Traveling along that road

I was just re-reading a post at my friend Skye's blog, and I decided to answer a few questions that inspired her for myself. It seems that the answers she discerned will lead her to a totally different place than mine will, but none the less they are very good ones to ask yourself. I believe they originated with Bob Greene

• "Why are you overweight?" For me, my weight has served as a cushion- a tool to instantly keep harmful people far away from me. It began with a very silly misinterpretation of a message that good eaters are strong people. Then events in life convinced me that the strong people were also the ones empowered with the ability to say no to what crossed their comfort zone when they were not welcomed. It became time to change that originally when I learned that the extra cushion was preventing me from having children. I underwent therapy, began a program of healthy eating and exercise, and conceived, but gained most of the weight back due to a high risk pregnancy and raising a special needs child.
• "Why have I been unsuccessful at keeping weight off in the past?"Hormonal changes that came with pregnancy , and then in my body set of a chain reaction of other chemical changes. Motherhood in the early days was very taxing and I had no time for myself because of various lifestyle changes. I lost my groove and could not get it back. Things are different now , and I want to be done with this journey once and for all.
  
• "Why do I want to lose weight?"I no longer have the need for the padding. I no longer have the need of the insulation. It never really served the purpose I had originally thought it would, so why hang onto it ? I want the last half of my life to be authentic- to be embraced by the real me , who is not cushioned under layers of false ideas. I have forgiven those I needed to and said farewell to those whom I must, so now it is time to peel off this insulation once and for all.