We’ve all been there…our eyes pop open, we stretch and get out of bed. We head to the bathroom trying to get out every last bit of bodily fluids. It’s weigh in day! You undress, take off every piece of clothing down to your socks, step on the scale and close your eyes, knowing that the number that pops up is going to either put you in a great mood or ruin your day and week.
I’m here to tell you that there is freedom when you step away from the scale! We live in a society where there is so much pressure to look a certain way and if we don’t, we must diet and do endless amounts of cardio to get there. The pressure is real.
It’s been years since I have stepped on the scale. And it is empowering! I’m not an expert, a nutritionist, or a mental health specialist. Just a Certified Exercise Coach passionate about feeling good both physically and mentally.
I encourage you to focus on these positive body behavior changes that have helped me change my relationship with food and my body:
ADD in more fruits and veggies
Instead of restricting foods, I like to focus on what I can add into my daily eating habits. So add in those fruits and veggies and really pay attention to how your body feels after eating them.
ADD in more water
There is nothing better than a properly hydrated body! More energy and focus are just a couple of the benefits.
PRIORITIZE protein
Protein is an essential macro nutrient that provides many benefits (helps maintains lean muscle mass, curbs hunger and so much more).
MOVE your body
Our bodies are not made to sit all day. Whatever you enjoy, find a way to move your body throughout the day. And never underestimate the importance and simplicity of walking!
ENJOY treats without guilt
Eat that chocolate, cake, cookie, donut without shame or guilt and without using exercise as a punishment or precursor. You can eat these things and still be healthy. In fact, I’d like to argue that they are good for you if it means you are overcoming very restrictive diets or making a memory with those you love-you’re feeding the soul!
FOCUS on the functionality of your body
Your body can do amazing things-take the time to appreciate them!
If I’ve coached you before, you’ve probably heard me mention these to you a time or two. There’s not a pivotal moment in time that this all changed for me. As a chronic dieter for as long as I can remember, I didn’t wake up one day and decide I was letting go of the constant dieting and the mental prison the scale held over me. Just like everyone, I went through my own journey to get to where I am today-often taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back. I encourage you to keep taking those baby steps forward and give yourself grace if you take a step back. Changing behaviors around the way you think takes time. I always fall back to the positive body behaviors mentioned above whenever I hit a rough patch.
Let me leave you with these 3 nuggets of Coach Pamela wisdom:
1. Leanness does not equal health.
2. You are worth more than that number on the scale.
3. One of my favorite poems below:
Today I asked my body what it needed.
I thought she might need more water.
Or proteins.
Or greens.
Or supplements.
Or yoga.
Or movement.
But as I stood in the shower reflecting on roundness where I would like flatness, softness where I would like firmness, all those conditioned wishes that form a bundle of never quite rightness, she whispered very gently:
Could you just love me like this?
-poem by Hollie Holden
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