Love your body

Love the body you have, to shape your body & your life. #getfitnowwithsharonmcl or #fitatanyagesharonmcl  This is a part of your next challenge resource.  It’s FREE “Food for thought!”

These words are meant to get you thinking  looking, listening and knowing YOUR body…. Loving your body.  If anything triggers you, then this is an area to work on.  If you need assistance, seek professional help.  Free-will and choice.  Make the highest choices for you!

Are you an emotional eater?  Do you eat for other reasons than hungry?  Do you like your body?  What if, you worked together physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually and energetically for your best body & life?  Be the master of your body & life!

Part of the process is to love your body in the moment.  Love yourself!  Assess how far you have come, and appreciate your body!

Note Yes or No.

Have you ever criticised your body?

Do you ever thank your body?

Are you happy with your body?

Size?

Weight?

Do you move it?

Do you want to loose weight?

Are your goals realistic?

Do you have an image of the ideal body?

Are you aware of what you have done previously for your ideal body?

Do you know why you may overeat?

Do you use food as a reward?

Can you see, feel, hear or know yourself differently?

Are you ready for change?

NOW!

What is your goal for this challenge?

Remember SMART goals. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic or Relevant, Timely.

Name it to claim it!

How are you going to achieve it!

Is it a relevant and reasonable goal?

When will it be achieved?

Lets start with a  “Thank you”exercise – go through your body and thank every part of it!  How does that feel?  How often do you appreciate what you do have?

Note!!!!!

What are you putting in your body?  What habits can you, or are you willing to change?  E.g. eating in front of the TV, not eating mindfully, eating too quickly, eating on large plates, not setting the table etc.

Have you tried treating yourself with respect?

Food is for nutrition, make better choices.  Water is important to cleanse and makes up 70% of the body.  Try visualising every glass of water, cleansing aware toxins.

Real foods offer health benefits.  Have you tried fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds?  My favourite fruit is berries.  My favourite nut is almond.  What is yours?

Take moment to visualise what a healthy lifestyle would look like for you!  Find a positive present tense statement that supports your healthy lifestyle vision.  Always ask before any action, “is this a part of my healthy lifestyle vision?”

Success happens through planning, preparation, performance and perseverance.  What will you do? I take a week prior to starting a challenge to plan out what I WILL do!

Examples of foods/drinks to remove: sweets, baked goods, alcohol, biscuits, chocolate, processed white breads, chips, crackers, fried foods, frozen meals, juice, ice cream, sugar and diet sodas, maybe all sugars.

Enlist a friend or family member for support.  Ensure that they are supportive.  Know your triggers and have tactics in place.

How do you support your healthy lifestyle with your language?  Do you support yourself or run yourself down? “Your conscious mind is like the filter of the programming of your subconscious mind.”  Be mindful of the language you feed your subconscious mind.  Be clear, clean, crisp and direct!

Did you know: Cells have memories so it makes sense that fat cells do too!  You need to be comfortable with the size and shape you are!  Press control alt delete on memories in your cells from negative things said to you.  Sometimes holding onto the past negatives, can hold onto weight.  Love your body!

Note:  What is your motivation?  Or as I often call it, your big why?  For me, it’s about being the best I can at any age, so I can enjoy my family, friends and my life!

Change your thinking around weight and food. “You can obtain good health and stay healthy by peacefully allowing the weight to drop away at a subconscious level.”  What if 75% of overeating was caused by emotion.  Emotionally eating becomes a habit.  By accepting your emotions you can make better choices and substitute other better techniques.  Know why you may sabotage yourself.  Believing you are worth it, is a part of the journey.

There are other reasons we can hold onto weight, which can be secondary gains; such as: something to blame, protection, get sympathy, be looked at as a sexual person, emotional protection or just a benefit from not overcoming a problem.  Secondary gains are not always conscious.

What part of you wants to loose weight, and what part doesn’t?  Understand all of YOU!  Do YOU have a desire to be better, healthier, fitter, etc.?  Are you avoiding something or someone?  Know what healthy lifestyle is right for YOU?  Get all of YoU working together for your highest good.  Make a firm positive decision to commit to feeling better.

List your reasons why subconsciously hold onto excess weight.

List the reasons why you want to do better.

Know yourself so well, that there is nothing to sabotage!

How motivated are YOU?  Why do you eat? Hungry, bored, emotional, impulsive… food will not fill the void.  Being committed to the process of better health, you need to discover why you eat?  Ready to survive and thrive!

Ready to reset to the blueprint of only eating when hungry?  It’s ok to be hungry, yet check first if you are thirsty. Also eat mindfully, so you stop when full!

Emotional eating becomes a habit.  Check, ask: am I truly hungry?  How do I feel in this moment?  What is the emotional benefit of eating?  If not hungry for food, what do I need?

In my 20s I would binge eat because I was trying to fill a void in my life.  I never felt better, often worse after.  I became bulimic for a couple of years, because I felt unsupported, under appreciated, and seeking a higher connection.  I stopped when I realised I was harming myself.  I found yoga and it supported me on multiple levels.  Understand you and your story, why you do what you do?  Is it good for your health?

Practice mindful eating and respect food.  What is mindful eating?  Being in the moment, aware of all things in and around you.  When you eat notice the colours, smells, textures and flavours.

Tips for mindful eating:  eat slower and more respectfully; take time to contemplate your food; drink water 15mins prior; sit at a lovely dressed table; chew, notice the flavours… enjoy each mouthful; stop halfway and ask.. am I full?; and remember: being mindful means better choices.

Humanistic psychology (Glasser) suggests the need to fulfil the basic 5:  survival, love & belonging, power, freedom and fun.  Choice theory suggests the only behaviour you can control is your own, satisfying the basic 5 in the moment.  When you slowdown you are more in the moment.

If you eat out of boredom, find a hobby.  Remember Yodas words “do or do-not there is no try”.  Listen to your body. Or Nike slogan “just do it”.  Do what is the highest good for your health!

What is your emotional connection with food?  Food can become an obsession, a drug of choice.  It comes back to not letting food control you!  If food becomes an emotional comfort, it’s controlling you.

Identify your feelings you can move beyond the  connection with food.  Process your emotions!  Reframe!  Understand the positive intent behind your emotion and change your view!  Respond and learn not to react.

Know your triggers!  I’ve said for a long time know that your emotions just indicate how you are travelling.  Ways to process:  Identifying your feelings; journal; ask yourself what you are thinking; “feel it”; adjust the emotion; reconnect with your body; don’t fight your feelings; ask the positive intent; don’t punish yourself; and make it a daily process to tune in.

Sugar is highly addictive, and it is worth releasing added sugar from your diet.  The problem with sugar is it gives you a quick high that wears off.  You crash and then want more!  You are not hungry, you are addicted.  I have found having enough protein can assist not needing sugar.

Good nutrition is important, it’s about eating foods to keep you lean, vibrant and healthy.  Just has positive thoughts are important to plants seeds for healthy eating, feeling, thinking, being and living.  Eat less processed carbs, more lean protein, healthy fats, smaller plate, check if full, watch portions, more water, healthy snacks, eat smaller, and go for a walk.

These are just some key points and thoughts around loving your body.  What are you willing to do?  Why not start now!

Make a plan!