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
Self Acceptance
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
Giving Ourselves Grace
Hard times can break us - or they can help us grow into deeper + more compassionate human beings. And (I think) the difference between the two has to do with giving ourselves grace. It’s been a difficult winter. My husband lost his father suddenly a few months ago and my own Dad (who was very ill) passed three weeks later. Navigating two terribly sad events in a row reaffirmed that I am a strong woman. Stronger and more resilient than I gave myself credit for. But I am no superwoman. About a week after losing my Dad, I sat down on the trail during a hike because I was overcome with emotion. Some people might consider that a moment of weakness, but I considered it a victory. A few years ago, I would have pushed … [Read more...] about Giving Ourselves Grace
You Probably Won’t “Conquer” Emotional Eating – and That’s Okay
Many of my clients tell me they want to eliminate emotional eating forever. As someone who has struggled with emotional eating, I completely understand the desire to make this behavior go away forever. To never feel compelled to turn to food for soothing or stress relief or out of boredom again. Some people get there, but most don’t – and that’s okay. You can make mountains of progress without conquering emotional eating altogether. In my opinion, it makes more sense to work towards less frequent and less intense episodes of emotional overeating. Attempting to “end” emotional overeating once and for all sets us up for disappointment. Any time we overeat, we feel as though we’ve failed. And feeling like a failure is not … [Read more...] about You Probably Won’t “Conquer” Emotional Eating – and That’s Okay