Changing our Perspective

Several years ago, I worked with a lymphatic coach in an effort to understand how my body responded to my food choices.  I have been overweight for the past 25 years as a response to several traumatic experiences.  I had learned that eating foods high in sugar and rich in fat provided comfort when my thoughts turned dark, and I felt myself spiraling into a funk.  Food did not let me down.  Food was there when I needed it, and food did not talk back. 

It provided comfort for many years while I struggled to sort out my thoughts, emotions, and spiritual life.  Eventually, however, my choices led to ill health, and I realized that I had to make big changes in my life if I was going to reach retirement age.

Adding Exercise

So, I began to walk and pay attention (once again) to what I ate, and I lost about 30 pounds.  And then I stopped losing weight.  I continued to walk and continued to watch what I ate, but the weight stubbornly refused to move, and I got discouraged and slid back into bad habits.  And I began to GAIN weight again.

I ended up in tears, not knowing what to do…

Persevere in looking for help

About a year after I had resigned myself to always being this weight and having little control over my health, I met a lymphatic coach.  She and I were talking about some skin issues I have that I had also resigned myself to, and she said that she could help with that.  I was intrigued.  Was it possible that she knew something the doctors did not?  I was willing to take the chance. 

She started me slowly by asking me to increase my water intake.  This made my cells happy and made my heart’s job easier, making me feel better. 😊  She then increased my walking time, changed some things about the way I ate, and gave me some more tips on how to increase my energy – and miraculously, her suggestions also led to me being able to sleep better.  I haven’t slept for more than 5 hours at a time in 13 years!!! 

Creating Space for Rest

REST is as important to our bodies as eating, drinking, and breathing.  It is vital for maintaining good mental and physical health and allows us to recover from the mental and physical exhaustion of our day.    

A few months after working with her, I had lost 17 pounds, my skin rashes had cleared up and I saw that what I was doing greatly affected the health of my skin.  I understood more about what I needed to eat, how those choices affected my body, why I felt hungry at times, and what to do about it.   

I tell you this story to show you how closely my understanding of my physical health affected my mental and emotional health.  I was DESPERATE when I first met her.  I was not sleeping, not eating well, discouraged, and resigned. 

HOWEVER…

I still had enough determination to try ONE LAST THING!!!  And it became the thing that changed my life!

Our moods, thoughts, behaviour, and physiology are all interrelated.  As I reinforced the neural pathways of resignation and hopelessness in my brain, I began to distract myself with food.  But when I began to feel hopeful again, I focused on how the healthy food FELT – I slept better, felt better, and had more joy and resilience. 

As I began to understand the behaviours that affected my physical health and learned NEW WAYS of moving food and water through my body, I began to feel joy and hope, and POSSIBILITIES!  I noticed the things I had been doing that did not support my body well and made changes.  I was determined and persistent because now I had someone who held me accountable, provided me with answers, and gave me solutions that I had not thought of myself.

Track your progress

• I began to track my energy and moods – what food made my body feel good? Let’s add more of that.
• Which activities provide me with energy? Let’s do more of that.
• What thoughts are supporting my new life? Let’s do more of that.
• What foods, behaviours, and thoughts are NOT supporting my healthiest life? Let’s do less of that.
• I kept track on my phone. My voice recorder was constantly busy as I talked out my issues and found solutions.
  • I journaled.
  • And as my body began to feel better, so did my mind.

You can do this too!!!

You can do these things, also.  You can track your moods, behaviours, and thoughts and see how they affect your body.  You can elevate your mood by creating new pathways in your brain through consistent positive thoughts.  And it WILL affect your body.

• If you are tired of feeling tired and sluggish and resigned to your current status in life
• If you are CERTAIN that there is ONE MORE THING YOU CAN TRY
• If you want to LEAVE BEHIND ANXIETY and step into JOY,

Then reach out and contact me. I can help.

Connect@alifedesignedbylove.com