Why it is OK to be Uncomfortable With Your Body

Someone asked me today what "healthy" looked like to me.  There are varying opinions on this and while we could sit and squabble over BMI's, BMR's, size of thighs or 'idea'l weight, most are flawed, and frankly none of that really matters. 

What does matter is how you FEEL.  There are a few questions I ask clients to get a feel for their level of self 'comfort'.   This is where it gets tricky.  

Don't get caught up on a number, there are way more important things to worry about...
Here is the takeaway:  being uncomfortable is the key to change
Being uncomfortable with your body, your life, your job, your relationships - whatever it is, it is NOT necessarily a bad thing.   Being uncomfortable is what lights that little fire called motivation, it is what makes us realize we need to do things differently.  It is the voice that says "this is not working for you, time to do something differently".   In this situation, discomfort should be acknowledged, not shied away from.  

How does this relate to your body?   Feelings of 'discomfort' can include things like...

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Heartburn
• Reflux
• Inflammation
• Chronic pain
• Headaches
• Bloating
• Foggy mind
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Unproductive
• Fatigue
• Reduction in quality of life

These are all REAL site effects of obesity & lack of activity, and cannot be discounted.  Sound uncomfortable?   You betcha! 

With all this talk lately about accepting your body as it is, and how bodies are capable of anything at any weight is fantastic for some - like those who are naturally plus sized living an active, healthy life.   For those who are clinically obese (much different from 'plus size'), it is an entirely different scenario, and a different conversation.  People who fall into the obese category should be encouraged towards positive change and yes...weight loss. 

The beauty of it is that anything is possible, and change can happen if you are honest with yourself, and learn to love yourself.  

After working with hundreds of clients over the years, I have noticed a common thread.  We are all looking for an excuse to be able to eat what we want without negative health consequences.  Oh in a perfect world!  I have also noticed that there are commonly held misconceptions many of my overweight clients hold on to such as;  they have a 'slow metabolism', they have a 'wonky thyroid', their bodies are 'just meant to be overweight', they 'eat well and can't understand why they aren't losing weight'.  

While a very small number of people do legitimately have thyroid and metabolism issues, the majority have full control over their results.  It is also important to note that most people drastically underestimate the food they eat and overestimate the physical activity they do.  The other thing that is largely overlooked, is the impact of food addiction, emotional eating, environmental toxins, blood sugar regulation, and hormone balance on results, or lack therof. 

Look, I get it.   We are a culture that loves food yet we live in a youth & fitness obsessed world that has unrealistic standards of beauty.  At the same time we are experiencing unprecedented rates of obesity.  We are bombarded by unhealthy, cheap, addicting, fattening, seductively marketed food that is available day or night.  You want a burger at 3am?  No problemo!  Most people can probably find one within a mile radius of their house.  

While it is true that not everybody can be thin, or even want to be for that matter, you can certainly avoid being obese and it needs to be said that our goal should still be just that: reducing the rates of obesity by acknowledging you are damn uncomfortable.   

For me to be thin, I would have to nearly starve myself.  This I know and this I accept.  My body likes to have a little trunk junk, and my family prefers the mommy who who eats - she is a lot nicer!   I have always been curvy and I am a-ok with that but I also have to be very careful around holidays etc because I can gain quickly and amounts as small as 5-10 lbs are felt in the way of body aches, foggy brain, and fatigue.  That is how I know I have strayed from an ideal diet, and my ideal size.  For you it may be different, but we all have a physiological gauge that goes off to trigger the 'uncomfortable' feeling.  

A word on Body Love:  Loving your body means taking care of your body.  Choosing food that nourishes, and heals vs food that inflames, sickens and creates obesity.   Ideal weight will naturally follow effortlessly when you start eating for HEALTH instead of weight loss.

It does not start or end there.  The other component is healing the soul.  Making good choices requires a healthy mindset.  This is where the chicken/egg scenario becomes front and center.  What comes first?  Great question, and nobody really has a definitive answer because what is true for you may not be true for the guy next to you.  

While all the smarty-pants are trying to figure it out, my recommendation is to begin to nurture BOTH.  At the same time.  As one.  Often a toxin free, clean mind/body is the key to unleashing the answers to barriers and trauma you have in your life.  When you stop medicating you are forced to face it, and in facing it, you can heal it. 

You can proudly scream from the rooftops that you love yourself and your body until you are blue in the face, but if your food and lifestyle choices don't back up your words, your body will surely give you away.  

Remember, it is not size that reflects how you are treating that beautiful, amazing body of yours.  It is your dull hair & skin, bloating, an large amount of belly fat disproportionate to the rest of you, the dark circles under your eyes, the hard-to-miss wincing when you take a step, your moodiness, rash of pimples across your chin, or the afternoon nod off at your desk; its SO much more than a number on the scale.  These are the things that matter.   We come in all shapes and sizes.   Find your ideal size not by an ideal number, but by an ideal way of feeling.   Connect with your body, and be true to yourself.  

You will know you reached your 'ideal' mark  when the chronic aches and pains are gone, and your energy levels are soaring.  When you can keep up with your little one at the park without doubling over, or when you no longer need your diabetes, cholesterol, anxiety or depression medication.   You will know you are at your ideal when you finally start having a restful night sleep and don't need 12 cups of coffee to get through the day.  When your hair, eyes and skin starts to glow.  When you have better focus, motivation, and attention.   You are the only one who can decide that for yourself. 

Get uncomfortable for the RIGHT reasons, and never lose that connection.