Perspective

Sunday, November 12, 2023

3:18 PM

A few weeks ago I posted on my IG stories that nothing in life cooperates with you when you are antagonizing it or coming from a place of frustration and resentment. Not your kids, not your job, not your man, and especially not your body.

Notice I said "your body", not "you." You are not your body. You are a being, living in your body. But your body belongs to you, the being. You are a being, having a human experience; a human being. Our bodies are a gift, a vessel we as beings use to experience life. So yes, we should love and appreciate our bodies the same way we appreciate the other things we have in life; our cars, homes, jobs, families, etc.

That said, one of my main goals in motivating women to get back into shape is for you to understand that you cannot beat or punish your body into shape. When you speak down to your body, you are not giving your body the safe space it needs in order to support your goals. When you are impatient with your weight loss journey, you are denying your body the time and positive energy it needs to make the cellular adjustments that need to happen in order to cooperate with you long-term. You spent years putting on the extra weight, but expect the weight to fall off within 3 months of consistency in the gym… the unrealistic expectations only delay progress.

Denying your body the nutrition it needs is not sustainable long-term. Getting in the gym and pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion is not sustainable long-term. Depriving yourself of the things that you love is not sustainable long-term. Loving your body only when it looks the way you want it to, is not sustainable long-term. This is why so many people despise the weight loss process. How can you possibly enjoy the journey, when you're not finding ways to make it enjoyable?

Have cheat days, and enjoy the things that make you happy. Listen to your body, and dial back the intensity or take breaks from the gym when you need to. Repeat positive affirmations to yourself to keep your mind productive and in alignment with your goals. Starving yourself and eating less calories than your body needs to function will only lower your metabolism, making it harder to lose weight long-term. And when you return to your normal eating habits - y'know, since you can't starve yourself forever? - the weight will return, and it'll be even more difficult to lose again.

Every time I pray, I thank God for my health and the ability to move my body free of restrictions. I pray for safety in the gym so that I can continue to do what brings me closer to my ever-changing goals. I ask God to supply me with the information and discipline I need to keep going. I lovingly accept the things I cannot change and even the things I can change, knowing that love truly does conquer all. I've learned to appreciate my body as is, even as I work hard to improve it.

The gym doesn't have to be a daunting place, and the wellness journey doesn't have to be unbearable. Life is about perspective, and so is your wellness journey. Changing your perspective changes your experience.

Until next time, my astute friends… be well.

Love,

Danielle