One of my readers asked me an interesting question..."Are you trying to lose more weight or are you happy being healthy?", and as it would happen I was discussing this with a friend earlier today...isn't it grand how things work?...but that's a topic for another blog!
So here is the long answer...as I am prone to do.
I am very happy with being healthy. That was, and is, my number 1 goal. I feel better, am able to do pretty much everything I want to do, I am off all medications...hard to ask for more than that!
I am not trying to lose weight...I am just doing what it takes to be healthy. In small increments. It does not consume my life...or my day.
In response to that, my body will seek whatever is the best level for it. Which may be to stay where I am, but for now I do appear to be continuing to decrease my fat and increase my muscle at a gradual rate.
Do I want to drop even more fat? (I think is the bottom line question)...yes, maybe, sometimes, no...hunh???
Most of the time I am pretty happy where I am. I can buy clothes in "normal" stores. I can eat whatever I want, etc, etc, etc...all that good stuff.
That being said, I would be less than honest if I didn't admit that from time to time I look in the mirror and think..."hmmm, another 10 pounds would be good," "wow, that knee is looking fat today," or "geeze louise, I wish my upper arms didn't flap around in the breeze so much."
I pretty much recognize that those days it really has nothing to do with my weight...it is the old emotional baggage that was behind why I put on weight in the first place.
So on those days, I choose (usually) to be gentle with myself, nourish my body with good and healthy food, move my body around and do something that will nurture my spirit too.
What I will NOT do is panic, beat myself up, or go on a massively restrictive diet or engage in a punishing exercise routine. I know from experience that those methods do not work for me.
Do I ever fantasize about having 6 pack abs? Sure! I also dream about what it would be like to have size 6B feet or to look like Christie Brinkley. Ain't gonna happen!
While I can't actually ever have B width feet or look like a super model, I could have the abs...if I really wanted them. For me the trade off in time and energy and limitations that it would take to get 6 pack abs just isn't worth it. I have lots of other things I want to do with my life that are MUCH more important. So, I put it into perspective and ask myself, "What do I really want?" 6 pack abs doesn't even make my top 100.
So that's the question I would have you ask yourself--what do YOU really want? If you really want 6 pack abs--then go for it! Find the right coach (that would not be me!) and pursue that goal with a passion. If on the other hand, you want to be healthy and finally be a weight that allows you to live your life, have the energy to do what you want to do, feel good while you are doing it and not have to be a slave to diets or a prisoner to food any longer...then stick with me, kid and Refuse To Diet!
Showing posts with label having an ideal body. Show all posts
Showing posts with label having an ideal body. Show all posts
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Your Attitude Carries a Lot of Weight in Your Success
Whether you are talking about food or exercise, if you are wanting to drop some excess pounds, you attitude matters.
It really isn't a simple matter of mathematics. You have to have your head in the right place or it will never work.
Here's an easy example...let's say I tell you I have found the perfect food...that if you eat it every day for the rest of your life you will have achieve your ideal weight and be able to maintain it. Would you eat it?
Don't everyone run for your wallet, this is a hypothetical question!
Did anyone even stop to wonder if this just might be a trick question? In our mad desire to have our ideal body we don't always think...instead we react. That is why there are so many diet books on our shelves unfollowed and diet foods in our cupboards unopened...or totally opened with portion side completely ignored and contents consumed in one sitting.
What if I told you the ideal food was broccoli? (or lima beans? or...fill in least favorite food) Would you still be eager to eat it every day? Probably not. You might tolerate it for a while, or you might decide it isn't worth it. Some of you would decide that broccoli wasn't so bad after all...and some people would actually decide they like broccoli. These last people might actually lose weight eating broccoli...pretty much everyone else I predict would not.
What made the difference? The broccoli didn't change. The difference is in how you felt about broccoli.
OK, you're safe, broccoli isn't a big green magic fat eraser.
The bad news is, if there is one I haven't found it!
The good news--you don't need one! All you need is your attitude to change...about what foods you like, the idea that you can lose weight, that eating healthy can be easy and pleasurable, that you can enjoy exercise. If you can adopt these attitudes then you will achieve your health goals--and have a lot more fun while you are at it.
It really isn't a simple matter of mathematics. You have to have your head in the right place or it will never work.
Here's an easy example...let's say I tell you I have found the perfect food...that if you eat it every day for the rest of your life you will have achieve your ideal weight and be able to maintain it. Would you eat it?
Don't everyone run for your wallet, this is a hypothetical question!
Did anyone even stop to wonder if this just might be a trick question? In our mad desire to have our ideal body we don't always think...instead we react. That is why there are so many diet books on our shelves unfollowed and diet foods in our cupboards unopened...or totally opened with portion side completely ignored and contents consumed in one sitting.
