Following on from last week’s blog on how to make lasting lifestyle changes (here if you missed it https://theinspiredzone.com/lifestyle-changes-that-work/ ) it seems apt at this time of the year to talk a bit more about exercise and nutrition with at least some people having them in their New Year’s resolutions. For some that might mean just cutting down on alcohol, others might be trying to lose weight, get fitter, or to eat more fresh food and less take aways.
Whatever it might be, assuming you might have thought about being a bit healthier with exercise and nutrition, and let’s be honest most of us could be, then I’d like to talk a bit about what is motivating you to make those changes or at the very least is making you think about making them.
Some people feel that they should exercise more and/or eat a healthier diet. They think this only because that’s what the world at large tells them. Some of those people have tried to eat healthier and exercise more before and have felt the benefits. Other’s haven’t kept to it for long enough to feel the benefits so although the world at large is telling them they should exercise more and eat a healthier diet, they haven’t got any self evidence as to why they should bother.
Other people are motivated by a genuine self care. They want to look after themselves and feel fit, healthy and vibrant. Mostly these people are the ones that don’t yo yo between extremes, they simply live a healthy lifestyle as their normal. For these people it doesn’t require will power because it’s a natural choice they just want to, and do, make.
For many people though the desire to exercise and eat healthily comes from mixed motivation. There may well be the thought that they should do it because it would be better for them but a lot of their motivation comes from wanting to look a certain way. Whether they recognise it or not these people don’t feel like they look good enough, that somehow they would be more attractive if they looked different to how they do now. There is a feeling of not being good enough, and often there is a harsh inner critic that judges everything they are and everything they do. This driver behind diet and exercise has little to do with being healthier, even though it hides behind that outwardly.
For women the inner critic tells them that they aren’t toned enough, slim enough, pretty enough, their hair isn’t long enough, boobs aren’t big enough, eyelashes not long enough, lips not full enough, teeth not white enough, they have too much cellulite and worry about the wrinkles that may or may not have appeared yet.
For men, their inner judge tells them they are not tall enough, muscular enough, tough enough, cool enough, their face isn’t chiselled enough, teeth not white enough, facial hair not groomed enough and their six pack not ripped enough.
When the desire to make changes to exercise and food choices comes from the feeling of needing to look a different way it comes from a place of lack, a lack of self love and care. When this is the driver exercise can often become extreme and addictive. Healthy eating becomes a strict and often crash diet (interesting that it’s called a crash diet and yet many still do them) and these people often make up the majority that yo yo between one extreme or the other.
If you are currently making or thinking about making any changes in you exercise or diet choices then do take the time to ask yourself where your motivation is coming from. Why are you making these changes? Does the motivation come from a place of self care and self love, and if it doesn’t maybe it’s time you thought about why you aren’t being loving and caring to yourself. Why don’t you care enough about yourself to want to look after yourself on every level?
I highly suspect that if you can shift your motivation to come from a level of self love and care then you will find sticking to a healthier lifestyle far easier, if not completely automatic. If your driver is that you should or that you don’t look good enough then I suspect you will stay in the yo yo camp and your results will always be short lived not too mention the amount of will power you will have to muster up every time you think you should change.
FREE Webinar
In next week’s webinar at 8pm on Monday 28th January I will be chatting to expert Karen Norris on diet, exercise, the motivation behind changing them and some of the common mistakes people make. Karen has pretty much been there, seen it, done it. She knows how to get fit and look lean, and she has experienced harsh self judgement in her early days of all things fitness and took her body to the extremes of Body Fitness (as you can see in the picture of her competing). She is a wealth of knowledge having gone through it all and found a much healthier, loving way to be fit and healthy and can certainly tell us a thing or two to help us understand our choices.
Today Karen helps clients to achieve their health and fitness goals by taking a completely holistic approach of getting the inner relationship right and working with the mind, body and soul. We will be discussing her own journey and how she helps others to bring about lasting lifestyle changes.
Please do join us for this webinar to share your thoughts, to get all the tips you need to stick with a healthier lifestyle and to ask any questions you might have.
Webinar participation information:
- For the 8pm Monday 28th January call paste this link into your browser…
- The first time you try to join Zoom will ask you to download the software to run the session.This will take a few moments and then you will be able to join the call.
- You may need to use earphones to stop feedback so have them to hand in case.
- All attendees will be muted on entry to reduce background noise and interference. I will ask if anyone wants to ask a question periodically and if you do have a question then wave at me and I will ask you to unmute yourself to speak. If there are several people waving then I will write names down and come to you one at a time.
- Downloading any of the group calls is not permitted. This is in respect of those sharing information. Please honour and respect each other.
- All calls will be recorded and then posted into The Inspired Zone members only page on my website (launching in January) as a resource for members. Joining the call means that you give permission for this. As a member you can watch all previous calls whether you attend the call or not.
Additional Zoom information:
Please note that I am not a technical expert! If you experience any technical issues in joining these calls then please do research on Zoom who are technical experts!
https://zoom.us/join
How to join a meeting info:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-How-Do-I-Join-A-Meeting-
Recent Comments