What is Your Stellar Body?
Your Stellar Body is a Dietless Life program for all of my friends going through that life phase known as perimenopause and beyond. You could be 40, 50, 60, 70, or even older. It's a program that is designed to get you loving yourself and the body you're in.
This time in life when our bodies shift gears is not for the faint of heart. We are all so different, and some people barely have symptoms. For some of us, our skin starts to change (*cough* sag *cough*), it feels like a distracted toddler is controlling our internal thermostats, our joints suddenly moan and groan, and the list goes on and on.
I'm on some Facebook groups, and some of the stories I have read are just SCARY! Looking through and commenting on the posts in these groups, I've noticed that weight gain should be discussed more, but for some reason, it’s not.
I wonder why. Is it just expected? Are people in these groups so brutally honest about changing body odor and constant dizziness, but weight is still embarrassing? Did it creep on so quietly that it went unnoticed?
Do we live in a culture where we feel we must be doing something wrong? It must be our fault! I mean, just eat less, count calories, and go on a diet!
Guess what? It's probably not going to work. Diets fail. Otherwise, we would find one, it would work its magic, and that's how we would live. Right? That is why this program is a Dietless Life program.
Yes, dietless. You eat that way for life, hence, Dietless Life.
It's about changing your mindset, finding the underlying issues and emotions that keep the weight on, and lifestyle changes that go along with our hardwiring (instead of against it).
Today, I want to give you three jumpstart tactics to get you on your way to your stellar body:
- Changing your mindset. I want you to get a stack of post-it notes and start writing "I am enough" on them and posting them around your house. Make your screensaver and wallpaper say "I Am Enough" on them. Repeat that mantra as you fall asleep tonight and every night. Why? Because you are and always have been enough. You were born enough. Have you ever been around a baby? You know that they are just perfect. They are completely enough. Right? Mindless or emotional overeating, cravings, and overdrinking are almost always connected to this feeling of not being enough.
- Finding the underlying issue and emotion can be quite simple. I wrote about it in another blog post, "The Ladder of Looping Thoughts." You identify the thought you are having before the undesirable habit. Let's look at sugar cravings in the evening. Some of the possible thoughts could be "I'm tired," "I've had a long day," "I deserve something sweet," "I don't want to think about (fill in the blank)," "I've been good all day." Find the thought that resonates with you personally and repeat that thought in your head. Notice how you feel when thinking this thought. Really let that feeling grow inside you. Then notice what action that feeling leads you to take. Our habits come from feelings.
Your brain didn't evolve with a desire to overeat; you simply want to relieve anxiety or not feel alone. So we only have power over our own thoughts. Change the initial thought. Flip it on its side. Try instead: "I deserve a hot herbal tea," "My body needs rest," "I take care of myself all day long," "I am enough!" And repeat the new thought. And what feeling comes up for you when you repeat this new thought. Don't skip this part! This is where the magic happens. Next, what actions are you inspired to take with this new feeling? Then new habits emerge from these feelings.
- One incredible lifestyle change, with an added drumroll for emphasis; take good, healthy snacks with you. I mean everywhere—all the time. If you had a toddler, you would always ensure your bag had snacks and drinks for days to give them. Even our pets have their treats, water bowls, and food when we go out. But, we forget about taking care of ourselves in the same loving way. We are hardwired to avoid starvation at all costs. That's why you'll eat jst about anything if you're hungry. We've all loaded up at a gas station with junk food and stuffed ourselves just because we waited too long. Never again!
Some things I have in my go-bag: are nuts and seeds, a shaker with protein powder, an apple, a can of tuna, an avocado, and water. For many years, starvation was a real threat. We are hardwired to binge if we have felt at risk for starvation. This is one of the reasons for yo-yo weight gain with dieting. The body is storing all the fat it can, thinking another period of starvation is coming. It doesn't mean that you are supposed to graze all day or eat everything you packed, but rather to always have a variety of healthy snacks.
These are some easy-peasy steps you can take right now to start your stellar body journey. No matter where you are in your journey. You are enough! Your body is incredible! It does so much for you, and it deserves your love!
Much love,
Laura Kate
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