Get Healthy & Be Well

I'm taking a whole new approach to this thing we call a "Healthy Life Style". It takes more than just diet and exercise. I'm realizing you must heal your mind while you heal your body or it will all be for nothing.

[gethealthybewell]

Hi all,

Today I'm going to discussing how I can find a way to eat intuitively and make a plan to still lose weight. It'll be me mostly talking through things so it's going to be kind of ramble. I apologize in advance for that.

Inherently, intuitive eating is the anti-diet. It's meant to break a person free from the chains of diet mentality. The whole concept and all of the principles (see here) mesh with me quite nicely...except the fact that I'm supposed to not want to lose weight. The book and many other sources tell me that I can not effectively eat intuitively if I focus on my body image.

This concept is difficult for me for a couple of reasons.

I've been focusing on my weight since I was what...eleven? Sad but true. Since I was a child I had family members pointing out my pudge. It's kind of hard to change a mindset you've had for 16 years.

I also still think it's okay and possible to love yourself but want to want to improve how you look.

But I guess I need to work on the "loving" myself part first. One thing intuitive eating tells you is to admire and appreciate your body for where it is in this moment. It's kind of an act of mindfulness if you think about it.

When we are being mindful we do not focus on what was or what will be. We focus on what is. That's why I love Yoga so much. Because it tells us that where we are in that moment - wether we can hardly touch our toes or if we can do the splits - is perfect.

So by that standard, my body right now, is perfect. I may strive to improve it and make it better but in every passing moment, my body is perfection. And in thinking my body is perfect, I begin to love my body. And in loving my body, I begin to care for it. And I care for it by giving it exercise so that it can grow strong. I feed it good food so that it can function at it's best. And I allow it to take in treats in moderation because I do not deprive it of anything.

So what's to be said about weight loss goals? In understanding that the number by itself won't be the only thing that makes me happy, but one of many things that will contribute to my happiness, would it be okay to set that goal?

I have a number in mind - about 25lbs less than I weigh right now. I have other health goals as well. I want to start a daily yoga and meditation practice. I want to run a certain distance. And I want to feel a certain way about myself and my body. I understand my happiness isn't dependent on that number. And I understand there are more factors that contribute to a general feeling of wellness. So that being said, I'll still keep that number in mind.

So what I'm concluding is this:

In addition to working on my physical appearance, I will work on loving myself in the now. My body deserves to be treated well both physically and mentally. Weight loss goals are fine as long as I realize my happiness does not depend on them. I feel like these are things people have figured out in the past but only after they hit their goals. I'm kind of doing this thing backwards.

I'll continue the process of intuitive eating. Realizing I can have whatever I want (in moderation). That food isn't bad. That I should eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full...and all of the other amazing principles the book lays out. But I'm going to continue to work on improving my body, how it looks, how it functions and how I think about it.

Love Always,

-A

[cwote]

Please Eat

Yes, you should eat. You should always eat. No more of this sitting around for an hour with your cup of coffee trying to decide. You should always eat. There is never a time when skipping a meal is the right answer. Go eat, because you need to. Go eat, because you have a life to live.

[acreativeblackguysmind]

Muse

-a woman, or a force personified as a woman, who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist.

Source.

[blackyogis]

Yoga is Beauty

[hancarolyn]

I used to avoid eating carbs as much as possible because I thought they would make me fat. But lately ive been eating a pretty carb heavy diet and ive actually lost about 10lbs and ive never had so much energy before!! Ive never felt this good before :)

AGSJAKDKA SAME!!! I got in the habit of saying no to nutritious foods just because they were higher carb. The past month I’ve felt AMAZING and I’ve been eating more carbs than ever :) so proud of you babe!!! Carbs are the best

[gethealthybewell]

Your body actually really needs carbs to survive! If you stop eating carbs your body can start consuming muscle for energy which is no bueno. Carbs can be our friends!

