The Perfect Body -

Close your eyes and imagine with me for a moment. Imagine that you look exactly the way you want to look. This could be different for everyone. Some women may want to be lean and toned, while some may long to be a bit more curvaceous. Some men may long to be lean, while others prefer a more muscular, buff look.

How would it change your life if you looked exactly the way you want to? Have you ever thought about this? Would everybody like you more? Would you make more money at your job? Would you have more friends? Have more fun? Would success come easier to you? Would you be more lovable? Would people hurt you less? Would your personality change? Would your values change?

These are questions that we don't usually take the time to ask ourselves when we are in the quest to lose weight. We seem to have an underlying assumption that our lives will be perfect if we attain a "perfect" body. Well, let me tell you a story...

There was once a woman who had been overweight all of her life. She had a major food addiction that was the result of a lot of childhood trauma. All of her life, she longed to lose weight. She would go on diet after diet, and lose a few pounds only to gain them right back. It was an endless cycle that seemed to result in her gaining even more weight, because she would eat to deal with her shame. She always had the idea in her mind that if she lost weight and got down to that "perfect" size, her life would also be "perfect". She would be prettier, sexier, more confident, more loved, more successful. Finally, she was able to lose over a hundred pounds, and a funny thing happened...