by Lucy | Jan 22, 2017 | Motivational Mondays
Monday, January 23, 2017
“…if we want freedom from perfectionism, we have to make the long journey from “what will people think” to I am enough.” -Brene Brown
I’ve admitted before that I’m a recovering perfectionist and I’ve explained that Well Balanced eating is far from perfect. Today, I share with you why we should not strive for perfection when it comes to our bodies.
Perfectionism, not to be confused with self-improvement or striving for excellence, is a never ending struggle to please everyone in order to avoid discomfort. As Brene Brown defines it, perfectionism is a belief system that fuels this primary thought: If I look perfect and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgement, and blame.
Body shaming is when we tell ourselves we are not good enough unless we have the perfect stomach, the perfect butt or the perfect hair. And if we don’t feel good enough, we tend to judge other people for not being perfect. Then when we are feeling bad about ourselves we blame someone or something for our imperfections.
What we must realize is that our worthiness does not have anything to do with what our bodies look like. I’ve battled with body shame recently, feeling too small and not girly enough. I’m not saying this for pity and definitely not to be judged, but to help us all understand that it is normal for us to feel a little uncomfortable about our bodies. We all fight the voices that tell us, if only I had ____, I would be _____. You can fill in the blanks.
It’s not that we can’t enjoy wearing make-up to feel beautiful or go to the gym to get a fitter body. The trouble is when we start associating our worth with those things.
Your homework: Listen to your inner critic and pay close attention to how much you believe and internalize the things she tells you. It’s important to be mindful of negative feelings but then to let them go, rather than clinging on to the negativity. When you hear your inner voice say things that you would never say to your daughter or your best friend, it is time to replace those thoughts with, “I am enough.”
by Lucy | Jan 15, 2017 | Motivational Mondays
Monday, January 16, 2017
#Struggling
I had not expected that simple cry for a virtual hug on FaceBook would lead to such an outpouring of love and support. Last week, the snowstorm obliterated my work schedule and created a spiral of negativity in my mind. After a particularly rough day, I posted “#Struggling…Prayers welcome” on Facebook. The response was tremendous. I received many comments with words of encouragement from people of different chapters in my life. The positive energy was felt immediately and the week ended very well.
I was pleasantly surprised and this experience reminded me of how much people want to help each other. It feels good to be needed and nice to support someone else. According to Dr. Christine Carter of Psychology Today, when we are kind to other people we boost our own physical and mental health. Some people report feeling stronger and more energy when they volunteer, while others report less depression and a sense of calmness.
I was at an office last week and heard a familiar story about the food dumping in the break room. This is a common practice of coworkers to leave leftover cake, cookies, other baked goods, or candy to share with their fellow office mates. We live in a society where processed sugar is often used as a way to show love, comfort, or support. For those who cannot stop at one square of chocolate, one cookie, or a small piece of cake these “gifts” turn into willpower zapping sugar demon experiences.
It’s that time of year when some of us are feeling extra inspired to become our happiest healthiest selves. This time, let’s not go at it alone. Let’s be the support of loving kindness to each other on our shared journeys.
Food for thought:
Are you #Struggling? Is it irresistible treats in the break room or your best friend constantly asking you to go out for pizza?
Often people do not know you are struggling unless you tell them… Being vulnerable can be scary, but it can also be amazingly rewarding.
We would love to hear how we can help! Feel free to respond or leave a comment below.
by Lucy | Jan 8, 2017 | Motivational Mondays
Monday, January 9, 2017
Last week, I met Peggy*, who has prediabetes. She, like many of you, is interested in managing her health and wellness without prescription medications. Peggy has a strong family history of diabetes and heart disease but does very well managing her weight with regular exercise and a well-balanced diet. She also lives with a professional chef who loves to bake cookies, cupcakes, and other sweet treats. Despite being at a healthy weight and doing regular physical activity, Peggy’s blood sugars are higher than normal and her physician recommended she start drug therapy.
In our conversation, Peggy wanted to know her options. We talked about the pros and cons of taking medications and also reviewed the importance of being a detective of her blood sugars. During our conversation, Peggy decided she would regularly monitor her glucose – sugar in the blood – to identify what times of day, meals, and snacks may be causing her elevated blood sugars.
