Telling On Ourselves

Truth Telling

In my program, we go into the clinic once a week to get weighed, see the nutritionist and see the doctor. There is also an educational session where handouts are distributed. To date, most of them have dealt with long-term healthy weight maintenance -- which I like because I am very, very sensitive about regaining my weight after all of the work I have put in to lose it.

In the meeting with the nutritionist, you are asked some basic questions like, "Are you drinking your water? Exercising? Following the guidelines for your product consumption?" In other words, are you doing everything required to stick to our program? This is the point of reckoning. This is where we need to make our "confession" regarding cheats, not taking all of your products because you think you might lose more, admitting that you might have fallen off the exercise wagon, etc.

Some may chose not to answer honestly, but I advise everyone to "come clean" and get these incidents off of your chest. We are human after all! Optifast is rigid, restrictive, and at times frustrating. I had a moment last weekend where I started to really question just what in the heck I was doing. Why was I committed to be on a liquid diet for months and months? I must be nuts. Can I really do this? I found myself full of doubts. Fortunately, this questioning passed and I was right back on track. I relayed this to the nutritionist who let me know that most people go through this at one time or another. I am not alone.

As they say, honesty is the best policy. Though we may receive some stern counseling in return, it is always in our best interest and done to help us make it to our goal weight. I know to date I have not cheated with regular food, but that does not mean it won't happen in the future. If I do, I know what to do: admit it to the nutritionist, get back on track and put the incident behind me.

I believe we take control back and successfully kick-start our program again with the admission. Fessing up may be uncomfortable at first, but smooth sailing can follow. We make mistakes and that is okay. Let's go easy on ourselves. We deserve it.