Without reminders + gentle nudges + bumpers to keep us in our lane, we will inevitably default to autopilot mode. In other words, we will do what we’ve always done. Autopilot works brilliantly when we have zero interest in changing our actions - but when it comes to self-improvement, it’s kryptonite. If you're serious about getting better at something, you’ll need.. 1. Self-awareness2. Accountability tools3. Personal rules Yes --- rules. Guidelines. Instructions. Behaviors. Habits. Whatever you want to call them. The idea of setting rules to live by strikes fear in most people. We immediately recall all the times unfair or cruel rules were forced upon us - or the times we attempted to live under unbearable … [Read more...] about The Freeing Power of Personal Rules
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The REAL Reason Healthy Eating is Hard (and how to do it anyway)
The benefits of good nutrition and maintaining a healthy weight are clear. There’s no need to provide yet another list. With so many compelling reasons to eat a healthy diet, why is it so difficult to actually do? Hint: the answer is not more willpower or greater motivation. One of the MAIN reasons eating a healthy diet is difficult is because JUNK FOOD IS DELICIOUS (+ widely available + inexpensive). Steven Witherly is a food scientist who has spent the last 20 years studying what makes certain foods more addictive (and tasty) than others. Much of the science that follows is from his brilliant report, Why Humans Like Junk Food. According to Witherly, when you eat tasty food, there are two factors that make the experience … [Read more...] about The REAL Reason Healthy Eating is Hard (and how to do it anyway)
Beauty Sick Book Review
I sometimes struggle with reconciling my advocacy of body acceptance with the fact that I help women lose weight. Can you respect your body and want to change it? My answer is a resounding yes. More than ever. If I didn’t believe this to be true, there is no way I could do this work with integrity. Unwinding beauty sickness and appreciating what our bodies do FOR us is an essential component of well-being. In her book, Beauty Sick, Renee Englen, a professor at Northwestern University and head of the Body and Media Lab, very clearly and in a very compelling manner exposes the cultural epidemic of beauty sickness, the obsession with appearance, and how it affects or has affected most women in America. Using scientific … [Read more...] about Beauty Sick Book Review
5 Steps for Unwinding Body Shame
It’s entirely NORMAL to experience negative body image days. It’s NORMAL to not love what you see in the mirror or in a photo sometimes. Welcome to the club my friend. But you don’t have to stay stuck in that place. You don’t have to layer feelings of guilt and shame about feeling bad on top of ALREADY feeling crummy. Today I'm sharing a process to help you unwind a negative body image spiral - so you can get on with living your amazing life. Because the world needs you. This process is based on the work of many brilliant minds in this area. If you practice consistently, it will become easier to flow through and come out the other side more quickly. Which reminds me – you WILL feel bad again. It’s okay. Attaining some … [Read more...] about 5 Steps for Unwinding Body Shame