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How many of you have said that I will plan my dream vacation when I lose this weight. I am going to get some new sexy underwear. I will get a new haircut or get rid of this soul-sucking relationship. “When I lose weight, I will get my teeth whitened.” I was working with a woman who told me she was waiting to get her teeth whitened until she lost the weight.
Today I want to talk to you about not waiting until you reach that magical number on the scale and begin to live your life. I want to share with you three ways that you can start living your life right now!
Stay Present: It’s April, three months have passed, and you have probably fallen short of the wellness goals you set at the beginning of the year. You have to start loving where you are right now, stop warring with your body, and learn to love it just as it is. Do not dwell on your past or on the future. You cannot change the past, and your future depends on today’s steps. So when the negative self-talk begins, counter it with this exercise.
- Close your eyes-be still-take, a deep breath in through your nose and out through your nose (three times)
- Continue breathing, and on each exhale, repeat to yourself, I am enough just the way I am. (Three times)
- Repeat until you have quieted your spirit or calmed your nerves.
Do this regularly; this mindfulness tool will help you to reign in those negative thoughts and begin the work of repairing your mindset. Until we treat ourselves with love and respect regardless of our dress size, no one else will.
Go shopping now: Get out of that worn sweatsuit, black yoga pants, and hot polyester outfits. Instead, dress the body you have; I thought buying clothes that fit me was a sign of weakness. I told myself that I would never lose the weight and felt uneasy about dressing my new curves. Then I caught my reflection in my full-length mirror as I left home one day. Who is that? I almost asked myself, dressed in an oversized gray t-shirt and a pair of black stretch pants. This was my daily uniform. Although I felt sad and depressed, and it showed how I carried myself and my interaction with everyone I encountered, I went out that day and purchased some new clothes.
Dressing my new curves gave me more confidence. I felt polished, and it ended the overwhelm I felt each morning when I went into my closet, trying to find something to wear.
My advice is to create a capsule wardrobe. Shop for a few essential pieces that you can mix and match. I purchased four knit slacks in black, burgundy, gray, and navy. Four knit skirts in the same colors with a tummy-friendly wide elastic band. I stayed away from buttons and zippers. Opting for wide bands is best because they prevent the top of your clothing from rolling down under your belly. Then I purchased 8 pretty tops, a couple of cardigans, two blazers, and a denim jacket. With these pieces, I could dress up or play them casually. Now, I had a wardrobe to take through the seasons and help me to feel comfortable and pretty. I wore these pieces until I lost weight. It was a wonderful experience, and my weight loss journey was much easier.
Finally, start doing the things you love; do not be afraid to go out to dinner; just plan. Buy those tickets to see your favorite band each week; you should be doing something fun. Make fun Friday a reality, stop living vicariously through the IG photos of family and friends, and start posting your own. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, so live your life each day as though it was your last. Smile, and be happy!
Just because you need to lose weight to successfully manage your chronic illness. You are beautiful at your present weight. Losing weight may give you more confidence in the short run, but if you do not heal your mindset and stay present in your life, the weight is going to come back, and you will be back on that diet merry-go-round of self-defeating, negative self-talk which leads to self-loathing and comfort eating. You deserve more than that.
With Love and Peace,
Renee
The Diabetic Toolbox 