Weight Gains and Losses

Weight gains and losses are legendary and utterly frustrating to hear about.  We keep asking ourselves, why!? and then we go back to the old habits. We're so busy doing whatever is put in front of us, it's easy to get into ruts.

Sometimes humor is a great way to break old habits.  My daughter told me her shampoo was causing her to gain weight! I was stumped until she said, "The label says, Use for extra volume and body and it was running down my body! No wonder I'm gaining weight!" While I was blinking my eyes trying to take this in, without a beat she continued, "That's why I'm using dish soap in the shower- the label says, Dissolves fat that is difficult to remove!" 

Humor, like intuition, takes us out of our ruts with a new perspective and refreshes our thinking. We learn about ourselves. The better you know yourself, the freer you are from weight gains and losses. 

This is how intuitive eating works to stop weight swings.  It's easy because using intuition is being plugged into yourself. Your appetite is personal, just like your fingerprints or DNA. Eating is as natural as breathing and as important for your health and energy level. Instead of fighting with your body, you learn to respond to it.

Your body is not a machine and you are not generic.

That’s why only you know your best eating choices. 

It's intuitive to be loyal to yourself.

Intuitive eating tools keep things in perspective. They make your boundaries and personal priorities an important part of eating choices. You see yourself differently. Learn to eat intuitively and learn about yourself. It's awesome.

It's natural to recognize physical cues you're getting with your 6th sense with intuitive cues, like curiosity and dignity. They are the handrail to grab on, to keep you on track and away from yo-yo weight frustration. 

The next time you feel you're slipping and about to yo-yo, think about being loyal to you. Decide to be loyal to your body and in your heart you will feel something. That feeling, created by your loyalty, is your intuition.   

Try it. 

xj

Your Inner Rebel

Louise was trying to lose weight, walking every day and being conscious of portion size. Louise was doing a great job of changing her body. She was converting fat to muscle and felt tighter, but since muscle weighs more than fat her weight was the same. Louise didn't trust herself or even deeply believe in her efforts. Instead she depended the scale for validation. But the scale didn't budge and she felt defeated.

Using a scale to validate your progress to lose weight sabotages by undermining your efforts. Sabotage often is experienced as craving or binging. In fact, your scale is an obstacle in the way to connecting with the needs of your body.  When we define ourselves by measuring 'progress' we're not allowing the space and time of organic change to unfold in a natural or enduring way. 

When you decide to lose weight, instead of supervising yourself with rules, listen to your body. Imposing control that feels stressful won't bring long-term weight loss. That type of control feels restrictive and encourages your inner rebel. The inner rebel is your survival instinct- it feels stress and holds on to those fat cells until it feels safe. 

Use your eyes to see portion size and use taste to judge quality. Get moderate exercise and eat slow enough to notice how you feel. Let experience remind you that respecting your body is respecting your self. Respecting yourself  makes your body feel safe and allows it to let go of fat.  

Use the intuitive tools of dignity and determination to allow your body to complete it's process so you look and feel good.  Dignity, determination and self respect is how to walk the walk of long-term body health.  

It's a bold step for a dieter to trust her body. Spring is a time of new beginnings. Take the first step to change by tuning in to your senses to notice what you notice. You don't need a scale to validate your efforts. Use dignity and determination to fortify the bold choice to trust yourself. You're worth it!