Belly fat, flab, muffin top. Ugh, you know, that little bit (or lot) of doughy fat around the midsection, that gets more stubborn the older we get? that Ugh! I'm sure I'm not the only one who has had frustration with understanding why it's there, and of course trying to get rid of it! Well we may not all be able to have “washboard” abs, but we can certainly lean out that tire a little bit ;). In fact, I’m working to slim mine down now to get ready for summer - YAY!!!
Let's start with some background. What is that fat? Why does it seem like an endless battle to get rid of it? …Read here for strategies!
This is one of my favorite topics - but one of the most challenging parts of coaching people. The comfort zone is where we live when we don’t feel challenged or stressed, but also where we feel lazy. Routine is the comfort zone. Status quo is the comfort zone.
Now don’t get me wrong - sometimes we need the comfort zone. There are times when we need to stop pushing ourselves, to recover, or restore. I argue though, that some people spend too much time in the comfort zone, and this can really hold you back from your goals. It holds you back from your BEST LIFE. It holds you back from being the BEST person you can be. These are my motivations, because one of my values is constant growth as a person. ..
Following up from my last blog, I want to share the second part of my random thoughts about kindness.
Last week’s post focused on kindness outwards, but equally (if not more) important, is kindness inwards. Being kind to oneself is not always easy, and takes different forms. I’m going to share my thoughts on this, but please take it all with a grain of salt. This is only what I know based on my experience in this life.
I truly believe that kindness to oneself is like a diamond - multi-faceted - and we need to take the face we need in any given moment. The one thing that remains constant is the need to see ourselves objectively, name our present situation for what it is, and be truly honest with ourselves. In the moment when we decide what kindness we need to give ourselves, it has to be from a place of love for ourselves and not from a place of distorted reality or denial. For example, I have a way of knowing what I need most but "thinking" myself into never doing it. I have a way of rationalizing myself into denial about my deepest needs.
We can be unusually cruel to ourselves. We beat ourselves up for the way we look, not getting up earlier to get more done, not being a patient parent, not exercising enough, not phoning our parents often enough, eating too much, not eating healthy enough, not being “strong” in the face of hardship. The list is neverending, depending on your situation. Being kind to ourselves takes a strong set of boundaries, and a willingness to do the thing you need to do, and not the thing you THINK.
Warning! This advice is NOT sexy, and you will be disappointed. I deal in TRUTHs and not in telling you what you think you want to hear. There are no quick fixes and easy ways to achieving what we want - especially ones that are worth having (and those that relate to a billion dollar weight loss industry for that matter).
I just read a really interesting book called “Looking Out for Number 1” (which by the way has been around FOREVER, but was re-written to be relevant this decade). I can hear the judgemental thoughts about the title already, but hold up - this book is not about being selfish. It’s actually a business book about what’s really holding you back from focusing on getting what you want…
