Releasing the Pain at the Core of Weight Gain: A Compassionate Path to Lasting Weight Release

Posted by Freeman Michaels on March 25th, 2010 at 10:35am

My overweight clients are in pain. Their weight issues are costing them dearly. They are limited in what they can physically do and where they feel comfortable going. They face health challenges related to their weight. They struggle every day to try and feel good about themselves in a media driven culture that blasts out messages that they are unattractive, unworthy and unacceptable. Compulsive eating habits have taken much of the pleasure away from day to day living. They are caught in a cycle of behavior and thinking that denies them joy and dignity.

Not that long ago, I was obese. I was in pain, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I carried the burden of a thought system that kept me caught in patterns of behavior around food that did not serve me. I was in a dark hole and I could barely see the light. My personal journey and transformation has inspired me to devote my life to helping other people out of the darkness of obesity.

My liberating journey out of the powerful clutches of obesity behavior began with compassion. I had been judging, condemning, and shaming myself long enough. There was no more denying the pain and suffering that underlie my unhealthy behavior around food. I needed to compassionately address the true cause of my weight related issues.

All human behavior relates to needs. The needs that many of us have been trying to fill with food are non-nutritional needs. For some of us food has become a way to cope with stress or anxiety. While for others, carrying extra weight may be a form of protection from unwanted attention. The key to unlocking the grip food has on our lives lies in compassionately identifying the true causes of our behavior. We must begin to identify healthy ways of getting our needs met that do not involve food. We need a system to interrupt the unhealthy behavior and replace it with positive practices. With introspection, support and a comprehensive approach for addressing the root causes of our weight issues we can liberate ourselves from the intense hold food has had on our lives.

Those of us who struggle with weight often believe that our weight is the cause of our suffering. Actually the weight is a byproduct of our suffering. The weight is an outward expression of our internal pain – our disconnection from what truly feeds us. Our negative perception of ourselves has led us to try extreme diets and exercise programs – but none of them have had a lasting effect. These programs don’t work because they are predicated on the notion that something is wrong with us. No one has ever judged or guilt tripped themselves into loving themselves. We must have compassion for our experience and begin to release the pain, before we can take the positive steps to change our lives.

Freeman Michaels is America’s #1 weight release expert and coach. He is the author of Weight Release: A Liberating Journey. His groundbreaking program uses personal development principles to end the “diet cycle” and help people release weight forever.

Do you want to receive the first section of Freeman’s new book Weight Release: A Liberating Journey for FREE? Sign up here: Weight Release

Tags: Diet Advice, diet tips, healthy eating, weight loss tips

Under Diet Advice Tags: Diet Advice, diet tips, healthy eating, weight loss tips