The skill of getting on the scale without being emotionally tossed around by the number is essential for long-term weight loss success. Every year that I coach, this become clearer. You can make peace with the scale. The number that appears does not have to dictate how you feel for the rest of the day (or week). If the number isn’t what you hoped for, you can let the initial feelings of disappointment come – and then get your head straight. It’s a skill worth practicing. I’ve been working on getting back to my goal weight (currently .2 pounds away) and I’ve been SUPER PROUD of the way I’ve been showing up. There was steady progress at the beginning of June, then for SEVENTEEN DAYS my weight went down a … [Read more...] about Scale Sanity
Messing Up is Part of the Process
About 10 years ago, I enrolled in a Weight Loss Coaching Certification program. I was already certified as a Health Coach with ACE, but that program didn’t teach about the mindset of weight loss. The new program was ALL about mindset. During my certification, I was asked to assess any overeating I did. What did I overeat? What were my sabotaging thoughts? But, I DID NOT DO IT. Why? Because I was beating myself up for not being perfect instead. I was too busy swimming in shame + comparison + judgement. How can a Health Coach possibly make mistakes?I’m supposed to be the example.Who would hire a coach that overate sometimes (or GASP, gained weight)? I tried SO HARD to do it all perfectly so I wouldn’t have to feel the … [Read more...] about Messing Up is Part of the Process
I Gained Weight
I gained a few pounds this year. And this was the BEST GIFT for so many reasons. I lost my weight 20 years ago. About 50 pounds. And since then, I’ve kept within my healthy range. But I recently crept into a place where I just didn’t feel good in my body. The last few months have been a bit rough. My father in law died in December + my Dad died three weeks later + COVID. Note: This is not a plea for sympathy. Life is just hard sometimes. And when shit gets hard, my husband bakes bread like he is feeding an army. FOR REAL. Over the past few months, I was eating too much fresh bread + drinking too many gin and tonics + generally snacking more frequently than usual. This is probably a good time to share a … [Read more...] about I Gained Weight
Ignoring the Pressure to Be Productive
COVID-19 has effectively blown through our lives like an F5 tornado and completely uprooted our sense of safety and normalcy. This is a situation unlike any we’ve experienced before. Most people are feeling a combination of unprecedented fear + uncertainty. When will I be able to (safely) fly and see my Mom again? Will my sister/husband/friend lose their job/business? Will there be toilet paper at the grocery store today? Will school reopen in the Fall? Another consequence of COVID-19 (and contributor to anxiety) is that we’re being urged to use this time to learn a new language or train for a half marathon or improve ourselves in some way. The pressure is convincing. I fully admit to moments where I considered … [Read more...] about Ignoring the Pressure to Be Productive