The mirror of Erised – lessons in weight loss from Harry Potter

I love a bit of Harry Potter and since I have the morning off and the thunder and lighting is strong, I’m taking some time out to chill and watch The Philosophers Stone.

There are many aspects of the Potter universe that only apply in the Wizzarding world, although with weather like this today perhaps the Dementors are nearby…?

One thing that we can (sort of) experience is the mirror of Erised.

For those of you who haven’t seen the film or read the books, the mirror of Erised is a mirror that shows you what your deepest darkest desires are.

When Harry stands in front of it he sees his parents.

Fairly straight forward in his case, you don’t need to ask why an orphan child of 11 years old would want his parents back.

The question is,

What would the mirror of Erised show you?

In terms of weight loss, most of my clients would likely tell me what size they would be.
What shape they might be.
Some might tell me that they see themselves lifting heavier weights or becoming faster.

There is no wrong answer here.

However, the answer is not enough.

As Dumbeldore puts it;

“This mirror gives us neither knowledge or truth, men have wasted away in front of it, even gone mad.”

That’s because standing in front of the mirror shows you only what you want and that’s not enough information.

The statement of “I want to lose weight” is meaningless.

Why do you want to lose weight?
Once you have that answer ask why again,
and again,
and again.

Knowing your why isn’t even enough. Then we need a plan.

How are you going to do it?
How are you going to lose weight?
How are you going to exercise?
How are you going to meal prep?
How are you going to cope when you have a bad day?

When are you going to do it?
Today?
Tomorrow?
.
.
.
.
.
Monday…?

If I had a penny for the amount of times I’ve stood in front of the bedroom mirror and told myself “I need to lose weight” and then failed to do so I’d be set for life.

That’s because knowing what you desire will only drive you mad unless you tie that desire down, make it real, make it achievable and make it work for you.

If you’ve been standing in front of your inner mirror of Erised and wondering why you can’t reach that desire matter how hard you try, it’s time to start asking yourself some questions.

It’s good to see the end result but it’s even more important to work on the path that gets you there.

Ainzlie “Gryffindor” McMaster

P.s – Are you ready to ask those questions? Let’s ditch the mirror and start a conversation instead. Get in touch for summer sessions.