Whatever your story is that got you to this place, you’re right where you need to be.

Health isn’t about what we look like in the mirror. It’s about feeling good, being able to get out of bed and enjoy life with the people we love.

There’s a way to get healthy that doesn’t punish your body into submission. Like Maya Angelou says, “As you know better, you can do better.” It’s about learning about what foods are nourishing for you and eat more of those. It’s also listening to your body and figuring out what foods aren’t working for you.

Through this process you need to have good self-talk. What are you telling yourself? Are you letting your limiting beliefs getting in the way of your success? Start to become aware of what excuses or negative thoughts come up. Write them down. After you’ve done this for a day or two, work on how to reframe them.

I can’t lose weight can be reframed to I can learn how to lose weight.

I’m too old can be reframed to I have plenty of time to succeed.

It’s too hard can be reframed to I am going to get stronger through this challenge!

Even just putting yet at the end of an excuse can help. Such as I am not a strong person….YET! Just consciously changing what you are telling yourself can start to break down those limiting beliefs.

How you think of yourself is your identity. It acts like a thermostat. If you believe you’ll always be overweight, that becomes your identity. Have you ever lost weight only to have it slowly creep back on? This is your identity bringing you back to your mental set point. Changing your identity involves big change and seeing yourself in a new way.

Identify what kind of person you want to be known for
o Healthy, fit, comfortable in your own skin
o Financially secure
o Health and nutrition expert
o Enjoys life
o Great parent
o Faith leader

Start thinking about what someone with those qualities would do and try emulating them. Ask yourself what would a healthy person do in this situation? Then do it. This is similar to fake it till you make it. Really start thinking as that new identity. When you change your beliefs, you will change your life. You want to raise the setpoint on that thermostat. You will start transforming into that type of person.

In my days as a youth director, I led teenagers on mission trips where they had to talk to people they didn’t know. That can be scary for adults, but especially so for teenagers initiating a conversation with a homeless person or a troubled teen that looks intimidating. One boy was extremely uncomfortable, but wanted to reach out to the homeless people we were serving. He decided to pretend for that hour and half he was an outgoing, extrovert. He knew an extrovert would engage in conversations and make people feel welcome. He did it so well. That day was a turning point for him. He gradually got rid of the limiting belief that he couldn’t talk to strangers.

How can you step out of your comfort zone and act like the person you want to become?

Visualization can be a great tool to help your transformation. You want to be able to visualize your new normal with your senses. How will you feel? What foods will taste good to you? What will you be wearing and how will you feel in those clothes? What will you be doing? How do you look? What brings you joy? What are you proud of?

o Look yourself in the mirror in the morning and at night
o Take deep breaths
o Look yourself in the eye and visualize your best self that you want to become. Think about it as if it’s already happened. Tap into emotions of how it will feel.
o Tell yourself out loud a pep talk each time until you believe it down to your soul. Your words have power.

For example:
Your name, you look amazing! I’m so proud of you for reclaiming your health and working to find out what your body wants. It feels so good to eat and feel great afterwards. You crave foods that are nourishing to you. You are healthy, happy, and radiant! You deserve this health and this life God created for you! People are inspired by your health transformation.

Not everyone around you will be happy if you change. Surprisingly sometimes those closest to us feel threatened when we start to improve. Subconsciously they might think you will expect them to change or you won’t need them anymore.
Surround yourself with people a few steps ahead of you.

It helps to visualize where you are headed. Get a few people who will support and challenge you. Unfollow social media that makes you feel insecure about yourself.

Treat your body with love and observe what it’s telling you. It doesn’t have to happen quickly. Progress is progress. Symptoms are the way your body speaks to you. We’ve been trained to mask a symptom with a pill. Have a headache? Take a Tylenol. Have a stomach ache? Take some Tums. These are temporary fixes. We need to start figuring out why you have a head ache, why you have a stomach ache. Getting to the root cause can be a long term solution.

Our food industry has spent tons of money to get you addicted to the wrong foods. Social media and advertising have told you that you’re not good enough unless you have 6 pack abs and ripped muscles. The exercise industry would have you believe you must spend hours in the gym punishing your body into submission.

Eating nourishing whole foods can be so much easier and taste good. Simple exercise and daily movement can improve your mood and health. It is possible to get back to the basics and love your body back to health. You are WORTH it!

Would you like help in your health transformation? I would love to talk with you about working together to help you get the health you deserve.