Those of us who have had weight that we’d rather do without know that it can be a struggle, a constant nagging struggle that never seems to get better.  One that is almost constantly on the mind, and causes you to stop and wonder “why me?” Why was I given this struggle, this problem to deal with?

One of the goals I recently set for myself was to turn off the TV and start reading.  The first book I picked up was Secrets About Life Every Woman Should Know by Barbara De Angelis.  It was an amazing book filled with advice and 10 “secrets” to life.  I won’t go through all 10 here, but one of them in particular stood out: All Obstacles are lessons in disguise – honor them and learn from them.

After I read that, I stopped and thought about the obstacle that I once faced to lose weight and how I struggled with being over-weight for years. Instead of thinking how awful those years were and how low my self esteem sometimes was during that time, I focused on how that struggle may in fact have been a lesson in disguise. It’s hard to see something that causes so much pain as a lesson to honor and learn from, but I believe it’s true.

So what did I learn in hindsight from my obstacle, my struggle to lose weight? I learned that no matter how big or how small, I still have the same amount of worth. My appearance can NOT change who I am on the inside, and what I can contribute to society. And I learned that I need to love myself no matter what and not set “requirements” for my happiness. Like… “I will be happy when I lose 25 pounds,” “I will be happy when I FINALLY fit into that dress,” “I will be happy when _____.”

It can be hard to stop and see how your struggle to lose weight is a lesson to honor and learn from, but it is. Take the time to reflect upon it and look for what you can learn from a hard, often painful situation. I challenge you to stop and think about any of the obstacles that you face in your life and try to see how it is a lesson in disguise. When I stopped to think about some of the obstacles that I have faced in my life, and then I thought about what I had learned from the situation, it made me feel some amount of appreciation for them. Yes, I appreciated my struggle that I faced with weight, and hopefully you can too.

Additional Reading:
• Four Easy Diet and Exercise Tips
• Results of Getting Paid to Lose Weight
• Weight Loss Myths and Facts
• Is Your Weight-Loss Goal Realistic?
• Three Tools to Help You Lose Weight

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