[lov3rs-fuck3rs]

[dreamin-realities]

[gethealthybewell]

I'm Strugglin'

Hi Lovelies! It's currently like...6:00am. Usually when I wake up at this time I just roll over and cuddle the BF until I fall back to sleep. But right now I'm in San Diego for my best friend's bachelorette party. So try as I might, my brain won't slip back into a sleepy time coma. So I figured - why not write about something that's been on my mind for the past week!? Yay! As you might have noticed, I didn't blog about Intuitive Eating Principals last week. And that's because I'm having a really hard time with my body. The point of intuitive eating is to drop the hope that you'll lose weight and to love your body as is. When you allow yourself to not have a bad relationship with food, you start eating in a way that makes you feel good which often includes healthier options. Then at that point you may or may not lose weight. I still agree with the concept completely. However, this process is taking a while and to be quite honest, I'm impatient. I don't like how my body looks right now. I've done a good job of finding things that I do like about my body and of stopping the negative self talk. However, I want my body to change. Not only aesthetically but I want to FEEL better. I want to see results when I work out. And I want to look and feel stronger. To do this I HAVE to eat healthier. I have to. So this kind of puts me between a rock and a hard place. I don't want to fall back into a diet mentality. I don't want to restrict food. I don't want to lose control of what and how I eat again. I hated that. But I want to be healthy and lose some weight. I want to like how my body looks. What do I do? And on top of all this - allowing myself to eat whatever I want whenever I want it is kind of expensive. I spend a lot of money on food. That's a big no no. I think what I might experiment with is making this about loving myself and my body. Buying sweets every single day just isn't good for me. Eating French fries for dinner so often just isn't good for me! My body needs and deserves healthy foods. So during the week I'm going to make conscious decisions to eat healthier. It's not that I "can't" have certain foods, it's that I'm "choosing" not to. I'll really try to evaluate why I want to eat certain things. I'll apply all of the intuitive eating principals while being more conscious of what I'm putting into my body. And let's be real, I'll save some money too. I'll start setting small, achievable goals for myself. And I'll make sure to build myself up. My body deserves that. I deserve that. I'll continue with the Principles blogs next week. But there's definitely going to be a different spin on them. Let's see how this goes! Now that that's off my mind, I guess I'll try to go back to sleep now 😅

[gethealthybewell]

Hey Lovelies!

Last week (Making Peace with Food) was a bit of a tough one for me. Well. Just Sunday. Because I had literally four donuts and I was having a really hard time with that. I slipped back into compulsive eating.

I bought donuts for my co-workers and one for myself. But then I had another and another after that. I wasn't even hungry or craving the donuts by the end of it. They were there so I had to have them. Then today I bought candy that I knew I only wanted because I was feeling guilty about the donuts. If that makes ANY kind of sense. Needless to say, psychologically I don't feel too great.

But this whole thing is about lessons. I learned what my body feels like when I don't honor my hunger or make peace with food. I know what my stomach feels like when I stuff it with food when it's not hungry. To grow, we must make mistakes. So I don't see this as a failure. I see this as an opportunity.

Now my struggle is, do I take a break from sugar again or carry on like normal? Tomorrow is another day. I'll see where my mind is at and go from there. That's the  best I can do!

However, the principle for this week comes just in time. This week, I'm going to Challenge the Food Police.

Challenging the Food Police means shutting down the thoughts that you are "good" or "bad" for eating certain things. It's the voice that tells you "Don't buy that candy! It's full of calories!" or "You shouldn't eat that bread! You'll never lose weight!" or "If you eat another doughnut, you should cut out sugar for the rest of the week!"

The Food Police is always in the back of my mind. Through all of the progress I've made with intuitive eating, this one I think is going to give me the most trouble. I've spent years of my life not only believing certain things about food, but certain things about myself when I eat certain foods. Like I'm weak or have no will power if I eat things that are "bad" for me.

I'm not quite sure how I'm going to battle this one to be honest. How do I reach into brain and literally re-arrange my psyche? Sometimes when I eat certain foods feel gross. Not in a "I ate too much and I feel sick in my tummy" sort of way. But like my body is gross for eating whatever it is I just ate.

I guess it's time to do what I do best and dig deep within myself to try to sort this out. There's lots of work to be done this week. Wish me luck!

[this-fit-girl-deactivated202004]

Follow for more!

[aliens-bro]

This blog supports the life of honey bees 🐝

[bookstackxyz]

TAG someone and say FOLLOW @BikiniYoga_!