What if I told you the ideal food was broccoli? (or lima beans? or...fill in least favorite food) Would you still be eager to eat it every day? Probably not. You might tolerate it for a while, or you might decide it isn't worth it. Some of you would decide that broccoli wasn't so bad after all...and some people would actually decide they like broccoli. These last people might actually lose weight eating broccoli...pretty much everyone else I predict would not.
What made the difference? The broccoli didn't change. The difference is in how you felt about broccoli.
OK, you're safe, broccoli isn't a big green magic fat eraser.
The bad news is, if there is one I haven't found it!
The good news--you don't need one! All you need is your attitude to change...about what foods you like, the idea that you can lose weight, that eating healthy can be easy and pleasurable, that you can enjoy exercise. If you can adopt these attitudes then you will achieve your health goals--and have a lot more fun while you are at it.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Get Comfortable in Your Skin
No it isn't me urging You to run out and join a nudist colony .... Although that could be interesting...but let's not go there...
What I'm really trying to say is to accept yourself and to strive to be the best YOU that you can be.
Not better than anyone else.
Not THE best.
YOUR best.
We deserve to Stop comparing ourselves to others. The nature of comparison is that someone comes off as worse, or not as good as the other. I know for myself, when I compare myself to someone else, it is usually just a way to put myself down! So comparisons can never lift both people up and if I usually feel worse as a result, then I think it is clear what I have to do--stop!
Instead of comparisons how about we look at ourselves and others with compassion. We may not look exactly the way we want yet, or have our perfect health yet...but we can and will get there.
And we'll get there more quickly if we love ourselves through the process rather than beating ourselves up for what we have done in the past.
What I'm really trying to say is to accept yourself and to strive to be the best YOU that you can be.
Not better than anyone else.
Not THE best.
YOUR best.
We deserve to Stop comparing ourselves to others. The nature of comparison is that someone comes off as worse, or not as good as the other. I know for myself, when I compare myself to someone else, it is usually just a way to put myself down! So comparisons can never lift both people up and if I usually feel worse as a result, then I think it is clear what I have to do--stop!
Instead of comparisons how about we look at ourselves and others with compassion. We may not look exactly the way we want yet, or have our perfect health yet...but we can and will get there.
And we'll get there more quickly if we love ourselves through the process rather than beating ourselves up for what we have done in the past.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Loving Self Start to Weight Loss
Being fat can make it seem hard to believe that we are loveable.
Through the media we are led to believe it is ugly, horrible, that we are lazy, slobs, and that we are not worthy of love from anyone...except maybe our pets.
Being fat is not a crime--and it does not preclude us from being loved and giving love.
Many of us focus on being loving to others which is giving away love--
By loving ourselves we gain a sense of peace and possibility.
This is what helps us to move forward with our lives in the fullest possible health!
If you need assistance in this, start with affirmations...and I strongly endorse Louise Hay's movie and book "You Can Heal Your Life"...get the extended version of the movie for lots of affirmation tools!
Through the media we are led to believe it is ugly, horrible, that we are lazy, slobs, and that we are not worthy of love from anyone...except maybe our pets.
Being fat is not a crime--and it does not preclude us from being loved and giving love.
Many of us focus on being loving to others which is giving away love--
- as a way to make us feel good about ourselves
- because we were taught that it is better to give than to receive (or some other similar message)
- in the hopes that if we love someone enough they will love us back in the way we need
- because we do not believe we are worth loving
- to create an image that we believe others will find loveable (an image, not necessarily a reality)
- as a way to feel good about ourselves
- to fill our "tank" so we are overflowing with love which we then give to others
- and thereby learn and believe that we are worthy of being loved
- to learn in what healthy ways we want to be loved
- to model for others how they should behave towards us and how they too can be authentic (real instead of image)
By loving ourselves we gain a sense of peace and possibility.
This is what helps us to move forward with our lives in the fullest possible health!
If you need assistance in this, start with affirmations...and I strongly endorse Louise Hay's movie and book "You Can Heal Your Life"...get the extended version of the movie for lots of affirmation tools!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Focus on the Positive Changes Not What is Left to Be Done
I am feeling positively wonderful...
Interesting thing how ones outlook or attitude can affect your entire day...and choosing different ways of looking at something can make all the difference.
For example, you know that I've lost over 100 pounds (over 120 now)--what you may not know is that I still would like to drop a few more.
In the past, I would have allowed the "fact" that I have not accomplished my goal to diminish my ability to celebrate and embrace the success to date. Maybe I haven't lost 100 pounds before, but I have lost 50 pounds before--and not respected that achievement or myself enough and instead of maintaining that loss I actually put it all back on AND MORE!
