Body Positivity Through Exercise

One of the best ways to feel good about your body is to move it.  Research shows that people who exercise have a better body image and body confidence than people who don't.  That makes perfect sense because when we move the body we get out of the judging, observing, jumping monkey mind.  Getting the blood pumping and increasing the oxygen feels good.  If there is a specific workout or class to participate in, then simply completely the class fuels us with accomplishment alongside all of those endorphins.  Reminding ourselves how good it feels to accomplish something like a workout is all it takes to go back for more.

Nowadays there are so many versions of activity, fitness or exercise.  Everything from classic group fitness classes in a club setting to getting steps in around the house--it all counts because it all adds up.  These activities can be done with others or privately.  There are endless options online with youtube and apps.  Who would have thought that spin class could actually be done at home on the peloton bike?  That brainchild came from a new dad who wanted to go to spin class but was at home with a newborn.  He's biking all the way to the bank.

Physical exercise that you enjoy can be a hobby like tennis or pickleball or zumba class.  It can also be a social outlet.  Or, at the other extreme, it can be a solitary activity creating a break from people and their issues.  No matter how you view it, physical activity is required to be a whole and healthy person.  You have a body.  The body wants to move.  Don't let the mind talk your body out of doing something good even if you are tired.  That's the irony.  Even if you are tired, a little bit of energetic movement will actually create more energy.  It's counterintuitive, but it's true. 

You are not your body, but it matters.  Treating it right with healthy food is key.  Most weight loss comes from food choices.  But up to 20% of weight loss can come from exercise.  That's a boost for the body and the mind and the body confidence. 

Your mind is stronger than your body, so this week, let your mind talk you into doing something healthy for your body.  See what it does for you.  See how it makes you feel.  Just do something more than you have lately so you can feel positive, confident and capable. 

Because you are!

Dreaming vs. Living

I saw a quote this week that said dreams are what you live for.  It made me think about the distinction between living life vs. living for your dream life.  It also made me think about where dreams come from in the first place--and how these dreams drive our behavior and define our lives.

Dreams are emotional.  They come from the heart.  They don't have to make sense to the mind.  They are wishes that bring us enormous happiness and make life feel worthwhile.  They make us feel important.  If we didn't have dreams, then life would feel like work most of the time. 

Dreams also give us reasons to do certain things.  If you want to go on a great spring break vacation, maybe you need to save some extra money every week.  That might mean forgoing dinners out or clothes shopping in the short term, but those are sacrifices that you are willing to make, because what you really want--your spring break vacation means so much more to you. 

When it comes to self improvement, we have big dreams.  I think we often talk ourselves out of our dreams because we sell ourselves short.  We may believe these dreams aren't coming to fruition fast enough.  We decide that "it's too much work."  The truth is, you are not too much work.  In fact, you  are never going to be too much work.  You deserve to live your dream life.  You deserve to dream your fully realized life.  That's all there is to it simply because you want it.

This week, slow down long enough to ask yourself if what you have is enough for you.  And, or, are there things you would really like that you don't have?  Is there something that bothers you?  Are you living your "best" life?  Or, are you letting yourself settle for less than what you dream of?  The time is now to dig deep and let your heart speak.  Let those wishes come forward.  Let those dreams inspire you to take risks, step outside your comfort zone, make sacrifices so that you can live the dream.  Your dream.

Who's in Charge

There are many ways to characterize how we think, make decisions, get through the day, choose what to say or where to go.  When it comes to food choices, I think there is an animal, recalcitrant teenager and a governor in all of us.  The animal is the most base, least contemplative, opportunistic and reactive.  The animal will eat anything and sleep anywhere.  The teenager in us is lazy.  It doesn't want to exercise or get up early or plan ahead.  The teenager can get by, but it is not all that pretty.  The governor in us is the most evolved.  It is the part of us that can control the least helpful behaviors that the animal and teenager engage in.  The governor is the adult in the room who is in charge.

Our thoughts are very powerful.  More importantly, we can actually control them.  This speaks to the power of the human mind to shift thinking and make smarter decisions.  When we don't slow down long enough to reflect or notice or even acknowledge the "voice of reason" that the governor speaks with, we might end up behaving like a teenager who doesn't "feel like" showing up or even worse--the animal that just pounces on whatever shows up, e.g. free samples at the grocery store.

Adult life is made up of so many choices.  There are 200 choices to make per day just about food.  There are countless choices in other areas too.  What time to get up?  What to do first at work?  Should I make the bed?  Laundry now or later?  Who's driving whom to school.... etc. etc.  Most of us want things to go well.  We want less stress, more smooth sailing.  As adults, we are the ones who create that ease.  Life can get complicated, but the adult can cope and adjust.

This week, ask yourself if you are content with your choices--with food, mindset and fitness, or whether you need to listen to the governor and show up for yourself so that you can have more good living, more good health, more vitality, more confidence and more control. 

