Intro If you were to record a conversation you had with a friend about your recent diet, how would you really talk about your body? The way you view your body is a fundamental deciding factor in your success in losing weight permanently. Are you ready for this? Personal I recently fell into some incredible research on circadian rhythms and how our bodies function. I’ve changed some little things and firmly embraced others when it comes to what and when I eat, sleep, and the amount of water I drink. It is a whole new level of feeling great physically, emotionally, and mentally. I promise to share some of this in upcoming episodes, but for now, I want you to know that I do this because I see my body as a vessel, something to treasure and work with…not something to work against. Concept Back when yo-yo dieting was my bread and butter for weight loss, I totally did things to my body that felt terrible. I starved myself, feeling like the longer I went without providing myself with energy the quicker I would shed those extra pounds. I ate food based on caloric count instead of quality that would make me feel a little better and be something I enjoyed. I leveraged cheat days, stuffing my body with food that left me feeling lethargic and sick in order to squeeze some emotional pleasure and relief out of a few moments of binging. I hated my body. I saw it as soft, imperfect, frustrating, and something to cover up and ignore unless it was at just the right size to show off in my favorite dress. I saw it as something to disrespect and mold and push into what it should be according to my specifications. Permanent weight loss requires a complete shift. My experience is so similar and often identical to the women I coach. They have been thinking about and treating their bodies the exact same way and the results are sad and frustrating. The truth is, your body is like a life partner that you can never divorce and whose condition affects every moment of your experience. Your body’s pain, energy, and abilities are intrinsically connected to everything you do even when you are asleep. Crazy, right? And yet we treat it like an enemy instead of treating it like an asset. I’m sorry, but if you want your body to continue to work against you, keep treating it like trash and the results will speak for themselves. If you really treat your body like a life-partner whom you love and want to be at its best for all the plans God has for you, then you will be happy to drink the water instead of the soda. You’ll embrace those leafy greens and listen to whether or not it needs fuel, needs to move, wants to stretch, and needs some sleep. Somewhere along the way, we became so cerebral that the plan became squeezing as much out of our body’s as we could instead of caring for it and honoring it. Spiritual Application I’ve often heard Christian women talk about their flesh as being full of sin and yes, we are totally prone to giving into some fleshly desires that don’t serve us, but really, I feel that the original design of our bodies holds incredible life-giving potential and truth about what it needs. I love viewing my body as a precious and holy gift of God, a temporary home to my soul that provided me with. I love that verse in 1 Corinthians 6:19 where Paul wrote, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;” Be honest, think about whatever diet strategy you are currently diving into and ask yourself, are you doing this because you are cultivating the health of your body? Are you treasuring and respecting the vessel God gave you in the process of losing weight? Practical Application When I am working on leveling up my own health, I always ask if it is something I could do long-term or simply something I am engaging in to get some quick results or changes. If it is something I could see myself continuing indefinitely, then I know it is a kind thing for my body and a loving choice. But, if I immediately admit that I would stop the moment I reached some goal then I have to consider that I’m not really respecting my body. Now, there might be exceptions, of course. You might be preparing for a medical procedure or surgery that requires physical preparations or doing some training for a race or event a couple months away. Also, sometimes change is uncomfortable, and we need to try something for a month or so before we really know if it is a good fit for our body or lifestyle. Either way, when you start seeing your body as a life-asset instead of an enemy to contend against, you start to notice that making healthy choices with deep-peace and confidence comes easier to you. Journal Prompt Before we sign off, I really want you to consider a couple questions I asked earlier: think about whatever diet strategy you are currently diving into and ask yourself, are you doing this because you are cultivating the health of your body? Are you treasuring and respecting the vessel God gave you in the process of losing weight? Remember, your body can give you powerful direction on whether or not your diet is something you can do long-term or is something that is truly cultivating the health of your body. Sign Off Remember that if you want some free help, guidance, and motivation in your health journey, take that quiz. Until then, it was so fun having this honest conversation with you, sweet sister. All my love to you! Bye for now.
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by Lora ArmendarizYou Can Do It!Do you want to fall out of love with a destructive habit? The first 42 episodes of this podcast are a resource for anyone who wants encouragement and information as they take a six week break from a habit in order to fall out of love with it. Archives
April 2024
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