“I have just returned from a fabulous family holiday and have come back with a few more pounds that I went with for sure (I haven’t weighed myself – I figure what’s the point it will only make me feel bad!).
But also with a sense of happiness that I have never had before.
The reason for this is I went on holiday having worked hard to feel good in my bikini and I did.
I’m a size 16 and some people may think, god I can’t believe she wore a bikini at that size, but I felt good because my body is healthy, toned and strong and IT’S MINE!
How I feel about my body and myself is all to do with my mindset and eating as healthily as i can and exercising when i can.
I didn’t feel guilty on holiday when I indulged and I don’t feel bad now I have come back because I will now crack back on with normal life.
This is an absolute first for me. I have spent so much of my life not really enjoying high days and holidays because of guilt that I’m breaking my diet and that I SHOULD beat myself up about it, and then I would come back and punish myself for putting on weight and then got into the cycle of misery again. Never again!
As I said I have come back with a few more pounds I reckon but also without the extra baggage (see what I did there!?) of guilt and self punishment, but with a sense of happiness about a wonderful family holiday with lots of laughs, adventure and fun and some cocktails to boot!
Life is for living and enjoying not for enduring!”
——————————
Please have a real good read of that quote, from my client Kate, and take in just how awesome that is.
Kate’s on an Online Coaching journey with me now, and a key thing we’ve been working towards right from the start is being happy and loving her life and her body NOW, not when she hits a certain number
on the scales.
Sure, weight loss is a goal, but so many women chase a weight they feel they ‘should be’ and spend YEARS feeling miserable and hating the body they have now.
That’s where the quick fix diets come in, that leave you even more miserable and NEVER work for the long term. Then you end up back at square one, feeling like a failure, and the cycle starts again.
That’s not a great way to live! You deserve to be happy now, whatever your body looks like, and you can do that while working towards goals of being healthier, slimmer, and whatever else you desire to be.
It’s a lot more fun this way.
With Kate, we’ve worked on ENJOYING food, not restricting it. Finding delicious new healthy recipes to try. Fitting in tasty snacks that feel like a treat but don’t add a ton of extra calories.
Kate’s been out to various social events and enjoyed wine, chocolate, off-plan meals and the odd blow-out on a pizza. She’s still making steady progress and is enjoying life without feeling guilty and miserable after. This is the way it should be!
With exercise, we’ve focused on weights training with a small amount of home equipment Kate has bought. Everything is there ready for use whenever a quick session can be fitted in, and we’re focused on getting a STRONG body as well as fit and toned. Like so many women, Kate has found this kind of training hugely motivating and empowering. Pull ups are a current goal being worked on 🙂
No danger of getting big bulky muscles – as a woman this is pretty much impossible to do by accident as we just don’t have the testosterone levels required to build a manly physique.
It’s just a fun and empowering way to exercise, and the circuits don’t take long either so can fit into a busy day no problem.
We’ve also added walking, often while listening to podcasts and audiobooks about mindset. This has been massive for Kate and a lot of other women I work with too. If you struggle with weight loss, confidence, self-esteem or anything else, learn more about the mind and how it works. It’s so helpful.
You’ll start to understand yourself and other people and see the world in a completely different way, and start to see how you can change things for the better.
I’m really proud of Kate and how she’s doing. Going on holiday, wearing a bikini, feeling happy and ENJOYING herself, GUILT-FREE for the first time is just awesome.
So much more important than what she weighs when she steps on the scales.
This is a longer way to do things, but by focusing so much on the mindset we’re ensuring it’s a way that will last for good.
I hope you can pick up some tips from this on how to make a lasting change. Generally the quicker you try to lose weight and be happy, the less likely you are to succeed.
So take it slow. Find things you enjoy. Focus on developing a strong and happy mind as well as body. Keep learning and never stop. Be happy NOW while working towards something even better.
Interested in Online Coaching? Just send me an email at hayley@performanceproject.co.uk, or contact me HERE.