Today’s Yogi Superstar: >>>>>>>>>>> @nikkigrowfit @nikkigrowfit >>>>>>>>>>> Tags: #stringbikini #2Piece #bikini #swimsuit #beautiful #Hot #yoga #bestofig #shoutout #s4s #trillyoga #followforfollowers #hotyoga #fitness #sexyyoga #selfie #yogagirl #yogakini #bikiniyoga #yogaeverydamnday #yogalove #beachyoga #yogalife #swimsuityoga #iloveyoga #yogachallenge #yogi #igyoga #yogapose #acroyoga | For more go to The Fit Life

[patrickbeach]

some of you have been asking for an arm strengthening yoga practice, so here you go! get those arms going. enjoy the class have fun building some muscles. please hit the reblog so your friends can get a little muscle too, we wouldn’t want to leave any of them out!

[this-fit-girl-deactivated202004]

Follow for more!

[charlottewinslow]

[gethealthybewell]

Making Peace with Food

Hi lovelies!

Last week I focused on honoring my hunger. This week the focus will be on making peace with food.

Making peace with food means letting go of the notion that one should or should not eat a certain thing. As intuitive eaters, we give ourselves permission to eat what we want. I feel like I've been working on this through out this whole process. When we don't make peace with food, we end up depriving ourselves of what we really want, which leads straight into diet mentality.

This principal is going to be an interesting one to work with. Although I've conscious of my thoughts about my self and my food, I still have this underlying feeling certain things being "good" or "bad". I'm still learning to shed the guilt I get from eating certain things. The reality of the matter is my health should come first and foremost.

But I must say, I've made a lot of peace with food already since beginning this little project of mine. I find that I'm eating what I want, when I want it, not in excess and mostly to enjoy. Sometimes I do eat beyond my hunger (but not far beyond my physical comfort level) just for the taste and I feel okay with that. It's a conscious decision as opposed to being driven by a seemingly uncontrollable force.

Last week I also backed off on sugar as to allow myself to really be able to feel my hunger. This week, while still being conscious of my health and hunger, I'll begin eating sugar again. (Okay lets be real, I had sugar last Friday when I went out with the boy and got cocktails. Sorry not sorry!) But now I feel like I'm really going to start tuning in to not only how I feel physically, but how I feel emotionally about what and how I'm eating.

Should be a good week!

[gethealthybewell]

Honoring My Hunger (pt. 2)

Hi Lovelies!

This week I made the commitment to honor my hunger  and to also not indulge in so much sugar as to not disrupt my hunger cues.

Before working on eating intuitively, I would  allow myself to grow so hungry that I couldn't even think straight. Doing this would cause me to eat more than I normally would. Honoring my hunger made me take a step back and say "Okay, I'll finish this after I have a snack." Before practicing this principle I remember I'd even secretly celebrate only snacking through out the day and not having an actual meal because I skipped out on the calories. That's the dangerous thinking and I'm glad I've started paying more attention to my thoughts.

The one challenge I had with this principal was not texting or browsing social media while I ate - which is something that I predicted would happen. One day last week I was totally not focused on my body while eating. At the end of my meal,  my tummy was protesting. I felt almost painfully bloated. Lesson learned!

Once I started to really pay attention to my hunger, I automatically began spacing out when I would eat and didn't snack as much. Remember before I would eat either because I was bored OR I would end up eating a lot because I was skipping meals. I can really see how intuitive eating regulates people's BMI and weight because your body really does know how much it needs to eat.

Now lets talk about this sugar thing. I can never in my life remember a time where deciding to not eat sugar was so easy. I did eat some Chobani yogurt for snacks at work, but they are very low in sugar. Usually I would get a pastry, cookies, candy or all of the above daily! But when the urge to buy sugary food came I reminded myself that I was giving my body a break from sugar because I want to be healthy. The fact that I knew I could have it whenever I wanted but I was *choosing* to not have it was a game changer.

Another interesting thing was, I would more often than not get the urge to buy these snacks when I was bored. Not when I was actually hungry. My actual hunger left me wanting an actual healthy meal as opposed to snacks. Now I'm inspired to really truly continue to pay attention to my hunger and what my body wants/needs.

All in all this was a successful week for me!

[wildernessyogi]