Is there ever really a good time to talk about the dreaded word, weight? Or is there ever a situation where people just sit down and are all gung-ho to open up about their weight? None that I’m familiar with. This makes it a perfect time to prompt a thought provoking dialogue about it.
Throughout my life, I have been known to be a smaller person that never really had to worry about weight. I could eat pretty much anything I wanted and didn’t have to even think about calories or fat or carbs. Well, now that I am in my 40’s, it is a little different. It actually started a few years ago when I experienced some pretty stressful life situations that caused my adrenal glands to work in high gear which in turn changed my metabolism and the way my body reacted to my diet. Then I started to notice that my hormones have been changing a bit and it is directly affecting my metabolism.
So, what was I gonna do about it? I could just sit and complain and reinforce the “fat” talk. I could start hiding foods and eat in private; or I could step up my game and create a plan that would work for me. This included fully paying attention to the ingredients of the foods I was eating. It meant that I was going to be mindful when eating those “cheat” foods (not denying myself but eating a smaller portion and REALLY loving each moment I was taking that bite!) I also incorporated a nutrition shake in my diet …which I might add was incredibly delicious and served as a large part of my nutrition!!
WELL, … … guess what?? … … … over the past 8 months, I have lost over 20 pounds! When I first thought about sharing my good news and telling people:
- A. I got embarrassed and
- B. I didn’t think that 20 pounds was important and then
- C. didn’t have the courage to really speak up.
- Not to mention, I didn’t want people to constantly study what I was eating or try to dissect if I looked pudgy or chunky in pictures or in real life.
I had to say to myself to STOP this nonsense and quit body shaming myself! 20 pounds IS a lot to lose and I did do a great job. Heck even 5 pounds is an accomplishment! All it starts is with 1 pound!
While I still have a little to go, my next stage of this body changing process is the implementation of exercise. Tone tone tone. Build that muscle!
Maybe you’ve had the same feelings about yourself or have been in a rut with some body shaming issues? I CAN’T be the only one that has experienced this, right? What are your words of encouragement that you tell yourself? Do you have any tips that you’d like to share to help others on their weight loss path? We’re all in this together!!
Life Coaching from the Soul 