I have is all I have".
Until this article, I never thought to extend that attitude of gratitude to this body of mine that I have loathed most of my life.
I think I need to forgive myself and begin to love this body and be grateful for all that it does for me each and every day.
The words "releasing the weight" instead of "losing the weight", have taken on a new meaning for me. Thank you so very much for this article. I think for today I can sit in peace with this body and nuture it and allow it to heal and RELEASE the excess weight in its own time. I will let the love flow through me and stop blocking what is a natural healing process.
Original Post by: crimson667Original Post by: mhmitchellAm I the only one who thought this was cheesey? I agree with the overall message but having your "cells share the joy" is a little too much.
It might be cheesy, but if either the message or the tone helps or inspires even one person, is it really that bad? :)
I don't think it's bad at all. I'm glad that it inspires others. I agree with the message and I appreciate my body. It just doesn't inspire me personally and that's okay too. : )
It's not cheesy at all. From what I've read it has scientific backing. Check out Dr. Emotos work with crystal structure photograpy and the effect words have.
It is also thought that meditation changes cellular structure and from personal experience, it works wonders.
I went from a negative chronic depressive to a stable positive person through meditation and positive reinforcement and I wouldn't go back to the way I was.
Original Post by: mhmitchellAm I the only one who thought this was cheesey? I agree with the overall message but having your "cells share the joy" is a little too much.
I did too. XD
I thought it was some sort of joke or just some advice. By the end of it, I was just...a little weirded out.
This brings up an excellent point: exercise without stress relief isn't as beneficial. I've been struggling, dealing with getting laid off from my job and having to move in with my inlaws. Especially before the move, I was insanely stressed out and even though I was working out almost every day and eating right the pounds were melting off veeeery slowly. After the move, I started taking a yoga class at the gym and it has been, I feel, instrumental in making me lose weight more rapidly.
For the first time since I was laid off, I am able to quiet the stressful thoughts rattling around in my brain and relax. Yoga has also taught me to accept and appreciate my body even as I work to make it stronger and more flexible. I no longer spend my time at the gym comparing myself to other women, which used to stress me out even as I was exercising.
I don't fight my body; instead I nurture it. I've learned not to push it to the point of pain because I hate that it's not shedding pounds fast enough. And what do you know? Now I'm literally able to see the pounds melting off on a day-to-day basis. (Though I suspect not having to prepare to move is also a huge help with the stress decrease.)
For more on staying healthy and staying afloat during unemployment, see my blog: "The Unemployment Survival Guide."
Original Post by: veriteriIt's not cheesy at all. From what I've read it has scientific backing. Check out Dr. Emotos work with crystal structure photograpy and the effect words have.
It is also thought that meditation changes cellular structure and from personal experience, it works wonders.
I went from a negative chronic depressive to a stable positive person through meditation and positive reinforcement and I wouldn't go back to the way I was.
Thanks for mentioning Dr. Masaru Emoto's work.
Here's the link:
The Hidden Messages in Water
and, as I mentioned above,
Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind/Body Medicine
by Candace Pert, Ph.D
Thank you for such an inspiring article! I will try to practice thanking my body each day from now on. My body has been very awesome by keeping up with me through all of the rough and strenuous exercises! Now I know that it is strong and will carry me through easy and rough time. I love you, my body!
Hey missy, try this mantra; "I'm smaller today than I was yesterday." If you continue to be conscious of what you put in your mouth, then the above is applicable. This mantra has nothing to do with anyone but you and your self-treatment.
'raine (energyofl)
This article is right on! I did indeed hate the way I both looked and felt in this overweight body. The harder I sweat and ached at exercise, the more she held on to tenths of pounds (I bought a very accurate digital scale) and actually put on weight when I was exhausted and starving. Then I went on a trip for 8 days without benefit of my scale or my wii. I ate like a 12 year old (visiting a farm) with lots of home cooked veggies. When I got home I was 1 pound lighter! So, this does work!
Original Post by: diane_petrellaOriginal Post by: veriteriIt's not cheesy at all. From what I've read it has scientific backing. Check out Dr. Emotos work with crystal structure photograpy and the effect words have.
It is also thought that meditation changes cellular structure and from personal experience, it works wonders.
I went from a negative chronic depressive to a stable positive person through meditation and positive reinforcement and I wouldn't go back to the way I was.
Thanks for mentioning Dr. Masaru Emoto's work.
Here's the link:
The Hidden Messages in Waterand, as I mentioned above,
Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind/Body Medicine
by Candace Pert, Ph.D
The mind/body connection is very, very powerful regardless of how it is 'explained' or expressed. I worked around cancer patients/survivors long enough to see that a positive attitude can make all the difference. This DOESN'T mean that a person is at fault if they get cancer or a positive attitude can cure cancer, but when I saw someone with positive attitude it made all the difference during the treatment. They could be down or sad, but that was part of grieving and not self pity. There were a number who were grateful for each and every day they had, no matter how rough that day had been. It taught me that gratitude isn't just saying thanks, it's about humility, love and respect.