Evolve with the New Year

Tame the Tiger in You

There are lots of ways to describe hunger--one being internal hunger vs. the other being external hunger.  Internal hunger is real, physical and best dealt with by eating nutritious food. Think of breakfast, lunch, dinner and healthier snacks.  On the other hand, external hunger is opportunistic--it is based in what you happen to see or smell in the moment.  This is where the animal in us just pounces at whatever it sees.  With all the desserts, cookies and extras available this time of year, this can be a real problem. 

One way to tame this tiger, is to stop, slow down and ask yourself whether you are internally hungry?  If so, then of course eating makes sense.  If what you choose is mostly healthy and right-sized portioned, and you stop eating when you are satisfied, this is NOT where weight gain will come from.  If you find yourself tempted just because opportunity presented itself, the food looked good, it was sitting there, everyone else was eating, etc., then you might consider whether you really want to eat or whether this is just one of 200 opportunities in the course of the day.  This is precisely where weight gain comes from.  The opportunistic bites are so often full of calories, saturated fat, sugar and salt.

As thinking adults not animals, we can endeavor to get better at slowing down long enough to decide what's right from moment to moment.  Eating meals and planned snacks at regular intervals will certainly help.  Not letting hunger get too primal will also help.  We can't help but forget our smart human brains when hunger becomes primal, and the tiger comes scratching. 

It's holiday time, and there is a lot competing for our attention.  It's a great time to slow down the pace and gather the energy inward to focus.  Focus on what's important.  Focus on what matters.  Let go of what is getting in the way.  And most importantly of all, keep going.  Keep showing up for your heart's desires.  It will help make this work of adult life worthwhile.  Something a wild tiger really cannot grasp.

Gifts Only You Can Give Yourself

With the holiday season buzzing around, I see commercials, ads, displays, ideas--all about what to buy someone for Christmas.  When I was a kid, anticipation, gifts, family celebrations were what Christmas was all about.  In my neighborhood, we all put out brown paper bags full of sand and lit candles at night.  The luminaria tradition.  I loved looking out my bedroom window, feeling the cold windowsill as I took in the stretch of lights as far as my little eyes could see--magical! 

As an adult, I feel differently about the season.  I do love my tree and lights.  I love sending cards with photos.  I've been doing that for years.  Yet, more stuff is not appealing to me.  I am not a big shopper--in the mall or online.  When I do go out to shop, I end up buying more things for me--and I don't need more things.  At this point, my girls aren't looking for American Girl dolls and toys.  It's more like gift cards and money. 

This brings me to my adult take on Christmas.  Things that come in boxes with ribbons are lovely, but that's not what I am looking for.  I want things I cannot buy.  And I want things that actually make me happy on a regular basis, not just for holiday time.

Like so many of you, I too am on a life-long journey of self improvement, self acceptance, good health, peace of mind...  This time of year is full of distraction, and I am noticing myself getting sidetracked  by little extras.  As we know too well, little things add up.  So I am adding more intention to my actions.  That will make me happy.  I am increasing mindfulness by being present in the moment.  This is destressing.  I am also looking for better quality sleep.  A lifelong work in progress.

While these things may not sound like a typical recipe for holiday good cheer, they bring more happiness to my humble life.  That's a gift only I can give myself.

Know Yourself and Be True to Yourself

Sometimes we don't give ourselves enough credit.  And, other times we let ourselves off the hook too easily.  When we were children, our parents, teachers and coaches probably called us out on these things more often than not.  They did this because they wanted the best for us.  They wanted us to succeed.  They wanted us to learn from our mistakes.  

Fast forward to adulthood.  Things have changed.  We might not have that voice of authority looking out for us. We might not have that coach cheering us on.  We are left to our own devices, and that's not always the best arrangement.

Creating space and time every day to simply consider what you'd like to have happen, i..e. how you'd like the day to go can become a small habit that yields big returns. It's like a happiness scaffold to hang your activities, to-do's, goals, intentions on.  The more intentional you can become with your moments and activities, the more likely they are to happen.  You return to your true self and what you really want instead of letting the day run away.  This can start with the alarm on the phone, checking emails and other media and then getting sucked into something you may not even care about.  

We live in a time with too much excess.  Too much information overload.  Too much accessibility.  Too much noise.  It is distracting, and it robs us of stillness and presence.  This is a jagged path to scattered, frustrated energy. This will make us unhappy and unproductive.

Especially this busy time of year, refocus on yourself.  Put special, heart-felt energy behind a "me time" habit whereby you start the day off right.  You adhere to a new habit of considering what you'd like to achieve.  This can be personal and professional.  To be a healthy person means we integrate all facets of our daily lives.  

Build the habit of starting the day gradually and quietly.  Set the tone before you even leave the house.  See what happens.