Stoicism - how it can help you lose weight

The Stoic philosophers (one of the biggies was Epictetus) have a lot to say about life and how to live it.  Stoicism is not just about "putting up with crap" or "life's a bitch and then you die".  I think of it more as common sense and realistic focus and it has good links to how we think and feel about ourselves, our weight, our appearance, negative statements by others about us, and our attitude to making changes in our life.

The always interesting site Lifehack (www.lifehack.org) published this list recently.

8 Important Lessons Stoic Philosophy Will Teach You About Being Happy

1. Connect with the world around you
2. Live in the present moment
3. Live a life of virtue
4. Harness the power of your mind
5. Don't get worked up over stuff that doesn't matter
6. Stop caring what others think about you
7. Cultivate strong relationships by doing selfless acts for people you love
8. Be thankful for what you have and stop worrying about what you don't have

To get the full picture that these eight headings represent, you really need to read the article.  I highly recommend it.  Then I recommend you think about which of these you could make a change in today, tomorrow or this week.  What is it?

For the full article, go to http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/8-important-lessons-stoic-philosophy-will-teach-you-about-being-happy.html?utm_source=Lifehack&utm_campaign=a2516e4735-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_983e966a3e-a2516e4735-414846625

Yes, you CAN be fat and fit.

"Fat people are lazy, stupid and lack self control".  Why this myth and its associated prejudice prevails is a great source of personal irritation.  And yet I internalised it when I was about ten years old and didn't consign it to the rubbish bin until far too recently.  An article, which recently appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, speaks the truth and does so eloquently.  

Written by Thea O'Connor, it profiles some yoga instructors who are larger women. One is Sarah Harry.  I've met Sarah in the past and I'm an admirer of her work at Body Positive Australia (http://bodypositiveaustralia.com.au/).  Those of you based in Melbourne, check out the group therapy offering.  And wouldn't I like to be on that Byron Bay yoga retreat!!

There are some comments and quotations in the article that I feel are so pertinent and relevant to our society and our thoughts about ourselves, that I've reproduced them below for emphasis.  Get the entire article at http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/big-bodies-can-also-bend-it-20140308-34dhk.html

The article's theme is not just about fatness and fitness, its about prejudice - the way we, and others, think about ourselves.

So think about that.

Fat prejudice runs deep in Western culture, including among those who are at the forefront of promoting physical activity. Physical education students displayed higher levels of anti-fat prejudice than their fellow psychology students or other health professionals, according to a 2007 study published in the International Journal of Obesity, involving 344 university students.

''There's a fear that if you accept fat people, you are condoning an unhealthy lifestyle,'' says Guest-Jelley. ''But I want to challenge the notion that shame is what's going to encourage people to be healthy. What could make you less excited about being healthy than feeling like you're worthless?'' says Guest-Jelley.

‘‘Fat but fit people tend to have better health outcomes than thosewho are normal weight but unfit,’’ says Professor Steve Blair, of the Department of Exercise Science at the University of California. He bases his finding on 25 years of research and a sample of more than 80,000 people.

p.s. Thanks to Sue for sharing this article with me.