Turn your mind into an asset supporting your weight loss journey - People's stories
#2. Am I on a diet or treatment?
Reminder
The Puzzle material and certified services are solely sold on the Puzzle website, and cannot be purchased from any other source.
The Puzzle is a proprietary methodology, protected by Copyrights.
This Copy is personal and cannot be shared or sold.
The Puzzle exists in 2 formats: audio and online. It is available upon subscription.
The Puzzle is not suitable to overcome physical or psychological abuses, nor mental diseases. I urge you to liaise with professionals for support should you be in such a case.
1st Step
Discover
Explore Thee Puzzle framework
Intro
Deep dive
FAQ
2nd Step
Choose
Witness how others have used Thee Puzzle and inspire yourself
People's story
Thoughts
3rd Step
Apply
1. Pick one Puzzle piece
2. Apply the tip
3. Follow up on progress & results
4. Acknowledge positive impact
5. Repeat
Deep dive
FAQ
Introduction - People's stories
All People's stories are written in the 1st person to reinforce their impact.
While anonymity is preserved, all stories are inspired by real facts.
People's stories are examples, to feed you with concrete cases of how Thee Puzzle has been used. They are not to tell you what to think, or absolute truth: they were created with the intent to illustrate how you can transform your life with Thee Puzzle.
Each People’s story is presented in the following way:
Part 1. The authentic life experience
Part 2. What that same moment could have been, leveraging Thee Puzzle
Part 3. Decoding the story through the lens of The Puzzle framework
Part 1 - I came in for a diet and left the doctor as a patient
I am overweight.
I did not take care of myself for many years. I neglected my body.
I woke up one day, years later, realizing I could no longer do everything I wanted. Going for a walk, going up the stairs — these were becoming hard. For so long, I did not want to see it or talk about it. But I reached a point where I could no longer ignore my weight.
So I decided to go to my doctor and discuss it.
I was really convinced that if I ate better and moved more, then soon I would get back to a reasonable weight — and happy days would return!
But it did not happen that way.
While I went in expecting advice on changing my eating habits, my doctor started by saying he should also check my overall health — starting with a blood test, measuring my blood pressure…
And before I knew it, I was leaving his office with a long list of exams to do and come back with.
It was frustrating. But more than that, I left the room feeling deeply worried.
What had I done?!
What if I could not reverse it? What if I would not only live overweight but also carry all the diseases that come with it?
I went home and started reading online — and that was really a bad idea.
It made me panic even more. Now I knew about all these side diseases, and I imagined my life turning into a nightmare. I felt so sad. I even started thinking about my kids, my friends:
Who would want to stay around someone with so many health problems? What a burden I would become!
And then the fear hit me hard: people will leave me. They will not be able to take it.
I imagined my kids moving far away, to the other side of the country…
I just sat there, despairing, feeling so alone. Very ashamed, too, for putting myself in this situation.
What had I done? I kept asking myself.
Luckily, the second appointment with my doctor was only a few days later — and as you can imagine, I could not wait to see him.
I had not been sleeping well. I looked terrible.
And just like I feared, he told me: my cholesterol was too high. I had diabetes. My blood pressure was too high…There were even more things, but I could not fully take them in. It was just too much.
What did all this mean? What would my life be like now? How many years did I have left?
These questions were spinning in my head, and I had such a hard time focusing on what my doctor was saying.
While he gave me prescriptions to help restore balance in my body, I asked about food and nutrition.
Could I get off the drugs if I lost weight?
He told me it was unlikely — but that it would certainly help.
He added that there is a lot of material available online for weight loss, and if needed, he could recommend a nutritionist.
Still, it was clear: this was not his focus. He was focused on biology, on fixing what was malfunctioning in my body.
These appointments were shocking for me.
I had never seen myself as sick. I had never seen myself as a patient who had to take pills.
I came in asking for advice on how to lose weight — and I walked out with a bag full of prescriptions.
It really felt to me like the beginning of the end.
Like there was nothing left to do but take tablets and hope for the best.
I felt powerless.
I felt so vulnerable.
Only taking pills does not suit me — but it feels like the only solution on the table.
I feel horrible and overwhelmed.
Is this going to be my life?
