Certain times of the year, especially around November & December, we are filled with celebratory foods and drinks that are good for our spirit, but not so good for our waistline.
Come January 1st, the joy and carefree spirit of the holidays leave us. A drill sergeant moves into our head, telling us that the fun is over and it’s time to diet.
This was the pattern I ran for years… and years. A new year equaled a new diet.
Sure, the drill sergeant in my head made me feel awful, but isn’t that what it takes to get results? It took me a long time to realize this approach doesn’t flatten my stomach, but simply flattens my self-worth. You probably know that feeling too.
How many times have you started a new year with a new diet, only to find yourself in the last few weeks of January saying, “I give up! This is too hard. Nothing works for me.” You then feel worse than when you started.
The truth is, long-term weight loss is not possible or sustainable unless we make it pleasurable. And we can’t make it pleasurable unless we tap away our self judgments and critical voice.
Here are a few tips to help you make this year your healthiest year yet!
At the end of this post you’ll find a Tapping Meditation that will help you incorporate all of these tips. 🙂
1. LEAVE THE PATTERN OF PANIC BEHIND
When we begin to panic about our weight, the part of our brain called the amygdala begins to fire off the fight-or-flight response. This creates an overproduction of the hormone called cortisol.
Studies have shown that an overproduction of cortisol increases appetite, sugar cravings, and is directly linked to abdominal obesity. That drill sergeant isn’t helping you, it’s making you fat!
The best way to kick that drill sergeant out of your head is to give it a voice while you tap. It’s really that simple.
When you are able to become aware of you self-criticism and tap while speaking it to yourself, you’ll find that you can hear those words without feeling the physical sensation of anxiety. From that place, you can choose a more loving thought and action that supports you.
2. FORGIVE YOURSELF
So your biggest arm workout this holiday season was opening a bottle of wine?
The past is in the past. You can always learn healthier recipes and strategies to help support your body during the holidays.
Beating yourself up over your past actions doesn’t prevent them from happening again, it simply robs you of the power in the present moment to make a change.
Be gentle with yourself. Forgive.
3. FALL IN LOVE WITH THE JOURNEY
If we focus on a strict goal with some made up deadline, we then try to panic ourselves there by eating in a manner that’s restrictive and lacks joy.
Unpleasurable equals unsustainable.
For real, lasting weight loss, we need to fall in love with the journey because health isn’t a destination, but a decision we make every moment.
This isn’t really about a weight loss goal. This is about you showing up as your best self.
It’s about eating foods that you love and help you thrive. It’s about moving your body because when there is movement in your body, there is movement in your life. It’s about taking care of yourself because you have a deep appreciation for the amazing person you are.
Once we fall in love with this process, the results are better than we could have imagined!
As promised, here is a Tapping Mediation to help you incorporate these three keys to create lasting weight loss with Tapping.
Right click and save here to download this audio
With Love,
Jessica
P.S. If you’d like to learn more about how to use Tapping for weight loss, check out my book “The Tapping Solution for Weight Loss and Body Confidence” or watch my free webinar below. ☺
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