Attention, attention! A delicious bake sale charity auction is going on over at Natalie’s blog until tomorrow!
Canadians: Want to bid on my Glo bars for a good cause? Check out Natalie’s charity auction!
Learning To Love The Journey
Hello Summer Glow-ers! ;) Are you glowing yet?
As you probably noticed, this week’s theme is ‘It’s All About The Self-Love, Baby!’ Oh yes.
This week we will be focusing on APPRECIATING our beautiful bodies for the amazing things they are.
Right. this. second.
Not in 10 pounds.
Not on your wedding day.
Not when you go away on your summer vacation.
Not when pigs fly.
Right. this. second.
Take a moment to reflect on some of the thoughts you had about your body today. My guess is that many of them were negative, right? I am guilty of this too, although I am slowly learning how to push out the negative thoughts and replace them with more positive ones. It takes time to change our thought processes which are so automatic and ingrained in our heads.
Many of you have probably read about my Road to Health series. They chronicle my entire journey though the bad times and the good times and how I finally stopped obsessing about food and weight.
All too often, we think ‘Only once I get to Point B, will I be happy’ or ‘Once I lose the weight, I will be happy/I will stop snapping at my boyfriend/I will go out and get that dream job’.
That is not a good way to live our lives! As women, I think we are especially prone to this type of thinking. We often put our own happiness to the side because we think that we aren’t worthy of true happiness and self-love until we have molded ourselves to which society deems is acceptable. I have spoken to so many women who just can’t seem to break out of the mindset that their life doesn’t officially begin until they have shed the weight or transformed their body.
It doesn’t have to be this way!
Several years ago, when I started to lose weight, I didn’t even stop to reflect or appreciate my hard work. Losing weight is VERY hard work, but often, we get so caught up in our ‘end goal’ that we take all of the pleasure out of those small triumphs that we make, often on a daily or weekly basis.
One of my gripes about many women’s magazines is that they seldom write about all of life’s small pleasures and how we can learn to appreciate small changes we make to our lives on a cosistent basis. All we tend to read is, ‘LOSE 30 POUNDS BY CHRISTMAS’ or ‘FIT INTO YOUR BIKINI BY MEMORIAL DAY’.
What about this:
‘Take a moment at the end of your day to reflect on the good choices we made today!’
I know, it’s not as catchy is it! But, just think about it for a moment…
I didn’t take any time yet today to reflect on some positive choices I made today, but I certainly need to start doing so. I think that things can become such a habit that we forget to appreciate all the great things we do for ourselves each day.
If I were to make a small list, this is what today would read like:
- I celebrated with a fun green monster today, when I was really tempted to skip it because I was so short on time this morning and just wanted to start baking. Instead, I took some time for my health!
- I didn’t feel like it, but I did some stretching today to thank my muscles for getting me through 10 miles yesterday.
- I had some dark chocolate for dessert at lunch today and didn’t let myself feel guilty for doing so. For whatever reason, when I was struggling with disordered eating, indulgences early in the day used to be a big trigger for me and would set me up for over-eating. I didn’t let myself feel guilty today.
- When I looked in the mirror this morning, I smiled and told my body how it did me proud yesterday! lol…true story! Why not, right?!
I didn’t even realize I had done so many positive things for my health until I listed them just now! I am sure there are others too.
If I could turn back time, I would definitely do more exercises like these when I was losing weight because I will admit, I often did not appreciate the journey. I was so focused on losing the weight that I really forgot about all the changes I have made.
I think it is crucial to stop and reflect each day, a few times a day, or a few times a week. Whatever works for you. Pencil it into your schedule if you have to. The best part of it is that it only takes a few minutes to think about a few positive decisions you made in honour of your health that day.
SGBC Homework
Yes, we have homework this week!
Once a day for the rest of the week I am asking you to take a few minutes to stop and write down a few positive things that you did in honour of your health on that particular day.
