But I do not despair even of a hardened sinner. There is nothing that will not surrender to persistent treatment, to concentrated and careful attention; however much the timber may be bent, you can make it straight again. Heat unbends curved beams, and wood that grew naturally in another shape is fashioned artificially according to our needs. How much more easily does the soul permit itself to be shaped, pliable as it is and more yielding than any liquid! For what else is the soul but air in a certain state? And you see that air is more adaptable than any other matter, in proportion as it is rarer than any other.
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus. Epistles, Volume 1: 1-65. Translated by Richard M. Gummere (Harvard University Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1917), 333-35.
Mastering one's appetite is the very foundation of training in self-control.
Robertson, Donald paraphrasing Musonius Rufus. Stoicism and the Art of Happiness. McGraw-Hill, 2013, 12.
Appetite and thirst are the natural 'sauce' of life and the secret to making even coarse bread and plain water taste delicious.
Robertson, Donald. Stoicism and the Art of Happiness. McGraw-Hill, 2013, 8.
On June 2, 2015 I weighed 283 pounds. Today I weigh 267.8 pounds. Though there is still a long way to go in terms of achieving my target weight I am very happy with the results so far. I have stoic principles to thank for any success I've had and any success that I may have in the future. Since weight loss is an important issue for many people these days I thought I'd share what I've learned so far.
At the outset I should probably say that weight loss per se is something that falls outside of my control. So at best it's a preferred indifferent. But while weight loss is beyond my control, what I chose to consume is within my control. So diet, I've found, is an excellent method of building self-control and willpower after a stoic fashion. Further, according to Epictetus, we have roles to play in life. Some of mine are the roles of father and husband. As such I need to do all I can to be healthy so I can stick around for my wife and child.
When I decided to lose weight I knew that the biggest challenge I'd face is portion control. Indeed, up until June 2nd I'd eaten like a wild, ravenous beast. If there was food in front of me, it wouldn't be there for long. I'd tried controlling portions before and always failed. This is where today's first quote from Seneca comes in. It reminded me that I could change so long as I made a serious effort. Habits can be amended.
Which brings me to the final two quotes above. When I started studying stoicism last year during Stoic Week I began writing short stoic passages in a Moleskin pocket notebook which I now carry around with me at all times. Throughout the day I like to read from the notebook in an effort to ingrain their ideas into my mind. This practice has helped greatly in dieting.
My diet is designed in accordance with the USDA's dietary guidelines. And it's significantly less food and less tasty food than what I'd long been accustomed to consuming. So I'd get hungry real quick. Now, whereas in my previous attempts at weight loss I'd give in and start eating, now I am armed with stoic philosophy to assist me. So every time I got hungry and wanted to eat something I'd take out my notebook and read those two quotes repeatedly until I convinced myself to abstain from eating anything not in my diet.
So far it's worked for me. It might work for you too.
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