Here’s something I’ve been thinking about lately: When we English speakers talk about our weight, we say “I weigh xxx pounds.” As if you have a say in the matter, and you could dial in what you want to weigh when you wake up in the morning. Not. We’re not machines — we’re dynamic creatures who are always adapting and responding to our environments. And what we weigh is a reflection of those environments, no matter how supportive or challenging. 

Here’s what I think. Instead of saying “I weigh 150 pounds,” it seems to me that it would be a lot more constructive to say “I reflect 150 pounds.” What you weigh is actually a reflection of all kinds of other choices in which you really do have a say. Your weight reflects your days, your activity, your stress, your choice of food, your life. The people with whom you spend time, and the places where you spend it. All of these factors by which you are nourished.

It’s not as if you get to decide what you’re going to weigh when you wake up every morning. But you do get to say, if you want, that “Today I’m going to eat 6 vegetables.” 

“Today I am going to try to walk for 30 minutes.”

“Today I’m going to go to a yoga class.”

“Today I am going to go shopping for fresh produce.”

“Today I am going to find a Tai Chi video on youtube.”

“Today I’m going to make a big salad for lunch with homemade dressing.”

“Today I am going to sign up for a CSA (community-supported agriculture).”

“Today I am going to meditate for a few minutes in my car after work before I pull out of the parking lot.”

“Today I am going to set an intention before I go to sleep.”

“Today I am going to make a big pot of soup, enough to last all week.”

“Today I am going to express thanks for my breakfast before I eat it.”

These are the kinds of things you get to choose. These are things about which you get to have a say. I don’t get to decide what I weigh. But I am pretty sure that my weight will reflect these choices.