The Tip of the Iceberg
Photo by Cassie Matias on Unsplash
Lasting weight loss comes from changing how you eat while simultaneously exploring how to bring balance into other aspects of your life.
Each of us could view our own lives as a personal journey filled with unending growth opportunities (that generally show up as challenges!). If we are willing to think of our lives this way, we can find endless chances to rethink and reconfigure how we do or think about things.
What I know now, that I did not 13 years ago, is that for me, the weight I lost was just the tip of the iceberg; it was symptomatic of a lack of balance in many areas of my life. It was in maintaining the weight loss that I embarked on a path of self discovery I would have never anticipated, and it continues to this day. This is why I am so passionate about helping others understand what I have learned - that it is extremely likely that changing how you eat will force you (in a good way) to look at all aspects of your life. Not everyone is ready for that, and it can be really uncomfortable, but when you are - it can be powerful and transformative.
In this spirit, these are the thoughts I wanted to share today:
Are you chasing a number on the scale, or seeking ways to feel better, more balanced, and more at ease in your life? Understanding the difference can go a long way towards getting you to where you want to be.
Are you following a restrictive eating plan that leaves you feeling deprived and hungry, or experimenting to figure out what works for your body, your lifestyle, and your personal likes and dislikes?
Are you exercising because you think you have to in order to lose weight (you do not - I have seen it in my work), or because you enjoy walking outside, or moving your body in yoga poses, or joining an online cycling class?
Our food and exercise choices cannot be viewed in a vacuum because our bodies are a system. Often, our negative eating patterns, or exercise that feels like punishment have been unconsciously created in order to compensate for other parts of our lives that are lacking in some way. We are eating to deal with something, avoid something, get relief from something.
Your “diet” reflects everything you “take in,” not just what you eat.
What if we looked at food and movement as two OF the ways that we take care of ourselves, instead of the ONLY ways. You can take care of yourself in a whole lot of different ways - food and exercise are no less significant than enough sleep, healthy relationships, stress management, and having fun (real fun - not eating cookies).
What does being healthy mean to you? What if being healthy meant living a life that felt better on a day to day basis? Not only filled with more nutritious food choices, fresh air, and enough sleep, but also filled with joy, healthy relationships, a different job, or more opportunities for creativity. What if it looked like getting a handle on your finances or your sedentary lifestyle? What if it looked like gentler self talk about your body? What if it looked like a deeper understanding of the impact of stress in your life? What if it looked like beginning with one small change that you could incorporate and do for the rest of your life?
