Visualization for Weight Loss -The Gabriel Method

Emotional Obesity

grip of emotional obesity, you’ll find some reason why it wasn’t possible to complete the program. You’ll “forget” or you “won’t have time,” or “other things will just get in the way.” You’ll sabo- tage your weight-loss effort because, at some level, the need to be fat serves a vitally important survival function in your life. The Themes of Emotional Obesity Any intrusion of your “boundaries” can cause emotional obesity because the fat can symbolically widen your boundaries. Fat can create distance between you and the person, thing, or situation that is infringing on your space. All forms of abuse, whether physical, mental, or emotional, are violations of boundaries. Mental and Emotional Abuse Emotionally abusive relationships—those with people who are controlling, interrogating, and dominating—are forms of viola- tion of your mental and emotional “space.” Bill, a former associate of mine who knew me when I was fat, saw recent pictures of me and asked, “Is that the real you that was hiding behind a couple of hundred pounds of extra fat?” And I thought to myself, yes, that’s the real me and that’s exactly what I was doing: hiding behind a couple of hundred extra pounds of fat. While I was working on Wall Street, I had a very close working relationship with someone who was extremely aggres- sive. Even though I loved and respected him, he also terrified me. This is probably my deepest, darkest secret that I’m about to share with you. It’s hard for a grown man to admit that he’s afraid of another person. It didn’t matter that my fear was totally irrational and unfounded, but I admit that there was not a sin- gle moment when I was in this person’s presence that I was not terrified. He was very intelligent and he was a brilliant debater. He was constantly interrogating me and picking fights with me. He would be angry sometimes for days at a time, and I simply never felt safe in his presence, not for one single moment—ever! This working relationship lasted for ten years .

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