CONGRATULATIONS
MYSELF
EGO
PRESENT
CONNECT
FILTER
COMPASS
PROTECTION
POLLUTION
RULES
MASTER
You have gained perspective how others have overcome their challenge leveraging Thee Puzzle!
May it inspire you.
WHAT NEXT ?!
More insights on Thee Puzzle?
Deep Dive into each Puzzle piece for more information
Introduce Thee Puzzle into your life?
Apply Thee Puzzle tips yourself, or leverage the Practice Book for guided steps
Need to talk?
Our Puzzle Partners are here to help
Part 2 - I will do what it takes to be healthy
I am overweight.
That is the visible part. But the truth goes deeper: for years, I did not take care of myself. I neglected my body. I put it last, like it did not matter.
And then one day, I woke up — and I could no longer ignore it.
Going up the stairs was hard. Bending over left me breathless. The body I had relied on for decades was slowing down. It had been whispering to me for years. I had just stopped listening.
So I decided to go to my doctor. It felt like a brave first step. I was still holding on to the idea that if I simply ate better and moved more, things would shift back quickly — like turning a dial.
But it did not go that way.
Instead of discussing food or exercise, he focused on tests. Blood work. Blood pressure. A long list of checks I had not expected. I walked in hoping for tips. I walked out with a list of exams and a growing sense of fear.
I told myself not to overreact, but I could not help it. At home, I started reading online.
The more I read, the more I could feel my fear growing.
And with that came shame. Deep shame.
What had I done to myself?!
And I had this second of lucidity, this second that help me change the course of my life.
Why was I beating myself up this much? What I helping myself thinking this way? Of course not!
Then why doing it, I wondered? Because I deserve it. ....Well that is harsh!
Why did I deserve it? Because fat people deserve to be treated this way. Because unless you kick them, they don't move. They are fat: they just stay where they are. By essence it takes them a strong push to me.
Really?? And how did that idea made me feel? Very sad. Very unworthy.
At that moment I had to pause, because the tears were coming. I felt they had to come out. I felt so bad for being in my condition. I felt that I had been horrible to myself, treating my body so poorly to the extent it became disproportionate. This thought made me feel even more sad!
And so I asked myself: what could I give to myself to feel better, in that moment? Right here and right now.
Peace - is the idea that came to mind.
Making peace with my body. Accepting it. Taking it as it is. Loving it - maybe not yet for what it is, but certainly for what I would make it become. Because my body is me. So hating it is hating myself. And there again the tears came up. How could I have been so blind?! What I was seeking for was my own consideration. My own love.
It felt like I could picture in my head the happy child I used to be, opening my arms big to welcome myself hugging me. And how happy this child was to be hugged. How touched I was to be able to provide this joy to myself. How much I had missed it!!
In that moment, I promised myself: I would never let myself down ever again. I knew I would doubt and I time still be hard on myself, but then I would remember this moment. I needed peace. And I could provide it to myself. I had been at war with myself for too many years.
The next appointment with my doctor came quickly, and I was desperate for it. I felt different. I was prepared to take anything it would need to be better.
He confirmed what I feared. High cholesterol. Diabetes. High blood pressure.
I decided to breath and come myself down as I could feel the panic raising. It took me lots of courage - and a few tears too! - but I dear asking what it means. How he would help me bring it down over time.
And last - which I felt really proud of myself for asking - I told him I would be willing to take the drugs, but in the first place I came to look for nutrition advises. To my surprise, he smiled at me and told me he was very happy I asked, because it would reinforce the treatment to eat healthy. And he wrote a recommendation letter for me, for a colleague of his. I realized I was affraid he would bully me with this question, and on a topic which mattered to me. But none of it happened! This fear had no ground but in my imagination! My doctor cared and was here to help.
I let his office and asked myself how I felt. Just here, by the door standing outside. . In this body, in this moment.
But the truth was: I here. I was breathing. I had my big victory in there, by being able to ask questions and understand my health better. By being able to ask the question which mattered to me on nutrition - to find out I had the support I was seeking for.
For the first time in a long time, I felt really proud of myself. I even had that little child in my head hug me this time! So happy to be me. I was about to cry again, but from joy this time!
