I have to remind myself that this whole debate carries so much baggage for other people.....especially women. The gym doesn't even represent weightloss to me. I have to gain weight to get healthier. So the aesthetics/fitness duality doesn't affect me the same way. It genuinely saddens me that this is such a source of pain for so many women. I think it's rooted in a very deep social construct that defines women by their bodies. A women's body determines so much about her life. Class, employment, social status, marraige, etc. Men's bodies are not nearly as prominent in determining their life parameters.

The major psychological change that I think could be used to encourage lifestyle changes......eat for mood, not for taste. And by 'taste', I'm also talking about immediate emotional satisfaction. I heard someone give a rant about this when I was 16 and have never really forgotten it. As I grow older...I've gotten more and more stringent about it. 'Everything in moderation' is bullshit. There is literally NO reason to EVER eat a twinkie or drink soda pop. I have an addict's personality so perhaps it's just a necessity for me....but I have to go all the way.

I don't enjoy the taste of my kale + dandelion smoothies.....but I frigging love the way I feel 20 minutes after I drink them. I didn't 'like' the taste of vodka either....but I LOVED getting drunk. So i try to see it the same way. Force it down and wait for the reward. I've heard that some people advocate making a 'food diary'. So you write down how you feel 30 minutes after each meal/snack. It's almost like I see eating as an investment for how I will feel shortly afterwards. So the focus is on well-being and mood rather than weightloss or aesthetics.