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>>> Jumpstart Your Weight Loss In Menopause Guide
By the time we reach midlife, we’ve experienced some stuff. And sometimes that stuff can take a toll on our well-being. Being a coach has not made me immune to these struggles. Negative ideas can still creep into my thoughts.
I’ve done a lot of work over the years, and now those thoughts are less frequent and dissipate much more quickly, but I’m human and can’t completely rid myself of them. I have learned to manage my mind better and find them less overpowering now.
And when these thoughts would take hold, it was easy for me to let myself spiral into misery. The impact wasn’t just felt in my head. It would often migrate through my body. What started as a few critical thoughts lead to weight gain, physical pain, and trips to the doctor to investigate all of these uncomfortable symptoms. Tests were run and things come back as normal. It was frustrating!
I’m guessing you’ve probably experienced something similar.
Luckily time and my work have given me perspective. I’m now able to take a step back when I notice my cycle of negativity taking hold. When I take that pause and act as a gentle observer I can see what is actually happening internally.
I’ve also seen my clients go through similar struggles and I’ve had the chance to witness what works for them. I want to share what I’ve learned over the years.
1. We need support. Some people are lucky enough to get through life’s challenges without professional guidance, but if you’re like me and my clients then an outsider’s perspective can be life-changing.
Yes, even this coach has a coach! Sometimes I get too caught up in my head and can’t see the path out. When this happens, my coach, Bev has my back. She gives me clarity and reminds me that my feelings aren’t facts.
2 .View food as fuel. We ask for food to do a lot for us. We want it to provide comfort, pleasure, and nutrients. On a surface level, my clients often think that they’re giving themselves what they want when they eat and drink foods that are lacking in nutrition.
But when we become a body whisperer and are fully listening to what we want the answer is probably not beer and pizza. Your body most likely wants healthy food and a chance to de-stress with a walk or time to meditate. When I’m not listening to my body and eating the healthy food that it craves I’m more likely to fall victim to my inner critic.
I love wine and cookies as much as anyone else, however, I have also experienced their negative effects.
I’ve found that I can consume these fun foods and drinks but I need to be mindful. It’s just too easy for me to overdo it when it comes to these treats.
3. Use food as medicine. Food has the power to help us heal. I think we all know this deep down inside. However, when we get caught up in our unhealthy cycles we tend to forget. It’s easy to make flour, sugar, and fat the cornerstone of our diets. When we slide into this way of eating our bodies stop functioning properly and our brains… well they act like the brains of addicts.
We’ve got to have our flour, sugar, and bad fats – we eat more, more and more of them in hopes we’ll feel better. Instead, we just keep lighting up the addicted regions of our brain – it’s an endless negative cycle.
Then we gain weight. The primitive part of the brain, called the reptilian brain, loves this because it activates our survival instinct. So we gain weight, and the brain says, “Great – I’ll do everything to help you keep it on.”
Most of my clients need help getting out of this cycle. It’s not impossible to do on your own but it can be difficult. It requires a change to more than just what they eat. They have to do the hard work around their thoughts and emotions. But reaching the other side has so many amazing benefits.
I’ve witnessed many menopausal symptoms be alleviated when my clients eat anti-inflammatory foods that help their bodies heal. Women in my program know that menopause doesn’t have to mean being overweight.
A big takeaway for many women my age is that we can’t ignore ourselves any longer, especially when times are hard. We tend to put our own needs on the back burner, but when we arrive at menopause we quickly realize that’s no longer an option. Our bodies will do whatever it takes to get us to pay attention.
Change isn’t easy and overhauling your lifestyle can feel overwhelming so I like to think of it in 3 phases. Rethink (change your thoughts), Reset (change your food choices), and Reinvent (Putting it all together).
The first part of the process is to change your thought patterns. You have to rewire your thoughts to change how you feel. I have several episodes where I talk about how to do just that.
Begin with those and, if you are like me and the many other successful women I work with, there’s a good chance you will benefit from individualized support. If you think you could benefit from coaching, schedule a FREE mini-session. We can dive deeper and decide if my program is a good fit for you.
Take care of yourself!