Yes, I had neglected myself. But I had also worked hard. Loved deeply. Managed so much.I was not just the overweight woman sitting in a clinic. I was also the strong mother. The curious mind. The resilient one who showed up to the doctor in the first place.
I cannot undo the past. I cannot erase the prescriptions.
But I can decide to start caring.
I can choose to stop attacking myself and start supporting myself.
This is not about quick results. It is about meeting myself again. Rediscovering whom I am, acknowledging I can be proud.
I do not know what the future will look like.
But I do know this: the story is not over.
And I am not powerless.
This is not the end: this is my beginning.
Let's decode this People's story with the lens of Thee Puzzle pieces.
MYSELF
EGO
PRESENT
My story began with a deep sense of shame and self-rejection. I had reached a point where I no longer recognized my body or felt at home in it — and worse, I saw myself only through the lens of what I had done wrong. Remembering that I was more than what I thought of my body was critical. Yes, I had neglected my health, but I was also the one taking steps to reclaim it. And while I forgot myself in the way, I gave lots of love and attention to my family. That shift allowed me to stop identifying myself only as “the failure” and instead reconnect with the part of me that still wanted something better.
At the same time, my ego was highly activated. It wanted control, certainty, and quick fixes. It also made me feel like a victim when things did not go as I expected. Acknowledging so helped me understand why I felt so defeated after the first doctor’s visit — I had walked in with the unconscious belief that I would fix everything in a few steps. Tomorrow I would wake up thin! Bringing more honesty into my thinking was a big relief. Knowing that I could give myself time, be patient - that removed lots of pressure off my shoulders.
The turning point came when I re-centered in the present. Instead of letting my mind spiral into imagined outcomes and long-term diagnoses, I anchored myself to wonder what is real right now? What do I know? What can I do today? That shift created space, and eventually gave me courage and room for action.
CONNECT
FILTER
I felt really emotionally isolated. I had not spoken to anyone about how I felt, and I believed people would judge or withdraw if I did. Not to mention that I had isolated myself from my body too.
Once I acknowledged my need to be seen and supported, I could begin dismantling the walls I had built. I was still emotional about it and it took me lots of courage to do it, but I did. Asking this question to the doctor was a huge step for me. Looking back, it wasn't much - but in my head it was immense! Seeing that nothing terrible happened, and that on the contrary I received support - helped me a lot. Step by step, day by day, I am restoring my connection not only to others, but to my own dignity.
I also actively used my filter. My mind had created a narrative filled with worst-case assumptions: “I will be rejected,” “I will be a burden,” “I have ruined everything.” Those were not grounded in evidence — they were old habits putting me down. By identifying them, acknowledging them and filtering them out through critical questions (Is this thought true? Is it useful?), I was able to move beyond emotional noise and start making choices from a place of stability. For the first time in a long time, I could start from a peaceful place and was not led by fear or disgust.
COMPASS
PROTECTION
POLLUTION
Much of the fear and overwhelm I experienced came from protective mechanisms I had developed over the years. I had avoided my health because a part of me believed that looking at the truth would be worse than living in denial. That was a form of protection — misguided, but familiar. Easier than facing the truth.
Over time, that protection became pollution: it started affecting my thinking, my energy, and my behavior in ways that kept me stuck. The moment I started confronting those fears — and naming them — I could begin my transformation.
I was also able to access my compass again. I resisted the urge to give up when things did not feel immediately better. I also acknowledged nicer feelings, and practice to bring them up more often. And that felt really good, after all these years of beating myself up.
RULES
MASTER
Finally, a major shift occurred when I reframed how I understood structure and power. At first, I expected the doctor to give me a list of rules — what to eat, what not to do — and was thrown off when I received mostly medication. But rather than panicking or being aggressive at the doctor for all this medication, I decided that this would all be for the best. The prescriptions I needed were not rigid instructions of what I had to do, but small steps supporting my journey to be healthier. I may had not chosen them in the first place, but they would help me get better.
This is where I began understanding mastery. In my context, while I cannot decide the results of my blood tests, I can decide how I respond to them. I can choose movement over despair, curiosity over shame, peace over internal storms. I can take responsibility not by fixing everything at once, but by participating in my own recovery with consistency and compassion. That, for me, is the peace of mind I need to take good care of myself.