I’ve had my fair share of extreme diets, body transformations and exercise routines. You know, the yo-yo bandwagon, you name it, I’ve probably tried it, only to end up back to square one, or even worse. The supplements, the shakes, the detoxes, terrible bodybuilding prep/recovery etc. I could go on. I couldn’t adhere to anything I tried for more than a few months if that. I was having a hard time finding an enjoyable and sustainable approach that was right for me. One problem was that 80% of the time I only cared about what I looked like on the outside (body fat, scale weight) and didn’t pay much attention to my inner verbal behavior, signals, and thoughts. I remember that every time I failed at a diet, or took 1 step forward then 2 steps back, I punished myself with either another new diet, more exercise, negative self-talk, body shame, binge episodes, or all 5.
This ultimately led to a negative pattern of behaviors over the course of several years. It was almost as if I couldn’t trust myself to do what I already knew would be a step in the right direction. As in “step” I mean making healthier choices most of the time, moving more- even if it’s walking, and just getting better each day and being kinder to myself. Eating well and exercising to be strong, capable, and my best self. Trusting and being aware of my hunger signals and cravings. It wasn’t until I started grad school that I became passionate and intrigued by human behavior (specifically eating/exercise behaviors, obesity, eating disorders, and public health), why we do the things we do, and why it can be difficult to change and/ or sustain health behaviors and outcomes. It’s so overwhelming to think about, really.
There are so many important variables that come into play that can affect our behaviors and our lifestyle. Our history with food and exercise, our genetics, our values, our limitations, our environments, our communities, our social environments, our support system, and our society and culture. You can see how all of these variables come into play at some point, and influence our daily behaviors and decisions. Health has so many layers, it’s not just weight, how much we lift, or how our ass and abs look. Health encompasses so much more than that, such as family, work, hobbies, social life etc. If you’re not feeling well (mentally, physically, emotionally), most likely it will effect other areas of life. The past 2.5 years I decided to break out of the old patterns of behavior I was engaging in and experiment with a “get better each day” approach. An approach that encompasses who I am and what is important to me. An approach that took a lot of “self love” at every stage, compassion, & letting go, meaningful value-based decisions, committed actions and goals, moderation, self-experimentation, & a huge “thought” and environmental shift.
For me, health weaves in all aspects of my life. The last 2.5 years helped me understand that anything that has meaning, and is important, takes time, and has its challenges. The biggest change for me is the person that I’ve become. Knowing that I’m constantly evolving and learning from the past and present, is what helps me become resilient and strong from the inside out, and helps me be a better person to myself and others. I no longer support our society’s approach towards losing weight and “getting healthy”. At a 95% failure rate, there needs to be a shift away from all these diets, “quick fixes”, extremes, and body shaming. #selfreflection #behaviorforchange #bethechange #coach #behaviorchange #bettereachday #mindful #healthjourney #beyou