Truth and Lies

lie - noun

1.  a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood.

2.  something intended or serving to convey a false impression; imposture: His flashy car was a lie that deceived no one.

3.  an inaccurate or false statement.

~Dictionary.com

There are many different types  of lies. A  child who lies about sneaking sweets before dinner.  A man who lies about working late.  There are lies of omission and the little white lies meant to protect someone's feelings or avoid a difficult discussion.

Even our own eyes can lie to us.  For the longest time I didn't have mirrors in my apartment. I didn't want any reminders of how bad I looked and how much weight I had gained.  One of the first things I had to do on my journey was to buy a full length mirror and face the truth of how I looked.  The first time undressed in front of that mirror was a horrifying experience where there was no more denial and no where to hide.

A common  theme with the women I converse with on the MFP forum is a sort of body dysmorphic disorder.  Some of them are at a perfectly reasonable weight but they see themselves as enormous.  Others are morbidly obese and swear that they consider themselves still at a "healthy weight" or "Didn't think it was that bad" when they look in a mirror.

I look in that mirror every day and I still don't see a difference in how I look most of the time.  I know in my head I've lost a considerable amount of weight but my eyes lie to me.  

The only thing that can counteract lies is truth.

Truth - noun

1.  the true  or actual state of a matter: He tried to find out the truth.

2.  conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement.

3.  a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like: mathematical truths.

~Dictionary.com

The child may fib about sweets but the chocolate all over their face gives them away.  The husband may lie about working late but the lipstick on his collar will eventually give him away.  What was omitted will eventually come out and feelings are always hurt worse when the truth comes out that it WAS in fact you.

Will we all still see a 'fat person' in the mirror when we reach our goal weight or will we see a new skinny/fit person staring back?  To me this is yet another example of how weight loss is so much more than healthy eating.  

It's just as much about healing our minds and our perceptions.