Americans spend north of $60 billion annually trying to lose weight, on everything from gym memberships to weight-loss programs to fat burning shakes. I think it’s safe to say the approach we’ve taken so far isn’t really working out for us. But why? In order to achieve lasting results, we need to transform our deeply rooted habits. And changing our habits requires space + time + energy + engagement. Learning and assimilating new + healthier habits is tricky if you spend your days and weeks running from one thing to another with barely enough time to sit and enjoy a meal - or prepare a meal – or get a good night’s sleep. You can’t learn and do better when you’re always adding more + more + more to an already … [Read more...] about Creating Space for Change
Self Care
Shame Free Eating
Healthy eating does not mean eating “good” foods and avoiding “bad” foods. I wholeheartedly recommend you toss those labels out with the trash. Rubbish - be gone! Food means different things to different people. Food can be… fuelrewardpunishmentescapeshamefreedoma way to bond with othersa way to check out For me, food is mostly about information. Every time you choose to eat one thing over another, you’re voting for what’s really important to you in the here and now. That’s … [Read more...] about Shame Free Eating
The Heavy Backpack (Managing Difficult Emotions)
Last Thursday my husband and I made the impossibly difficult decision to put our sweet Hope down after she experienced what we’re pretty sure was a stroke. She was sixteen and half years old and lived a good long life with humans that loved and spoiled her. One of the skills I teach my clients is how to make decisions that are aligned with their goals and values in the face of difficult emotions. It was my turn to walk the talk. The day after we put Hope down, I went out for a walk (just like I do every day). When I returned, my husband said he was surprised I went. So I shared a tool called The Heavy Backpack with him. We can think of our difficult emotions like a heavy backpack. Now that backpack might be weighing you down … [Read more...] about The Heavy Backpack (Managing Difficult Emotions)
Stress Management + Movement During Perimenopause
A study from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that estradiol fluctuations common during the menopausal transition may enhance emotional sensitivity to stress. If you’ve noticed mood swings and more frequent feelings of rejection, anger and irritability as you approach menopause, you’re not alone. In other words, you’re not losing it, you’re just perimenopausal. Your tolerance for stress has diminished. Stress isn’t just a feeling of being pulled in too many directions. Stress comes in many forms… Exercise (too much or too intense or none at all = metabolic stress)Nutritional deprivation and obsession (counting every calorie or macros, not eating enough food to fuel body … [Read more...] about Stress Management + Movement During Perimenopause