This action plan includes several steps including: (1) buying a glucometer to check her blood sugars, (2) buying the test strips to draw the blood, (3) setting a reminder to check her glucose at different times each day, and (4) recording the results in a journal or electronic device. While this may sound excessive, to Peggy it is worth finding out the information in order to make the best decision for her health and well-being.
This situation made me remember the choices conversation we had last year. Life is nothing but a series of choices to decide how to use our time, energy, money, and other resources.
*Name changed to protect identity
Food for thought:
- Are you trying to change your eating habits?
- Are you feeling brave enough to try that new exercise class at the gym?
The only thing stopping us is the story in our minds. What’s worth the effort for you?
by Lucy | Dec 28, 2016 | Well Balanced Wisdom
If your house is anything like mine, the carols have been sung, the party was enjoyed, the presents have been unwrapped and now Santa and his elves have gone on vacation. Nothing remains but the mess: a mess of toys, a mess of food, a mess of the budget and a mess of all the usual routines. This can make it hard to see past this week and into the New Year let alone the Summer.
BUT if you can, for just a moment, consider this. In a recent study, researchers found that Americans gained more 10 days after Christmas, compared to the 10 days leading up to Christmas and HALF of that weight didn’t come off until the Summer months and beyond. Perhaps it is because we spend the time before Christmas running around preparing for all the events and then once it’s over we sink back into our chairs, take a deep breath and finally get to relax. It can also be easy to over indulge in all the excess food and drinks remaining from the celebrations. It’s important to kick back for a bit and recharge with family and friends, but not to the point that our health should suffer.
You don’t have to stay on this path if you don’t like where it’s taking you. Yes, it is hard to get back on track after a major holiday. Yes, you can do it. Don’t shy away from doing hard things. Instead, remember that today’s choices affect tomorrow’s experiences. We can have the best intentions but it’s our actual choices that will lead us somewhere.
So today is your chance to focus on what you want the most (good health, energy, longevity, positivity, a well-balanced lifestyle, a healthy budget and so on), in order to say no to what you might want in the moment.
Here are some choices to get you thinking:
- Choose water or tea instead of soda, wine, beer, and other sugary beverages.
- Choose to stop when you are full and satisfied regardless of food pushers around you
- Choose to put the sweets away, off the counter and hidden in the back of the fridge
- Choose to put a bowl of fruit on the counter and the vegetables at eye level in your fridge
- Choose to move more and get outside instead of watching Christmas movies all day
Food for thought:
What DO you want most?
What could happen when you choose to focus on what you want the most, rather than what you want in the moment?
If you are ready to lose weight and do not want to do it alone, let us help. Check out Restart, Rebalance to learn more.
by Lucy | Dec 18, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Monday, December 19, 2016
Fold your laundry! Do the dishes! Why do you always leave your toys on the floor??
A few years ago, I received a book called The Gift of Feedback from my mentor and friend, Heather Miranda. Prior to receiving this book, I had a serious conversation with a supervisor regarding my tendency to be late. At the time, I did not see the feedback about my tardiness as a gift. It felt more like a punch in the gut!
What happens if you criticize or offer constructive feedback to someone? Likely, they get defensive and tell you why you’re wrong. Or they start making excuses to explain or defend their behavior.
Sometimes, especially during the holidays, (aka the season of sugar) we make decisions that we think are bad or wrong. The “bad food” does not perfectly follow our diet or we may have overeaten the good stuff. For example, a friend of mine went to a holiday party last week and decided not to eat any sweets, but after being persuaded by coworkers she ate a few bites of dessert. The next day, my friend checked her weight at the gym and instantly felt terrible because of the number on the scale. She attributed the weight gain to the 3 bites of dessert she ate the day before. Inside, she was highly critical of herself and the story in her mind focused on the “mistake” that she made.
As discovered by the world-famous psychologist, B. F. Skinner, animals learn more rapidly when rewarded for good behavior versus being punished for bad behavior. Studies show this concept applies to us humans too. Some parents may agree they are more likely to get their kids to do chores or homework when praised versus being nagged or threatened.
Food for thought:
If we know criticizing doesn’t work why do we keep doing it ourselves…? As my lovely business partner, Kristen, says: Would those comments in your head be the same thing you’d say to your best friend or mother?
What are 3 accomplishments you are proud of from the past year?
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What are 3 choices that you’re proud of from the last week?
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