Diet culture tells us we'll be happy when we lose the weight. But, all my hippie dippie teachings taught me that I must be happy first in order to lose the weight. But, I couldn't be happy until I lost the weight - or could I? Marianne Williamson's "A Course in Weight Loss" gave me a little spark to start approaching weight loss in a different way but mostly, it pissed me off because it dug up all of the demon emotions I was trying to hide and it made me feel like a garbage person for not wanting to be happy with my body where it was right in that moment. It's a conundrum for those of us in this ever so privileged ever so overwhelmed Western culture. It's time for us and by "us" I mean me - to take charge of my own life, my own peace, my own approach to handling MY body and MY mind. And, just like the chicken and the egg, we may never know which really comes first - weight loss or happiness.
