Body Success and Body Love
Why are we so harsh on ourselves? Celebrate your body success and have body love!
BY Coach Tia - MP Trainer
So I was having a chat with a fellow PT this morning, someone who like me personally understands the fat loss and transformation journey. We started talking about how that magic number we want to see on the scale, the one we have been conditioned by BMI charts and the media to believe is that all important number to happiness; is so hard to ignore, especially when you have spent years focused on trying to reach it.
I told her to look at her wins! I pointed out that her clothes are small, she's a size 8! I pointed out that if any number was going to make her feel that little bit happier about herself let it be the one that tells her body shape has made such significant changes on her journey that she is no longer in double digits (which for her ultra petite frame is incredible). She smiled and said "why cant I think like that all the time? You're right"
I then proceeded to explain to her, that with myself I do the same thing. Yep I do. I too can periodically get caught in the scale trap (but to clarify, for me its because as a power lifter I'm trying to make a particular weight class); however in every day life I frequently remind myself that I used to be in the 20's clothing sizes (22-24) and now I'm in the low teens (12-14). I view that as a big achievement after being in the 20's for the majority of my late teens and adult life.
The conversation veered into pointing out the parts of our bodies that don't seem to change much, or seemingly just take a really long time to make those transformation changes we want to see when putting in so much consistent effort. Needless to say it got my brain ticking over and thinking, why are we so critical of ourselves? Why do we look at our "failures" instead of our success? Or "hate" parts of our bodies that don't seem to change instead of loving and celebrating the changes that our bodies have already made?
SO I looked at my own reflection for a good longtime when I got home and started to break down my own personal success and loves. One of the things I have learnt over the past few years of this journey into metabolic precision eating and training, is that I cant expect to undo a life time of body and metabolic abuse in a few years. If it took nearly 20 years of consistent abuse to create the mess I was, its going take a life time to fix it and maintain it.
So here they are, my success points. Invisible results - what's happening on the inside of my body, gone are the days I used to take HRT, thyroxine and metformin to control my unstable hormones and insulin resistance. The incredible metabolic precision way of eating has over time corrected that for me. another by product of this is feeling more energized and alert. Sleeping better, thinking clearer. In other words I FEEL great.
Movement and strength - When I first began lifting I struggled to lift a 20kg unloaded bar! It was too heavy. I could barely squat because I lacked hip flexibility, general range of motion and my knees hurt from the years of sedentary living and walking around carrying around an average fluctuation of 105 to 124kg! Now? Well I power lift! I'm strong. I'm not in blinding pain anymore. My fibromyalgia symptoms are now very well controlled because I am active and I no longer live on daily pain medication. The metabolic precision method of training has quite literally saved my body from a life of pain and subsequent mental anguish and anxiety that went with it. In other words both mentally and physically I FUNCTION the best I ever have.
What about body love? Sure I have body parts that aren't yet where I would like them to be, and honestly they may never be so how do I combat that one and avoid falling into the cycle of body hate and dissatisfaction? I often get comments on how I look great, the best I've ever been, I look so fit and strong ect... But my poor tormented brain took it as You look better than before and you look strong for a big girl; talk about self abuse! So here is what I came up with that I love about my ever changing shape. I love my small defined hour glass waist and how well I can wear a dress or cute top and shorts to accentuate it. I love my shoulders and how they look broad and strong, yet still feminine. I love the line of my collar bone and how feminine it looks in a breezy top or summer dress. I love how my butt has gone from saggy to high and perky because I can wear jeans really well now! It might sound odd but I love the strength I can see in my forearms and hands when I load and unload a bar for a client during training.
What do I not like? - It doesn't matter! it's unimportant! BY focusing on all the positive changes that my body has made, all the success's I have acheived on this journey so far it keeps me on check that the way I live and what I teach my MP clients is that this lifestyle is a sure fire path to success, the road is not by any means paved in gold, its rocky at times but if you embrace the challenge, tackle those rocks, boulders and whatever else rolls your way; whilst thanking your body for everything it does for you, your brain will catch up too!