Carmel Beach, Carmel, California

“Gradual, safe exposure to whatever makes us anxious is always the most powerful way of eliminating anxiety.” —Martha Beck

The meaning of this quote can be very, very applicable to when it comes to taking control of our weight and our eating. For anyone who’s ever struggled with weight/eating issues, it’s obvious that at times food can be a major source of anxiety. As our clothes get tighter, the thought of food makes us more and more anxious. Should I eat it? Should I not? How much should I eat? What if one portion isn’t enough and I want more? What if I can’t stop at the healthy portion? What if I can’t lose the weight and I just keep eating and gaining?” ETC., ETC., ETC.

As a reaction to clothes getting tighter or seeing an unflattering picture of ourselves (or whatever other clues that lead us to recognize our weight is creeping up) we catapult ourselves FULL FORCE into diet mentality out of sheer panic, despair and fear. Full force, diet mentality might sound something like this: ” I am going to eat only fruit and veggies until I lose 5 pounds” or “I am going to do double workouts until I can get this weight under control and then I will be more realistic to maintain it” and for that moment, it makes us feel better because we have a plan and we temporarily feel like it’s going to be ok.

Fast forward to 10 hours after making our new outrageous plan and we are back to the familiar pattern of overeating that has facilitated the weight gain we loathe. Why? Because we jumped with an ALL OR NOTHING mentality and when the ALL got too painful (aka, hunger, deprivation, cravings) rather than managing the pain in a sensible way such as portion control and healthy food choices, we swung all the way to the do NOTHING and are right back where we started.

“Gradual, safe exposure” to cutting back is the most sensible and effective way to make changes that bring about lasting weight loss. Don’t allow yourself to go down the path of thinking only big changes count and small changes don’t matter. The beauty of small changes is that they are doable and achievable and NOT drastic. That makes them more sustainable, which leads to new habits and results.

If you’re struggling with your weight, don’t panic and definitely don’t think you’re powerless. Prove your control to yourself by identifying one small change you can make and incorporate it now. Pick something you can (and will) do no matter what’s going on in your life today. Something simple. Maybe drinking 6-8 glasses of water or forgoing your habitual night time snack and going to bed early instead. Tracking what you eat before you eat it might be a small step you know you can achieve. Whatever you can make work without feeling pressure or fear will get the momentum going in a positive direction. As you feel better, you’ll continue to do better. A healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be about pain and struggling. Instead, let’s design ours around joy, gratitude for who we are and small, lasting changes. Let’s prove our power to ourselves and revel in living gracefully!!!

Have a fabulous first full week of November🍁 Post a comment and share your energy with us all!! Letting us know what simple step you’re committing to and how you feel about it can help make it more real while also inspiring the rest of us!

All is well❤️

Love,

Terra🌺