Why You Hate Weight Loss and How to LOVE it

We've all seen it - the dramatic body transformations, and the promising news that you can get into bikini ready shape within just a few weeks.  A magic pill, or a powder that promises to change you at the cellular level (which is true... if you want your cells to look like Frankenstein at the microscopic level), a crazy workout regime that is not only tougher and more sadistic that anything else - but also designed by an ex Navy Seal!  The good news is, there are thousands of ways to lose weight.  So why are you so unmotivated?  Why do you feel sick inside when you see "motivating" pictures?  Why is it, that you feel (on the surface) that you should lose weight, but yet there is this deep driving emotion within you that wants to tell people to just shut the eff up, and let you live your life...

The truth is, it's NOT you.  The truth is, it IS you. But here's the good news, your body is pretty dang smart.  Smarter than you, smarter than anyone, and that sick feeling you get?  That would be your gut, also known as your "second brain" touting that it knows better than clever marketers who know how to speak to your main brain, with flashy images specifically designed to drive sales.

Here is the better news, weight loss doesn't have to suck.  Actually, it's a ton of fun.  Like REALLY fun.  Don't believe me?  Alright, I'll explain myself.

1) Your body is designed to SURVIVE

2) Your body is designed to ADAPT

So, all that extra fat you have packed on?  Your body is thinking it's A-OKAY!  It's like, excess food storage.  Your body is capable of storing more fat than it could ever possibly use or ever need.  Don't be mad at your body though - don't you do the same thing?  Check out your closet for instance.  Can you find anything you never use or wear, but it's just nice to know it's there if you need it?

Your body is a super smart organic machine, that adapts to it's environment.  So if you sit a lot, or don't move a lot, there is no need for you to be lean.  A lean body wouldn't be efficient, nor necessary.  What's more, if you are extremely active, what kind of tasks are you doing?  Are you picking up the house?  Caring for children? Training for a Marathon?  You see, the body knows that it needs to adapt to the kinds of functions we are doing most of the time, so that it can function more efficiently.

So with that in mind, understand that weight loss management, is lifestyle management.  If you want to lose weight, permanently, then you need to give your body the feedback it needs to survive and thrive.  Which is why you get that gut reaction when marketers are trying to tell you how if you just buy it, then your body will obey.  Your body knows it's a lie, and it WILL NOT obey.  And thankfully that is the case, because people are so quick to destroy themselves for the silliest things.

Yeah so this is my son Zen.  He's VERY comfortable in his own skin.  In fact he tells me on a regular basis that he is really buff, and shows me how strong his muscles are.  I find his appreciation for his body, and confidence inspiring.  And those cheeks of his are deliciously cute.  Wouldn't it be nice if we all saw ourselves in this way?  

On to the fun part.  So if your body isn't going to just shred fat if you cut out certain food groups, and kill yourself at the gym, then what do you do?  You might say, you hate being overweight.  Well, your body actually hates being over weight too.  But there is a reason for your body storing fat, and that reason is a complex case by case scenario.  You need to treat weight loss as you would a sickness or ailment.  Your body is sick, therefore it's compensating by storing fat because all that excess energy is being used in different ways.  Sick people need to reevaluate their lifestyle - what exactly is going wrong?  How do we need to deal with it?  Take an allergy for instance, if every time you ate berries you broke out in itchy nasty hives, then you would want to avoid berries.  If every time you ate Doritos chips, you had a sudden and massive urge to eat the whole bag... well then... you can bet you have "trigger" to consume massive amounts of empty calories because your body is likely starved for some nutrition.  So it's best if you avoid triggers that are detrimental to your health, comfort, and appearance.

The breakdown in 6 Amazingly FUN steps:

1) Remove all "Trigger" foods from your house.  You don't need them!  Unless you want to be super uncomfortable all the time.  This will likely be all your processed food that has been created in a lab and engineered to make your brain go into zombie chomp mode.

2) Start eating amazingly delicious, wholesome food.  Wholesome real food is the good stuff.  Avoid the middle of the grocery store.  Instead, go to the produce section, and relish in all the colors, textures, and flavors that exist there.  Smell stuff, and buy things FRESH!  Pretty much the outskirt of the grocery store is where you need to spend your time.  Produce, Meats, Dairy, and Grains.  The middle of the store food is all created in a lab.  Whereas the outskirts of the store is where all the good stuff is grown and raised.  Buy organic, and grass fed.  You deserve the good stuff.  After all, it's your one body, that you'll have in this life.  You only get ONE!  If you were to only receive one car/vehicle for your entire life, how would you treat it?  That's right.  You would give it all the right fuel, get regular oil changes, and do everything you can to keep it clean, tidy, and in good running condition.  Do the same, and more, for your ONE precious body.

3) Take some time to think about how you like/want to move your body.  Do you feel badass when you hit things?  Do you miss hula hooping?  Do you just want to get down at the club or something?  Do you want to just monkey around on stuff, and jump off of things?  It's my belief that all humans are born innate athletes.  Our bodies WANT to move.  Our bodies NEED to move.  So explore that side of yourself.  It's fun and empowering.

4) Get moving!  It's always best to go to a class with an instructor that you really connect with, and who really inspires you.  Remember this is a beautiful journey to health, and part of that is making tons of friends along the way.  Before you know it, you'll have "family", people you can rely on, to help you out, to bring you up when you're down, and be a positive support network for you.

Check out this playful ball of happiness right here!  Oh yeah!!

5) Be mindful about your wellness...your spirituality and connection between mind and body.  Take up a craft of some kind, perhaps color, draw, or write.  Creative expression is important, therapeutic, and can calm emotional distress.  Expression is a form of communication, and if you're not comfortable talking about your feelings, express them in other forms through art, literature, music, drama, and the like...

6) Play and Stuff... That's right!  Getting healthy is multi-faceted, and requires you to have fun and celebrate life.  Celebrate your victories, and make beautiful memories!  Your weight loss journey is meant to be full of adventure, challenges, victories, problem solving, laughter, frustration, joy, and everything in between.  If your journey is smooth sailing the entire way, with nothing interesting, then what a boring trip that would be. Document your progress, take record of the beauty in your life!  Remember to be present, and don't ever give up.      

How to go about achieving all of the above:

Check out our classes at www.freeflowacademy.com.  Or if you are not in our area, drop us an email at freeflowacademy@gmail.com and we can arrange personal coaching online.  We take the "full body" approach, and can help you achieve your fitness goals.

Train Hard Play Safe!
- Miss Elle