So as I look in the mirrow while exercising I notice and love my body--even with some extra fat jiggling around. I am not perfect. May never have the perfect body--however, I am PROUD of what I have done. I am enjoying seeing the changes in my body.
Instead of focusing on the remaining fat, I am choosing to focus on my emerging muscles that I can see and feel . I am focusing on their growing strength and that they are coming out of hiding from beneath layers of fat.
I am choosing to focus on noticing my bones--seeing my skeletal structure. How strong my bones are! How loyal have they been as they carried my body around.
I am choosing to notice how my arms and legs, and even my fingers and toes, are appearing to grow longer. The truth is they are less round than they were before--the shortness was an illusion that I am shattering.
What an exciting discovery this "new" body is!
Interesting thing how ones outlook or attitude can affect your entire day...and choosing different ways of looking at something can make all the difference.
For example, you know that I've lost over 100 pounds (over 120 now)--what you may not know is that I still would like to drop a few more.
In the past, I would have allowed the "fact" that I have not accomplished my goal to diminish my ability to celebrate and embrace the success to date. Maybe I haven't lost 100 pounds before, but I have lost 50 pounds before--and not respected that achievement or myself enough and instead of maintaining that loss I actually put it all back on AND MORE!
So as I look in the mirrow while exercising I notice and love my body--even with some extra fat jiggling around. I am not perfect. May never have the perfect body--however, I am PROUD of what I have done. I am enjoying seeing the changes in my body.
Instead of focusing on the remaining fat, I am choosing to focus on my emerging muscles that I can see and feel . I am focusing on their growing strength and that they are coming out of hiding from beneath layers of fat.
I am choosing to focus on noticing my bones--seeing my skeletal structure. How strong my bones are! How loyal have they been as they carried my body around.
I am choosing to notice how my arms and legs, and even my fingers and toes, are appearing to grow longer. The truth is they are less round than they were before--the shortness was an illusion that I am shattering.
What an exciting discovery this "new" body is!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Not Everyone Can Be Skinny!
Heck, some of us don't want to be "skinny"...we just want to as healthy as possible for us!
I've said it before, I will never be a Miss America-type beauty. I don't have the bone and muscle structure for it. That's okay. I'm grateful for my strong body...it has carried me around for a lot of years now...this was part of the huge shift in my mindset that allowed me to lose 120 pounds...loving my body as it is, not hating it for what it never can be...
Reading the paper today I was reminded about my own exercise philosophy--MOVE MORE...using the one jumping jack theory!
It doesn't have to be a lot. This sentiment is echoed by Dr. Tedd Mitchell in his new book Move Yourself: The Cooper clinic Medical Director's Guide to All the Healing Benefits of Exercise (Even a Little!) Whew! That's a mouthful!
In a nutshell--science shows that even small amounts of moving your body yield big results--in health, quality and length of life. The catch? Moving consistently (not the same movements mind you, just moving more.)
Dr. Mitchell's book gives specific guidelines based on 4 decades of research.
I love this "Genetically speaking, not everyone can be skinny, but everybody can be fit." Hurray! We do not have to be the round peg trying to fit in the square hole! Just be the best round peg you can.
Another favorite, "It's been said that your health can be judged by which you take two at a time--pills or stairs."
I vote for stairs!
I've said it before, I will never be a Miss America-type beauty. I don't have the bone and muscle structure for it. That's okay. I'm grateful for my strong body...it has carried me around for a lot of years now...this was part of the huge shift in my mindset that allowed me to lose 120 pounds...loving my body as it is, not hating it for what it never can be...
Reading the paper today I was reminded about my own exercise philosophy--MOVE MORE...using the one jumping jack theory!
It doesn't have to be a lot. This sentiment is echoed by Dr. Tedd Mitchell in his new book Move Yourself: The Cooper clinic Medical Director's Guide to All the Healing Benefits of Exercise (Even a Little!) Whew! That's a mouthful!
In a nutshell--science shows that even small amounts of moving your body yield big results--in health, quality and length of life. The catch? Moving consistently (not the same movements mind you, just moving more.)
Dr. Mitchell's book gives specific guidelines based on 4 decades of research.
I love this "Genetically speaking, not everyone can be skinny, but everybody can be fit." Hurray! We do not have to be the round peg trying to fit in the square hole! Just be the best round peg you can.
Another favorite, "It's been said that your health can be judged by which you take two at a time--pills or stairs."
I vote for stairs!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Listen to Your Body
Yesterday I said it is important to love ourselves and to listen to our bodies in order to achieve our ideal weight and health.
There is a lot of documentation that supports the concept that left to our own choices, as young children we will choose the foods that give us the nutrition we need to grow and thrive in the world.
