There are numerous and complex issues surrounding the struggle to be thin. There is the torrent of emotions surrounding a woman’s weight and body image, the struggle with physical pain or deteriorating health caused by excess weight, the amount of time each day spent thinking about ones’ weight in some way or another, the impact on her confidence level at home and work, her sex life; her desire to go places, to attend functions with family and friends, the types of activities and social engagements she attends, how she interacts with her kids—even how she shops for clothes.
All of these challenges are very real, making losing weight and keeping it off hard for a woman and she finds herself on the emotional roller coaster that comes along with the ups and downs of the weight loss process. In this chapter the reader learns how to identify and understanding these struggles, allowing her to take control of her emotions and the weight loss process.