The Ongoing Saga of a Girl and Her Scale

Today, I want to talk to you about perception as it relates to our bodies and how we see them.

Many of us who are overweight see ourselves as more overweight than we are. It is a common thing. We see ourselves differently than we really are.

Some of us have an opposite perception going on, though. I will illustrate it through these photos that were taken a few weeks ago.

Below is how I see my legs:

Here is what they really look like:

Maybe it is just me, but when I look down at my calves, I think they look much smaller than what they really do. I am always shocked when I see a photo of my legs taken by someone else. I just can’t believe my calves are that BIG!

Perception is a big deal for us in weight loss. How we see ourselves has a lot to do with how we confront our weight issues.

Because I see my legs as thinner than they really are, I might not pay as much attention to them as I should.

One way to see ourselves as we are is to stand in front of a full-length mirror. This is one way I get a good look at my problem areas.

Sometimes I wonder who that lady is in the reflection, though, because my body image in my mind is better than the reality of it.

I used to be the opposite, though. I used to see myself as super fat even if I was well within the guidelines for my weight, height and age.

I am not sure when this change occurred, and I am not sure it is a good thing either. I mean, having a positive body image is a good thing, but I need to see myself for who I am so I can deal with my weight issues.

I have done so much reading lately about the fact that type 2 diabetes is reversible that I know I must deal with this. It’s just a matter of being willing to make the changes I need to make.

I used to make a joke that “I couldn’t see my boobs because my stomach was so big.” I still think this on occasion, but even that negative thought has moved on for the most part.

I think having a healthy perception of our bodies is important. If we don’t have it, we can develop some really bad conditions like anorexia. At the same time, we have to see ourselves as we really are so that we can deal with issues if they are there.

Having the condition of type 2 diabetes and taking insulin, I often find myself struggling with my weight. It can change five pounds a day in either direction.

For this month I have gained fifteen pounds about three times. But I have also lost 12 pounds three times, so I am up three pounds overall.

I am reading a book now called “The End of Diabetes” by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I have mentioned him before and undoubtedly will again. Dr. Fuhrman states that the majority of type 2 diabetes can be reversed through weight loss, diet and exercise. I am looking forward to trying his recommendations.

I will let you know how things go.