Attachment and weight loss
followthepath
Explorer
I was reading an article on attachment. The author defined attachment as "giving them (things or people) unrealistic attributes, perceiving them as being able to give us everlasting happiness and seeing them as unchanging forms".
http://thubtenchodron.org/2007/08/wisdom-satisfaction/
I'm trying to discover what I'm attached to so I can renounce them. I know that I'm attached to my friends and family. I also believe that having good relationships with people will make me happy. Furthermore, I've always believed that having a high paying career will make me happy, so that's an attachment, I think.
I don't know whether I crave having a nice body. I believe that losing weight will make me happy. Or rather, I believe that losing weight is necessary for happiness. Does that mean I'm attached to the idea of having a good body? I read that it's also possible to be attached to ideas.
Thanks.
Comments
I lost 42 pounds last year mainly for the health benefits. I was under no illusion about it making me more popular or winning me friends, people take me for who I am not for how I look - I'm not out to win a popularity contest, just get through life in the best way I can.
Another reason was as a health care professional I have a duty to promote good health practices to my patients and being that overweight I wasn't a very good example. When I tried to lose the last 14 pounds by starting to run I knackered my ankle and four months on I'm still in a brace and hobbling around, that'll try and teach me to be a good example.
Be cautious about what you mean about "renouncing." Some things you will discover that you do indeed need and want to give up. But that does not mean you give up your friends and family or other things that are important to you.
We are attached to many things. It's not so much (IMO) about giving up the items. But about giving up the idea that they are permanent, that they will make and keep you happy, and so on.
Well done on losing 45 pounds. I took up running, Had to hobble for a while. Mobility back again.
Paradoxically we need to attach to the path of non attachment.
You can still do what we love, as katasti said!
but there is no happiness hidden in weight loss 
happiness is already in us. We just like to put conditions on it.
If losing weight is a goal, go for it!
I'll only be happy when... Why not now!
Being ok with the present moment is happiness.
Once you lose weight, @followthepath, what else will make you happy?
Man is a goal-defining animal. Attain one goal, you need to create another.
It never ends.
Contentment is the greatest treasure.
Thanks everyone! I now understand it's the mindset I have about losing weight, not necessarily the weight loss itself.
I am attached to mementos of good times and over the last few years I have left a lot in storage with other people. A big part of me wants to go and collect them but I've decided that I want to try to break the attachment to them so I am deliberately leaving them where they are until I am asked to take them back. I am also trying to put silly things that I feel some attachment to in one room then after a time if I haven't used them to get rid of them.