BEFORE YOU LOSE, YOU HAVE TO LOVE
Before you lose, you have to love.
Before you lose, you have to love.
This is true in so many aspects of life. We cannot lose something we have never owned or experienced.
We talk about grieving people having lost a loved one. The grief they feel is because they risked their heart in love.
The same is bizarrely true about weight. If you hate yourself and hate your body, then losing weight is about punishment. Denying yourself food and putting pressure on your body to function energetically on less than it needs. It is this attitude of punishment that is so strongly associated to ‘diets’ and is the reason why so many people are not able to sustain weight loss after a diet has ‘ended’.
Most people start a diet because they no longer like what they see in the mirror or in pictures. The hardest part about deciding to lose weight is about admitting that you have done this to yourself. Then begins the self loathing. The disgusted voice in your head that says, ‘how could you have done this to yourself’…’you must be punished for doing this’…’you have no will power’…’you are weak’…’you are not good enough and may never be unless you become thinner.’
If you said this to someone else, would you expect them to thank you and love you still, as well as find the strength and motivation to keep going and not just go and seek comfort in food once more?
So what’s the alternative?
Before you lose, you have to love!
If you look at your body today, and look at it with love, regardless of its shape, size, lumps and bumps, but look at it in awe for all the unique and miraculous things it is and does, that’s a start. Learning to love you, and your body is the best place to start anything from. If you can learn to accept the body you have today, then you can decide to adapt your eating and exercise habits to be a healthy and happy part of your life. They will then be the actions of someone who is truly caring for their body, allowing it to function at its best. Losing weight will then be about showing kindness and love to your body and organs, as less fat will mean they can function better and easier. More exercise will build up muscle which will mean your body will use the claories you consume to keep fuelled.
The act of love starts with you.
It is not for someone else to tell you or make you feel desirable.
If you cannot accept who you are and the body you are in, how can you expect anyone else to do this?
And if this is sounds to simple, remember this…no child looks in the mirror and turns away in disgust. Self loathing is learned behaviour, and it is a creation of your mind, therefore you can create and alternative around love.
Before you lose, you have to love! If you are having trouble with losing weight, or loving yourself, then get in touch.
Wishing you a happy and confident day!
Lydia x