See if it helps you appreciate the journey!
Tonight’s question:
Do you stop enough to reflect on how far you have come? Do you pat yourself on the back for your accomplishments or are you always wanting more, more, more?
See you tomorrow for a hot topic that made my blood boil today!
Don’t forget to enter the awesome Amazing Grass giveaway! Keep those Green Monster stories coming.
I definitely think about how far I’ve come a lot, but I also have to be honest that I still have those negative thoughts from time to time too. But I am definitely getting better at kicking those in the butt! I never want to go back to my old, unhealthy ways,because I am just SO much happier now. I just have to remind myself of that anytime those annoying, negative thoughts creep into my mind!
wow- I needed that post today. thank you, ange.
You guys rock my socks!!! Love all the positivity :) I can’t wait to make my list tomorrow. ~A
Great post! and totally true on every level. I think we, especially as women are way too hard on ourselves. I’m really trying to make an effort and will be doing this “homework.”
Ahh, I needed this topic today. Thanks, Ang.
I love this. So true and so encouraging! Thank you!
Great post lady, as always!
Normally I wouldn’t appreciate any hard work if i didn’t lose weight, but i feel so good about my diet lately that i just feel so much better in general. i am able to feel a lot more confident in my diet around others as well, i don’t give in to things i don’t really want or things I do want but shouldn’t have unless i am treating myself or portioning well.
i am doing 500x better now than i was 2 months ago.
-muffy
Hello,
I almost didn’t make it to the gym this morning as I was feeling so BLAH. But I asked myself, is my body really asking for a rest day (which would be fine), or am I just lacking in motivation? I decided on the latter, but took it easy at the gym – less cardio, fewer weights, more stretching and yoga. And lo and behold, I was able to hold my side planks longer than ever, and that has put a smile on my face! So I just needed that little moment of reflecting on my true mood and body’s needs.
I have a question/request, Angela – could you let us know which stretches you’ve been doing after your 10-mile run that seem so helpful? I know stretching is very important, but am never sure I’m doing the right things, particularly after a long run – and I’m betting you’ve done some research on it!
Thanks, J
Great post — I will certainly try to incorporate some reflection in the next couple days. Yes, I definitely struggle with wanting “more” — it is difficult not to think “when I look like this. . . then this will happen”.
A friend sent me some old photos from college. Wonderful memories. I looked good (about what I do now, really), except for two things. The first is that I’m in much better shape now, and probably even a little bit thinner. The second was that I was really happy in those photos. . . I remember how good I thought I looked in a particular dress. I was probably more satisfied with how I looked then, than now. There are lots of reasons for why my perspective changed, but I have such a desire to go back to that time when I thought I looked good, and didn’t worry about calories/amount I exercised/how others perceived me.
I’m sorry for how long this comment is, but your post coincided with this funny realization yesterday night: there was a time when I wasn’t constantly wishing for more. I am really happy and proud of what I’ve done in the last year, but now I’d like to just return to that place where eating/exercise were just part of life — not something I had to focus on — not something that was tied to always wanting more.
you really know when to give words of encouragement. thanks so much :) you are wonderful. heres the link to teh green monster post I wrote! She wrote the title in wrong, but i hope you like the post itself :)
http://fitceleb.com/node/5748
This was the most inspiring post you have written- wow..how amazing. Thank you for pointing out the beauty of little things that make us strong, healthy and happy. Thank you for today’s post :)
I hadn’t read this post until now (trying to cet caught up!) but I really like it and I think it rings true for me. This whole wedding prep has taught me a LOT about myself. I have found tons of people saying to me “Leah should you be eating that, you want to fit into that dress don’t you?!” Ahh.. it’s so annoying!!! My wedding is not about losing weight whatsoever right now and I wish I learned this 6 months ago!
I love Leslie’s post! Something that might help with the confidence is wearing heels :) It improves your posture and just makes you feel taller & hotter! :)