Ever heard the expression; “Eat what you want, enjoy life because you only live once”?
I had cause to go visit my sister-in-law in a different state during the summer and as it is customary with me; I take my lifestyle with me wherever I go. However, when you’re surrounded by family and friends that don’t share the same lifestyle habits with you, then it is wise that you thread softly.
Although my sister-in-law is already used to my eating lifestyle, however she got invited to a friend’s barbeque party and she asked if I could join her and of course I did. I usually prepare my mind when going for hang outs as these so I like to eat before leaving the house that way I get to have fun with whatever they serve because I’ll be able to only choose the healthy foods that are served if I decide to eat something.
However, as expected, the big moment came where one of sister-in-law’s friend who was trying to be nice, kept asking me if I wanted some chips, chicharrones, lots of processed food which I said NO a few times but she kept insisting until it got me a bit irritated and I think she noticed because she then remarked afterwards; “YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE’ eat what you want”.
I think I later that night understood where she was coming from because she came back afterwards to begin an annoying conversation with me, as if I was the mirror through which she was trying to view herself. She tried to tell me about her experience with Zumba and how she was unable to meet her goals, she also mentioned how strict her trainer was with herself and that she also looked very good. Then she finally asked me, “what do you do for a living?” and I replied; “well, I am a WELLNESS HEALTH COACH” and she replied no wonder your skin, hair etc. looks the way they do.
I left that conversation immediately feeling like I should write an article to help women who are trying to reach out to other women for help and support and to help them understand some of the reason behind it.
So, let’s dive into it
Firstly, let’s mention some of the reasons why people feel this way;
- Emotional wounds; a lot of people walk around with health and weight issues.
- The feeling that you’re not good enough
- Low self-steam
- Insecurity
- Laziness
- Feeling uncomfortable with the way you look.
- Making up excuses
- The fear of facing your body fears because you are not ready for the outcome.
- The “What if I fail?” syndrome and so on
I am going to try to break it down for you into tiny steps in order to help you get there because to be honest with you; there is no shortcut through this path. You’re going to have to put in the work; you’ll have to take the stairs not the elevator. However, I am willing to share my toolbox with you on how to get it done. So relax, you’re in very good hands.
To begin with, here are some tips I’d like to share with you;
- Set reachable tiny goals
- Choose any routine; exercise, dance etc. just make sure it is something you love to do.
- Set up your clothes the night before.
- Set time and days to do whatever workouts you desire
- Own your choices and forget about regrets
- Choose courage over fear
- Believe you can do it.
- Develop a growth mindset
- Learn from others
- Choose healthier food
A person that controls what he or she eats has got self-discipline and discipline is sexy. Auto discipline is your choice it is a commitment you make to yourself.
Intuitive eating on the other hand is basically eating whatever you want, however much you want and whenever you want. Yes, that’s what it comes down to, Scary right?
I’m sure after reading that first sentence; you probably might have noticed some interesting thoughts running through your mind.
- Can I really eat whatever I want?
- Isn’t that too good to be true?
- Won’t I just gain weight?
- What is the catch?
I’m going to try to be upfront with you by letting you know that there’s a catch. No, you don’t have to worry so please put away your wallet. The catch is that we need to dig deeper to be sure what we mean when we say “health” and “whatever we want”.
So, before you give up on Eating Healthy, here’s what you should know.
- Maybe you can’t help but wonder; what’s my body even saying?
- Perhaps it’s just a little whisper in the midst of the loud, negative self-talk.
- Maybe it has become too scared to even show up after years of being unheard, stuffed down.
- Maybe it’s been screaming at you loud and clear, but you’ve trained yourself to ignore whatever it has to say.
So, what happens when we listen to what it has to say?
- What does our body really want?
- Is it all about what our body wants?
- What do we really want from life?
Find out what Health means to you and write it down, then go ahead and just do it; believe you can do it!
One thing any successful woman has got going for her above her peers is her thought process. It’s usually not external, but internal. Sometimes it is learned through experiences and parental examples. However, some aspects of the thought process will come very naturally to you. For instance, you’re either more optimistic or pessimistic in your thinking. Even though you may naturally lean in one direction or the other in the face of a challenge or an opportunity, an optimistic mindset can actually be learned.
Women who are very successful explain their failures in terms of things they have control over. They accept their weaknesses and faults, but they’re aware that those are not the sole reasons why things may go wrong. The successful woman is hopeful. She is empowered by the knowledge of lessons learned from her past failures. For her, it’s not personal and she’s fully aware that failure doesn’t define who she is.
Conquer your excuses
What’s the reason you haven’t started pursuing your health goals? I’m sure you have a couple of reasons why it hasn’t happened yet but if you take a closer look behind some of those reasons, you’ll discover that some of it could be reclassified as mere excuses; thoughts that you’re embracing that are helping you sabotage your goals.
So, what’s your excuse? Is it a lack of time? Lack of Money? Or is there someone who’s always trying to tear you down? Is the goal too hard for you? Or is it too complex? Is it too much of a commitment? Maybe you’re not just aware of where and how to start? Or perhaps if you just had more contacts or had more friends or fewer obligations or weighed less or whatever; I’m sure you get the point by now; excuses only help you justify your lack of progress.
They can evoke feelings of sympathy. They tend to let you off the hook. But the truth is, if it is something you really want to do then you’ll never truly be off the hook. You just have to find a way to get it done, period. Meaning you have to let go off your excuses, whether it’s the fear of succeeding at it and not being able to keep up or the fear of failing at it and all the disappointment and embarrassment that comes with it.
So, what’s really my excuse? And what does that excuse give me permission to do or not do?
Solution; develop a growth mindset
If you truly believe you can improve your health and body and you’re not intimidated by the idea that your current abilities are as great as you would like, then you should also remind yourself that those abilities are not cast on stone. They will change as you actively learn and grow.
God calls us to a growth mindset consider these scriptures, Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world but be ye transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
I can only hope that these tools will be useful to help you understand that even though you only live once, however if you do it right, then once is enough.
Here are a few favorite quotes that I love
1. The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.
2. Love yourself for whom you are, and trust me, if you are happy from within, you are the most beautiful person, and your smile is your best asset.
3. “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” —Booker T.
Good Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. I make sure to trust the timing of my life and I also practice more of positive self-talk.
The More I will love my body, the more I find acceptance within!