I hit a nerve last week with my post about saying F-it to the number on the scale.
Was I talking to you?
Do you weigh yourself every day?
How does it make you feel when that number goes up?
How does it affect you when it goes down?
What about just seeing the scale? Does that trigger anxiety?
Enough questions Jill, tell me something good.
Ok, something good. You CAN do something about your body. Notice, I did not say weight. I am not going to make a promise as to what you can do about your weight, but you can take steps to feel more confident in your body. You can take steps to change the composition of your body. This is called body re-composition. Body re-composition refers to the process of changing your ratio of fat mass to lean mass -- or, losing body fat and gaining muscle mass.
99% of clients tell me they want to lose weight when they start working with me and I try to turn it back to them, ‘WHY?’ Will you be happy when the scale shows an arbitrary number? And how did you decide that number is the magic number? But with a healthier focus on body re-composition, my clients take steps to FEEL better, stronger, SEXIER, have more energy, sleep better, regulate their hormones, and fit into their jeans.
You are probably thinking ‘this is the worst time of the year to try to change my body, I will wait until January 1st.’ WHY WAIT? Why not start now? This is the best time of the year to start making small, but meaningful changes. Making small changes now can add up to big results in a few short weeks. I do not think this is the time to re-invent the wheel, but let’s make a 1% improvement every day over the next 26 days and see where it gets you, right?
What positive changes can you make over the remaining 26 days of 2021?
1. Drink more water. I start with this one because it is the easiest one to start. I downloaded the app Water Tracker on my phone and it pops up 17x a day (or more) to remind me to drink and those reminders WORK.
CHALLENGE: Track your water intake for one day, and try to beat it the next day, and the day after that. Can you increase your water intake by 1% every day for the rest of the month until you are drinking 40-50% of your weight in oz? Drinking more water can help you control calories. Water makes you feel fuller. What if you try drinking one glass of water before each meal? Breakfast, lunch and dinner? Start small.
2. Eat more fruits and vegetables every day. CHALLENGE! Take a picture of everything you eat for (3) days. (You can even email me the pictures) Keep it in your camera roll and review it after three days. How many colors do you see? Is it green, red, yellow, orange? (Kale, peppers, cucumbers, salmon) or is it all brown?
The more variety you eat, the better your digestive system will work. Your body is built to eat the rainbow! Can you increase the variety of fruits and vegetables you get by trying something new every day?
3. Move your body. Sitting is the new smoking. The more you do it, the harder it gets to break the habit. Add more movement. WALK, SKIP, DANCE, STRETCH. Your body is meant to move. Did you know that, in a study by Mayo Clinic released in May 2021, scientists see signs that exercising can prevent memory loss and improve cognitive function. According to the study, ‘physical activity seems to help your brain not only by keeping the blood flowing but also by increasing chemicals that protect the brain. Physical activity also tends to counter some of the natural reduction in brain connections that occurs with aging.’ YOUR FUTURE SELF WILL THANK YOU!
I am stopping there. Remember, we are not re-inventing the wheel.
Three simple things you can work on over the next 26 days.
1. Drink more water
2. Eat more fruits and vegetables
3. Move your body
Going back to the challenge. Can you improve these three areas by 1% each day for the next 26 days? That is a 26% improvement over the rest of the month. Then let me know how you feel. I am here to help, if you need ideas or support, BOOK A CHAT. This is what I do and I want to do it for you!