All you parents out there … is your body working for you? Do you dig it when you look in the mirror and see your naked reflection? Do you feel good when you move your body to the beat of a disco song? Are you able to climb stairs with ease and joy? Do you feel confident when you stand up in front of a room of people or do you prefer to stay hidden? Are you constantly thinking about when you are going to eat next or do you eat three healthy meals with life in between?
As I see it you have two choices. You can either learn to rewire your brain and love your body exactly how it is or you can take action to give your body what it needs to do its job...heal. Either way I want you to love being in your body now and open up to taking steps that will allow you to see and experience the changes you have been wishing for. Whether your goal is maintaining weight loss by addressing the root issues, feeling more confident, or being free from yo-yo dieting, food cravings, and overeating, I want you to love being in your body. You deserve it as we all know parenting is the hardest job EVER!
And guess what? When you love being in your body you also show up as a more present and energized parent. You are your children’s #1 role model until about the age of 11 after all, so let’s maximize that window. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to show your kids what it looks like to love being in your body so they can do that too?
To get started, learn my 3 keys to sustainable weight loss, ultimate confidence, and overall food freedom:
Key #1: Sleep Well and in the Right Hours
For starters, this one solution, going to bed early, is foundational to all the others. If your hormones are out of whack, and they most likely are if you are going to bed past 10 pm, it is going to be difficult to solve your health challenges including losing weight.
Please don't panic if you are going to bed late as I can help you with this!
There is a term known as your circadian biological clock which refers to the daily rhythm of your body. More specifically, the daily cycle of daylight to dark resets your internal clock, which impacts how well your body functions. So, if you are working a split shift, staying up late to watch a movie, or have just got in a habit of using artificial light to keep yourself awake past dark, your bodily rhythms are most likely off kilter.
And, it isn’t enough to merely be asleep by 10 pm. You also need optimal sleep and to get this you need to make your room a haven for rest, relaxation, and lovemaking. Anything that doesn't support this should be taken out of your bedroom. If you do this, you will find that it is easier to let go of fat, fatigue, and the frenzies that you once dubbed as stubborn.
For an optimal bedroom setting or a sleep sanctuary try out these suggestions, one step at a time:
1. Let go of your bedroom lights including glow in the dark clocks after dark. Try candlelight after 8 pm and an alarm clock whose lights completely dim (check out the Zen alarm clock).
2. Put masking tape over smoke detector indicator lights (write on your calendar when to change your batteries).
3. Purchase blackout blinds that keep street lights and daylight out of your room.
4. Leave your electronics outside of the bedroom (tough one I know:).
Aside from getting better sleep and supporting your body to create the right amount of hormones for weight loss and beyond, your sex life will improve so why not give it a whirl? The benefits will definitely outweigh any effort that you have to make so enjoy dreaming away the pounds.
Key #2: Produce More Leptin
Speaking of hormones … did you know that leptin is a very important hormone? It is the one that tells you to stop eating and get moving. When we eat certain foods like cane sugar, insulin and inflammation increase, which blocks your brain from producing leptin. This little white powder has the addictive qualities of another little white powder known as cocaine, especially if you are susceptible, which many of us are. To know if you are susceptible, go to www.concsiouslivingstrategies.com and schedule a free 20-minute discovery session with me.
So how do you produce more leptin? For starters, substitute cane sugar with coconut sugar, raw honey, or maple syrup and begin to notice over time your food cravings diminish as well as excess fat. If you don’t have food cravings anymore think of all the things you can do with that excess energy. Your life and great parenting await you!
Key #3: Cut It Out
Most of us have obsessive negative thinking and often we aren’t even aware that our brain is on autopilot spewing out the same harmful thoughts throughout the day. This definitely will not support you in learning to love being in your body.
The solution is pretty simple but it can be time consuming. I know parents don’t have a lot of spare time so I would like to share a simple technique that anyone can do to begin rewiring your brain, which in turn will change your entire life, especially how you feel about yourself.
The first step is to begin pausing throughout the day so that you can catch your thinking. You can simply do this by setting an alarm every two hours and noticing what thoughts you are having in the moment. Eventually this will be automatic and you won’t need an alarm.
If you notice that you are having a negative thought all you need to do is imagine a pair of scissors cutting the thought stream so that it ends. It’s even more powerful if you can use a hand gesture representing a pair of scissors. You can simply stop there and notice that your thoughts have seized even if just for a second.
I like to continue on by reframing what I was hearing. For example, if I hear, “You aren’t good enough.” I expand by puffing out my chest and feeling that I am taller than I am and repeating, “I am enough just because I was born.” Expansion versus contraction is a way to open up to what you want to create versus closing in on what you want to let go of.
This and the other strategies are a sure-fire way to begin improving your health at the root so that you begin to create long-term weight loss while experiencing food freedom and confidence ultimately loving being in your body.
Do you want to dive deeper into how these strategies and others will help you love being in your female body? Check out my Love Being in Your Female Body: Rewire your brain, heal your gut, and connect with your heart women’s retreat, June 28 - 30 on Whidbey Island’s healing waterfront. For the delicious details go to https://consciouslivingstrategies.com/events/.
About Gina D. Diamond
As the Conscious Living Strategist™, Gina Diamond is dedicated to helping people live a more delicious life through nutrition strategies, connecting with their body, and contribution. By sharing easy-to-implement solutions, she helps her clients feel better, have more energy, and begin to love their bodies. Her work is centered on supporting women and the people they influence so that they and their families experience improved mental, physical, and spiritual health.
Her work has been featured in the Seattle Times, Seattle Magazine, Urban Pages City Guide, Natural Solutions Magazine, Macaroni Kid Magazine, and Progressive Talk 1090AM. Former clients include the Port of Seattle, Google, CoolMoms, One Sky Wellness, and LORIG Real Estate.
Previous employment and education includes advising students at the University of Washington’s Program on the Environment and earning a Master’s in Humane Education. She also holds several certificates that she uses in her coaching work including Brain Management Consulting. She is often referred to as a Brain and Body Specialist.
She is a published author. Her first book is called Hidden Treasures featuring survival strategies for parents with picky eaters.
She works remotely by Skype or Zoom, and she has an office on South Whidbey.
To learn more about nourishing your body, mind, and soul, visit www.consciouslivingstrategies.com.
