The first time I decided my body was really not OK was when I stepped on the scale before my sister’s wedding in Tulum and saw the number 128. I was 17 and this seemed huge.
Before this, I wasn’t preoccupied with my body.
I was a pretty skinny girl through high school, super active, and I ate A TON.
Like, a LOAF of bread when I got home from soccer practice, before a pasta dinner that included more bread.
If you’ve ever said “When X happens… Y will happen…” and you want Y to actually happen NOW, keep reading…
So, 128 pounds seemed like so much, and seeing that number triggered my entire weight loss, weight gain, and eating disorder journey.
From the first macrobiotic cleanse I did where I lost 10 pounds in 5 days, to starving myself, binging, and purging, there was a mental frame that was ALWAYS present, and in retrospect, was the primary reason I stayed sick and stuck:
By the time I’m 18, I’ll have all this body stuff figured out. I’ll never have to think about food or dieting anymore. I’ll be naturally skinny again.
When I go study abroad in Italy, I’ll magically become SUPER slim and never obsess about food again, because I’ll absorb the European approach to food and life. I’ll eat one bite of cheese every day and be a size 00 forever.
By the time I’m 21, stressing over my body will be a thing of the past. I’ll have a size 24 inch waist forever.
Starting when I’m 21 – because, duh. (wtf?! this was my *actual* train of thought)
Ok, by the time I’m 25 I’ll totally have this all figured out. I’ll naturally only want tiny amounts of food and I’ll never feel uncomfortable in a bathing suit again.
By 30? This whole body image thing will be cake. Never again will I cringe and shy away when my boyfriend touches my stomach.
And by 40? I’ll be one of those ageless golden goddesses, and the same pant size I was at 15.
50? I will NEVER have to worry about my body again. Everything magically gets fixed when you’re 50. Because…well I don’t know why. But it’s true! (huh?!)
Have you ever noticed this thought pattern in yourself?
Maybe something like…
When things settle down a little and I’m not so stressed, I’ll finally be able to lose these 10 pounds of fat I’ve gained around my belly.
After the holiday rush I’ll go on a cleanse and lose all this uncomfortable weight around my thighs and butt.
Once I’ve met this deadline I can finally take that trip to France and change the way I think about food.
French women don’t get fat, right?
And then three years pass and you still haven’t done the thing?
Ok, I’m exhausted. Are you exhausted?
Time for a little truth serum: We all do this, and it has to STOP. NOW.
Vow to yourself to never again wait for an external circumstance to change before you allow yourself to have the body and life you want.
Because life will probably always be busy, hectic, and a little stressful.
And that’s a good thing. Because you get to choose what you do, and you should LOVE your busy schedule (if that’s what you chose).
I work with clients who want to…
- lose weight
- gain energy
- clear up their skin and get glowy
- heal chronic fatigue
- fix terrible digestion
- get laser-sharp mental focus
And no matter what the goal is, EVERYONE has said “When THIS happens, I can do THAT, or THAT will be fixed,” at some point, if not multiple times every week.
How about…
When THIS happens…THIS happens.
Meaning, when you take tangible action on the thing you most want, that’s exactly when it happens. Not when some external factor shifts.
If we spend our whole lives waiting for things we don’t control (like age) to change so we can have the body and life we dream of, it will NEVER. HAPPEN.
I’m not trying to scare or intimidate you, and this doesn’t mean you have to change your entire life today.
The only way to break this mental pattern and start being the person you want to be and living the life you’ve always imagined today is to simply take one small action.
Then keep taking 1-3 small actions every day toward healing your body and living your life to the fullest.
Even if that action step is simply taking five deep breaths to engage your parasympathetic nervous system and trigger weight loss and self-healing (yes, that’s science – ask me about it). Do it.
Think about your daily life now: In what ways do your moment-to-moment actions sabotage your big-picture goals around your body and life?
Does coffee make you feel like sh*t but you keep drinking it on autopilot cause you think you need it for energy and focus?
Newsflash: In excess, coffee actually drains your energy and focus and depletes your adrenal glands (think of your adrenals as your battery pack).
Are you actually sensitive to gluten, but you keep ignoring those horrible stomach pains and gas cause it feels too hard to eat gluten-free?
Stop today.
Because you are a GODDESS (or god) and you deserve food that makes your body and brain feel incredible and function optimally.
If you want to feel and look your best, stop putting it off by waiting for something outside you to shift.
Take action for yourself today, because you love yourself.
For many people, this is the hardest thing to do, but it’s so worth it, and I know you can do it.
So, what action step are you going to take today, or better, right now, toward the big THING you’ve been trying to do for years?
Share with me in the comments below.
Love ya xo
Photo: Prospect Photography
Hi Lula! I love the concept of taking 1-3 small actions every day toward healing your body and living your life to the fullest because you’re totally right, life will probably always be busy, hectic, and a little stressful. Thanks for the timely reminder and I’m sure it will benefit many others just as it benefited me.