We Go Where our Eyes Go: Weight Loss Lessons from a Popular Movie

Last night we had a family movie night in our new outdoor theater, and we watched the movie. “The Art of Racing in the Rain.”  It’s a movie about a dog and his human who is a race car driver. There are some great life lessons in this movie, and I got to thinking. Wow, these lessons would really help my Ideal Protein dieters. So I thought I’d just highlight some of lessons I learned and how I think they apply to our respective weight loss journeys.

My goal is to help you take a look at where you are, what got you here, where do you want to be, and how are you going to get there.

Where You Are & What Got You Here

If you’re reading this blog, you probably need or want to lose weight. You may even be saying to yourself, “I have too much weight to lose, this is impossible.” “I’ve dieted before, I just gain the weight back.” or “This won’t work for me, I don’t have any discipline.” “I’ll never be thin.” “I’ve always been heavy.”

Do you find yourself having these negative thoughts about yourself? Have you noticed that these kinds of thoughts either apply to the past or the future, and never right now? Do you realize how much energy it takes to have these conversations, how often we repeat them, and what they do to our sense of self?

It’s really not good. I’ve gained a bunch of my weight back, and I’ve been lamenting my poor choices, how my car accident threw me off track. I’ve also got some painful injuries, and I’ve been wondering if I can even get to where I want to be, and then maintain my weight. I’ve been beating myself up over every poor food choice I’ve made lately, and what a loser I am for not exercising more.

What got us here DOESN’T MATTER! We’re HERE, and we can’t change our past.

In the movie, Enzo the dog says, “We go where our eyes go. The best drivers always focus on the present, never dwelling on the past, never committing to the future.” This really struck me. I’ve been dwelling on the past and committing myself to a future of being overweight!

Right there and then I knew I had to stop those negative thoughts and that internal dialog and focus more on living in the moment.

What would it look like for your weight loss journey if you lived in the moment? If you just began the journey knowing that whatever happens, you can handle it and get to your goal? Are you willing to try? Can you trust the process?

Where Do You Want to Be

Don says to Denny in the movie, “There is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose.” I realized that I can’t let worrying about what the future holds hold me back from starting the journey. Really what do I have to lose but weight! What is more important is what I have to gain, and what my vision of healthy is for me.

“That which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny.” I have to believe that I can get to my goal weight, and I have to believe that I can stay there.

Again from the movie, “Can we not will ourselves to achieve the impossible? Can we not use the power of our life force to change something: one small thing, one insignificant moment, one breath, one gesture? Is there nothing we can do to change what is around us?”

What do you believe? Do you believe you can do it?

How Are You Going to Get There?

Okay, so you’re starting to believe you can do this, now what?

“Your car goes where your eyes go. Simply another way of saying that which you manifest is before you.”

Let’s take a moment to manifest what is before us. Take a breath, imagine yourself at your goal weight. Take another breath and think about why it is important for you to get there. Dig deep – keep asking yourself why until you feel centered, and sure of your WHY. Is it your kids? Grandkids? An activity you’ve always wanted to do? A lifestyle you’ve romanticized about? A level of health you didn’t think you could achieve?

Why is my WHY so important?

Understanding why you want something helps define your choices. What does that mean? For losing weight, it means saying no to food choices that will compromise your progress.

Saying no starts with being crystal clear about what you want. Without knowing what you want, you don’t know what you’re compromising when you say yes. So when faced with a tough food choice, if you know your goal and your WHY is crystal clear, it will be easier for you to make choices that get you to your goal.

Taking one day at a time, making those changes one moment at a time can lead to big results. In the moment, there are no fears, there is just action. We simply begin, and to quote the movie again, “The visible becomes inevitable…”