I am not suggesting that you not provide your child with guidance on making nutritional choices and expanding the food vocabulary. I am suggesting that we have an inner wisdom, we are "programmed" if you will, to know what is good and not so good for us.
The challenge comes in that most of us who have weight issues have used food for emotional support rather than nutritional support. Food is the most popular "drug of choice" to help us get through the day. It is relatively inexpensive, easy to get, and legal.
By abusing food, either mildly or massively, we have reprogrammed our brains. We have flooded our brains and bodies with chemicals and hormones that do not encourage our thriving. Caffeine and sugar are the easiest for us to understand, but they are not the only elements that are polluting our bodies and preventing the natural progression of health.
In order to be able to trust the messages you are getting from your body, you must first be sure that it is not the sugar, caffeine or other "bad apples" talking.
One way to do that is to be conscious about what you eat. Decide today that you will eat only when you are 100% aware. Ask yourself why you want to eat and what you want to eat. Then ask yourself if the thing you think you want to eat will support you in your health goals.
Another question that works wonders for me--is the desire to eat (or drink) this coming from LOVE? If I can honestly say YES to this question, then I give that item a green light!
Affirmation:
There is a lot of documentation that supports the concept that left to our own choices, as young children we will choose the foods that give us the nutrition we need to grow and thrive in the world.
I am not suggesting that you not provide your child with guidance on making nutritional choices and expanding the food vocabulary. I am suggesting that we have an inner wisdom, we are "programmed" if you will, to know what is good and not so good for us.
The challenge comes in that most of us who have weight issues have used food for emotional support rather than nutritional support. Food is the most popular "drug of choice" to help us get through the day. It is relatively inexpensive, easy to get, and legal.
By abusing food, either mildly or massively, we have reprogrammed our brains. We have flooded our brains and bodies with chemicals and hormones that do not encourage our thriving. Caffeine and sugar are the easiest for us to understand, but they are not the only elements that are polluting our bodies and preventing the natural progression of health.
In order to be able to trust the messages you are getting from your body, you must first be sure that it is not the sugar, caffeine or other "bad apples" talking.
One way to do that is to be conscious about what you eat. Decide today that you will eat only when you are 100% aware. Ask yourself why you want to eat and what you want to eat. Then ask yourself if the thing you think you want to eat will support you in your health goals.
Another question that works wonders for me--is the desire to eat (or drink) this coming from LOVE? If I can honestly say YES to this question, then I give that item a green light!
Affirmation:
I choose to eat foods that support the health of my mind, body and spirit.We'll talk more about LOVE and food tomorrow.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Affirmation for Health
My body easily and naturally returns to it's state of ideal health
I am directed to eat, drink and exercise in ways that are best for my body and temperment
Things that are not healthy for me no longer have any appeal or interest
Thank you for these blessings.
If you are not feeling ready for this affirmation, be sure to go back to basics! Refer to my earlier post about using the mind as your ally in achieving ideal health.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Feeling Joy and Having an Ideal Body
Feeling joy is so important in our lives.
The feeling of joy leads to our best possible health, including having an ideal body.
If you are not feeling joyful about your body, it doesn't not preclude you from having an ideal body--as long as you are feeling joy about other things in your life and you are not "tipping the scales" towards feeling negative overall, you can achieve your goal.
The first step is to determine what it is you want in your life. Then break that into small bits that you can believe. If you affirm that you love your body and you don't, it isn't going to work.
If your ultimate goal is to have a slender body then what can you accept and affirm right this second that supports that ultimate goal? That is the place to start. Your affirmation may even be that you know other people have had a weight problem and have been able to have success therefore you know it is possible to do. (If this feels bad or you start beating yourself up because you haven't done it yet, then don't use that affirmation!)
Go for joy and when given a choice between two thoughts, decide which one feels better to you (not which one "should" you choose) and go for the one that brings you closer to joy!
The feeling of joy leads to our best possible health, including having an ideal body.
If you are not feeling joyful about your body, it doesn't not preclude you from having an ideal body--as long as you are feeling joy about other things in your life and you are not "tipping the scales" towards feeling negative overall, you can achieve your goal.
The first step is to determine what it is you want in your life. Then break that into small bits that you can believe. If you affirm that you love your body and you don't, it isn't going to work.
If your ultimate goal is to have a slender body then what can you accept and affirm right this second that supports that ultimate goal? That is the place to start. Your affirmation may even be that you know other people have had a weight problem and have been able to have success therefore you know it is possible to do. (If this feels bad or you start beating yourself up because you haven't done it yet, then don't use that affirmation!)
Go for joy and when given a choice between two thoughts, decide which one feels better to you (not which one "should" you choose) and go for the one that brings you closer to joy!
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