Can you relate to the situation of being on a diet, where you have eaten exactly what is recommended, followed all the instructions and then at the end of the week you haven’t lost a gram, and in some cases you have actually put on weight. The question is WHY?
I’d like to share a quick story with you:
We went to London a while ago with another couple. The wife was on Weight Watches and was completely stressed about what she was going to eat while we were away. So, I asked her to have an open mind and just for the few days while we were away not to think about portions, calories, what she was eating and how much she was eating. I said let’s go and have fun, enjoy and forget about everything to do with weight and dieting.
To cut a long story short. We did exactly that, we ate and drank anything and everything from fried fish and chips, pastries, hamburger, alcohol you name it. Not only did we enjoy the food, but we walked and laughed until we couldn’t anymore.
At her next weigh in which happened to be the evening after we got back – she was totally shocked as she had lost 600grms.
This short story perfectly illustrates how relaxed pleasurable eating is a vital element to weight loss. Your relationship with food is a key factor as to how your body assimilates and digests the food you eat. This is only one piece of the puzzle…..
It is amazing how much emphasis is put on “what we eat” when it comes to weight loss, weight gain, digestion and image issues.
What we eat is only one small piece of the puzzle. There are so many other crucial elements that play a part in this topic. For example: how do you eat, are you a relaxed or stressed eater? Do you look at food as something pleasurable or a necessity? Do you eat to live or live to eat?
Another important element or piece of the puzzle, is when you eat? Do you skip meals, or do you need to eat small amounts throughout the day? When do you eat your main meal?
My approach is positive and empowering. We look at eating and food challenges as a place where we can more fully explore some of the personal dimensions in life that impact food, weight and health. Instead of seeing such challenges as the enemy, they become opportunities for growth and self-improvement.
Definition: How we think and feel about ourselves physically and how we believe other see us.
You may not be aware but according to a poll conducted in the US 90% of women who took part in the research were dissatisfied with their appearance. This dissatisfaction and rejection of the body often start at a very young age. In fact, a study was conducted and the findings resulted in 40% of girls under the age of 12 already knowing which parts of their body they wished would be different and they wanted to change. As you know, an unhappy body image can lead to self-punishment, self-attaching thoughts, lack of confidence, no self-esteem, endless dieting, a challenging relationship with food, and often a life that is half-lived at best.
I would like to share 3 keys to healing an unhappy body image.
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Detox Your Mind – letting go of the toxic false beliefs that create misery and suffering and inevitably drain our energy. The key toxic belief to let go of is “In order for me to love myself, must first change my body.” This affirms that we won’t be happy until some unaffirmed date in the future. We are also saying that who I am are right now, is not the real me, not lovable, and not worth acceptance. We are choosing to make the love of self-conditional.
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Go on a Media-Free Diet – Going on a media-free diet means first acknowledging that for many of us the various media that we consume are often the places where we end up comparing ourselves to others and coming up short. We imagine that these airbrushed people, celebrities, and models have fabulous life because of how they are portrayed in the media. When you constantly consume this kind of image and information, it eventually becomes who you are or aspire to be.
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Practice Embodiment – this is the most important key to healing body image. Most people believe that when they finally have the body they want, only then will they be in their bodies. Being in your body means that you will love it, take care of it, enjoy it, will do things that pleasure it, and feel good about it. Weight loss does not mean embodiment. The time to be in your body, inhabit your body, and embody it, is right now. Being in your body is a fundamental and necessary key to healing an unhappy body image and helping your body shift into its most natural weight and metabolism. If you don’t want the body you have, it is unlikely that you’ll ever have the body you want. Start with what you have and where you are right now.
It is time to transform this silent and global attach on body and self, by taking the power to heal and
transform into our own hands.