When you talk about losing something like keys for example, it implies that you want to find them again. But losing weight is a different thing, and you usually don’t want to find it again! So a weight loss group I led last year came up with the term ‘letting go of weight’ which they felt described it better.

So what does letting go of weight mean? It can mean many things but at least three come to mind:

1. It can mean letting go of old habits such as eating mindlessly, overeating, eating food that isn’t nutritious, all habits that undermine the weight loss goals you have set for yourself. You have to let go of old habits like these to start new ones such as mindful eating at the table not the TV, and choosing food that your body wants not your head!

2. It can mean letting go of old images of your body that may have been around for decades. If you were always the child teased at school for being overweight, it isn’t easy to change your self- image even after you have lost the weight. Many people talk about still feeling ‘fat’ in their head, even though the mirror and other people around them reflect a slimmer self.

3. The last letting go is of the childhood hurts that led to your habit of overeating to cope in the first place. Until you give these some of your time and loving attention to process and digest, they live in your unconscious and can affect you in ways that are harder to control. Once you have a chance to process important events from your childhood, you can come to peace with them and take control of your choices in the present. Counselling can be a helpful way to resolve old experiences and put them to bed.

Let Go Of Weight, Don’t Lose It—More Than Just Words