Did Our Bodies Betray Us or Did We Betray Our Bodies?

Having been a Morbidly-Super Obese individual for most of my adult life, I am very familiar with the sentiment "I hate my body!"

For years and years I lived with the misunderstanding that my body had somehow betrayed me, that it had kept me a prisoner and somehow had a mind of it's own, that it was the enemy and I was in battle with it.

Now I understand that quite the opposite is true.  My body has always done exactly what I told it to do.  Exactly.  Every time.  My body was beautifully designed and created to store extra calories in times of plenty, and use that stored energy in times of want.  It has dutifully carried out every single instruction I gave it, in the manner in which I gave it, as soon as I gave it, much like a willing and eager soldier standing vigilantly at the ready.

I was just giving it the wrong instructions.  I was mismanaging my powerful soldier, giving conflicting messages, telling it one thing then despising it for doing the very thing I told it to do.

The hard fact is that I betrayed my BODY, not the other way around.

I created the conditions for years and years of giving my body a surplus calories pretty much every single day.  Calories it did not need, calories it had no choice but to process and lay down as long-term stored energy, namely FAT.  Those were the instructions I gave my poor body for years upon years upon years.

In recent years, having the knowledge, the tools, and the "why" (reason), I have been giving my body an alternate set of instructions, namely a calorie DEFICIT daily, so that it could gradually use that long-term energy storage (FAT) up a little bit every day until I achieved a healthy BMI, a healthy weight.

Yes, my body has done everything I have ever asked it to do.

And it will continue to do so.  My body will never process extra calories in a different way OTHER THAN storing it in long-term energy cells called fat cells.  So, then, my goal is to continue learning how to manage this diligent little soldier of mine, this advocate, this gift of my body, who will always do what I tell it to do.

No, we aren't born with an instruction manual for our bodies.  We get to figure that one out on our own.  In my life, with my body, Take Shape For Life has been the vital instruction manual and I am following it.  Do I always issue perfect instructions?  No.  When I issue instructions that are NOT in accordance with my primary goal (to attain and maintain optimal health), will my body still carry out my flawed instructions?  Yes.  Because it will do what I tell it to do every time.

So consistency is key, and me learning how to be a good manager of myself, of my body.  Giving consistent instructions to my body is what I am learning.  Day by day.

If a few days go by where my instructions include extra calories, yes, that will show up on the scale for me every time.  And there is no need to "hate" my body or "wish" things were different.  No need at all, because it won't change anything and it isn't an accurate picture of who is actually in charge.  WE are in charge, not our bodies.  OUR cravings, OUR actions, OUR intake, OUR decisions. 

So what will I do TODAY to instruct my body?  I will eat 5 Medifast Meals and 1 Lean and Green with the appropriate amount of healthy fats added.  I will drink 90 ounces of water.  And I will go about the business of living life to the fullest while doing these things.  And my little soldier will silently and in the background dutifully carry out my instructions.  To.  The.  Letter.

Rinse and Repeat!