I think that's the message here, which is definitely not 'cheesy'. We need to learn about being humble when we face our own struggles but have enough love and respect for ourselves to accept who we are today. It's when that lesson hits home we learn to treat others the same way.
I met some very courageous people who taught me humility, love and respect and how to really celebrate a birthday! We are lucky enough to have too much food so we are overweight and longevity enough to have wrinkles and grey hair. So what's not to be grateful for?
Original Post by: energyoflHey missy, try this mantra; "I'm smaller today than I was yesterday." If you continue to be conscious of what you put in your mouth, then the above is applicable. This mantra has nothing to do with anyone but you and your self-treatment.
'raine (energyofl)
It is as important to be aware of what comes 'out of your mouth' as what goes in and showing a lack of common courtesy pretty much indicates how you treat yourself too.
I show my gratitude to my body by loving it. And I love it by giving it what it wants in terms of nourishment (that includes the junk food) and keeping it active. I also make sure to recharge it for at least 6-8 hrs each night.
My body must appreciate all this because I have been maintaining my goal weight at college since classes started the first week of September.
LOL Love your body, it loves you back. :P
Original Post by: ibeckformeSarah Ban Braethnach always says in her "simple Abundance "" books, "All I have is all I have".
Until this article, I never thought to extend that attitude of gratitude to this body of mine that I have loathed most of my life.
I think I need to forgive myself and begin to love this body and be grateful for all that it does for me each and every day.
The words "releasing the weight" instead of "losing the weight", have taken on a new meaning for me. Thank you so very much for this article. I think for today I can sit in peace with this body and nuture it and allow it to heal and RELEASE the excess weight in its own time. I will let the love flow through me and stop blocking what is a natural healing process.
Yes, I think RELEASING is a better word to use than losing.
Adding weight for me was not only a 'safety net' (if people weren't attracted to me, then it meant I didn't have to deal with relationship issues) it was a way of dealing with disappointments (comes with expectations!) , frustrations, sadness, and anger.
But weight doesn't really solve anything, therefore I give myself permission to release the physical and emotional weight!
Great article that I really needed to hear. It hit the nail on the head ~ I really thought I could only be happy when I'm thin & that's untrue. My body has survived a horrible illness that has left me disabled, but I can still walk, talk, obviously take nutrition, & I'm still alive! Thanks to this body. I will daily thank my body & continue on my path to wellness & healthy living. 47 lbs. to go and I WILL do it!
One of the grad students at my school gave me great advice that follows the essence of your article:
Your body is your temple.
Keeping this mindset gives me an imagery that helps combat junk food cravings and encourages me to exercise to keep the pipes clean. I mean, imagine littering in a church or a temple or letting a sacred place get dusty from lack of care.
Thank you for reminding me to be grateful.
Keeping the spirit of kokua and intoku, let's make the world a better place through contagious smiles :)
This article has also caused me to express what I have felt my entire life, a life I have spent with excess weight. I have always felt a "disconnect" with my body. It is something difficult for me to express with words, but I will try.
Things will happend and I will ask my husband, "Do you ever feel like your mind and your body are two separate things?'. He is clueless.
Do you feel like you observe this life but don't experience it? I am such a clumsy person. All these years of being overweight and still, I will bump into walls and doorways, as if I just got this extra fat overnight. It is a curious thing to me. It is like the two have never beome one. I hesitate to even bring this up because it sounds somewhat strange and even neurotic, but it's something I have never been able to explain or define.
It's as if I don't acknowledge my body, I know I have never felt love for my body.
It must be a love thing.
That has never occurred to me before. Maybe with care, and a growing love of myself I will come to feel whole and integrated. Pardon my confusion,please. This is deeper than I wanted to go. I guess I bothered to post this because I was wondering if it was just me feeling this way, or if there is anyone else out there who has experienced this curious thing.
Thanks Ukiyoe; it comes from a lot of needless suffering-lol!
Although sometimes, we do need pain as a growing tool. It's all a matter of balance- very important. The middle ground. Some call it wishy washy; I call it sensible and being able to see and try to understand both sides.
Thanks for sharing ibeckforme. It is not so unusual to have that seperation between mind and body; especially with our 'western thought' culture.
Meditation and chakra balancing practice seem to have a unifying effect- at least it did for me :)
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What an awsome article we all need positive reinforcement and a way to be more calm and focused I really enjoyed reading this piece. Now for a happy
day.....I am on a weight loss journey with 45 LBS to go!!!!!!
Sweet Peggy Sue