The Masks We Wear

This week's topic is "What Masks Do You Wear?" This week I'm thinking about the different roles, or hats I have, but calling them "masks" because of Halloween.

I have a lot of different roles in life: mom, wife, teacher, cook, driver, maid, friend, etc.

Are these roles helping or hurting my weight loss? If they get in my way, I can change it or get rid of it. ex: if the role of mom used to mean I would eat what the kids leave on the plate, I can change my role to being a good role model of healthy eating.

At my niece & nephew's birthday, I had to wear my splint because my hand was hurting. Yet I didn't like the attention & sympathy. My mask is "I'm healthy" because I do pride myself on how I don't have any long term health problems, & I don't take any daily meds, like other people.

But it's not true, because being obese (BMI over 30) is a health problem. It puts me at risk for cardiac, diabetes, & joint problems. I'll have to lose another 15 pounds to be "overweight."

Now, does wearing my "healthy" mask hinder my weight loss efforts? I think, as long as I am honest with MYSELF (& my dr) about it it shouldn't. But when I start downplaying my weight problem, and start believing it's not a health problem, just an esthetic issue, then my mask-to-myself must be either gotten rid of or changed.

Ah, but change my mask-to-myself to what? How about "I'm making progress"?