Weight Loss Programs & Weight Loss Support

Staying Connected to The Weight Management Center - February 24, 2009

“Come sit with me, Mom,” my younger son, Brandon said last night when I told him his dinner was ready. It struck me in that small moment before I turned off all of the other burners, the pot of brown rice, the stir-fry chicken, the green beans, that I never sit anymore. I don’t sit and eat meals with my children, I haven’t read a book in weeks, and the only time I’m in one place for an extended period of time is when I’m at the computer or driving. Sound familiar?

Sure, it’s all legit. People need us (especially the ones that can’t drive), and the ones who can need other things. Things that temporarily make us feel important, indispensible. So we figure out a way to work longer hours, pick up extra shifts (in this economy, we’re all putting in extra, right?), all the while worrying about the kids, the tire with a slow leak, the dishes sitting in the sink. What will happen if we’re not there to attend to some detail? Our intentions are noble enough. Who can blame us for wanting to squeeze it all in: to volunteer , go back to school, write a book, start a business, get regular check-ups, get promoted, have a clean house, organize the garage. Who knows, maybe even find time to file our taxes (well, that might be pushing it). In the midst of all of this doing, we’re exhausted , and something’s got to give. Unfortunately, it feels like the first thing to go is the stuff we need the most. We give up the simple essentials, eating at regular intervals, going to bed at a decent hour, daily exercise, in order to get more done.

W e have difficulty attending to our basic needs because we feel compelled to do , do, do. The important activities of our lives, the drive to make more money, have a cleaner house, drive a fancier car, raise smarter children are vociferously emphasized by the American culture. Yet, I wonder if there is some way that we can turn down the volume of the these messages, the ones that tell us that we are not enough unless we are accomplishing some great task and turn up the volume of the one that says, ” way to go” when we get to be early or look our partner in the eye as we lean in for a kiss goodbye. People can tell when we’re distracted and preoccupied. Our kids know when we have something else on our minds as we listened to their stories. Our bodies know when we haven’t been eating right, or at all during the day and then we binge on the nearest bag of chips as soon as we fall in the door.

Let’s all make a commitment to sit tonight when we eat. Let’s slowly and deliberately prepare some vegetables and brown rice to share with those we love. Or if eating alone, let’s make an effort to consume foods that nourish the body and the spirit and know that the time that we take to feed ourselves is time well spent. It’s exactly what we need to do.

You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.
~Franz Kafka

We hope to see you in class soon!

Stefanie C. Barthmare, M.Ed., LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor, Supervisor
Weight Management Center
The Methodist Hospital
6501 Fannin, NB1-001
Houston, TX 77030
713-441-4944
Email: sbarthmare@tmhs.org