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Goodmorning everyone! How did you like yesterday’s post? Did you get a chance to prep your heart and mind for a more joyful summer in 2015? If you didn’t see it, feel free to go there now & then return to this post.
Welcome to Day 2 of “The Month Before Summer” Series!
Today, I want to start some conversation about wanting to feel good in our bodies. I need to start by letting you know that it’s okay to want to feel good in your body. I also wouldn’t be serving you well if I didn’t let you know that feeling good in your body comes in two parts: (1) how you feel physically, & (2) how you feel mentally. If you can’t accept & love yourself mentally, no physical change to your body is going to make a difference in how you feel about yourself. We need to work on both parts at the same time.
Now, we all know summer is FULL of BBQ’s, vacations, dinners, bikinis, and going out with friends, right? This brings up pressure for a lot of women. I know this because as my friend Abby (who is doing her own summer video series right now on her blog – under “resources”) and I have asked you all what your biggest summer challenges are, the #1 TOP response has been:
“I want to feel good in my body AND get to enjoy all of the fun, spontaneous things about summer like saying ‘YES’ to BBQ’s, dinner, and parties.”
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. My clients come to me with the same questions, and we’re able to work through these concerns swiftly by re-aligning ourselves with the truth, which is what will instantly & ultimately bring us joy.
Here’s what you need to know today:
IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE
FOR YOU
TO SAY YES
TO ANY
SUMMER BBQ, DINNER, & PARTY
AND STILL FEEL GREAT
IN YOUR BODY.
Again, I’ve been through this. I share this with you today, having gotten through my own 6 year struggle with dieting and controlling my body. I believed during those 6 years that a smaller body would bring me joy, and that having an ultra small body was the only way to feel good. I also believed that the only way to feel good (& get that small body) was to diet, restrict, and exercise religiously. I can confidently stand in front of you today and tell you that this is not what will make you happy, and this is NOT the only way (or way at all) to have the body that you so desire. SURE, you can choose diets, over-exercise, exhaustion, and limiting what you eat… but why would you do that when there is another way that is full of pleasure, joy, gratitude, confidence, reflection, transformation, and true, lasting change.
You might be worried that you need to be on a diet in order to get that bikini body, because that’s what so many other people are doing, right?
Girls, side note: we need to, together, recognize that this is how people make money/careers. They create things that we want (instant, magical weight loss, and an incredible “bikini body,” TODAY!) and then we buy them, fall of track, and are just in the right place (when we’re desperate and a promising diet/plan fills us with hope again) to buy the next thing. Good for them. Super crummy for us. (This is definitely not directed at anyone specific, and I do not think that people are evil hearted, creating things that they know we’ll “fall off of.” But unfortunately, that’s what happens and the sales go round.)
Now, back to my point… what do you think would happen if you let go of the STRESS from dieting? Any guesses? BINGO! Yes, you’ll set your body up to ultimately get to the place where she is naturally radiant, thriving, filled with health & joy, and you’ll be able to finally feel great in your own skin (for good!). And you didn’t even have to trick and manipulate your body to get there (which is almost impossible to maintain in the long run, by the way).
Do you want to feel strong, naturally healthy, and confident? With the right tools (which we will teach you in Self-Love Summer) and the right training, you can!
Let’s start by remembering the absolute best tool you have: your own body.
You might be thinking:
“BUT Paige… I can’t listen to my body… you don’t understand, I don’t know how! Every time I listen to my body, she tells me to eat loads of Ben & Jerry’s, and I just feel out of control. It just doesn’t work for me… I’m not one of those girls who can eat what they want and still lose weight…”
DON’T WORRY. Just like anything else in life (drivers licence; riding a bike; building something; learning a new skill for your career; etc), you need to be taught, and you need to consistently practice day after day, week after week. Makes sense, right? Don’t expect to do this on your own. It does take training, practice, and a willingness to learn.
Something else is coming very soon… If you caught it… you’re likely already wondering what is this? when is it coming? and how the heck you get in on it… Peek back at the blog tomorrow, for Day 3 of this free summer series!
In the meantime… let’s get those training wheels on and start prepping for the real ride… I am giving you a free 1-Day to Eating Intuitively Guide to start practicing what it’s like to listen to your body. It’s entirely free, and you can download it here >> HowTo:GuideToIntuitiveEating. Remember, if you’re a bit wobbly at first, that’s okay! It’s totally normal. With practice, you’ll get the hang of it & one day listening to your body will feel as natural as riding a bike. It’ll only take a few simple corrections, but for the most part, it will feel natural.
Do you have questions? Comments?
xo,
Paige
P.S. don’t forget to download your free guide here >> HowTo:GuideToIntuitiveEating! No strings attached. All I ask is that you do use it, and start practicing :).