As I prepare for an interview on the “HEAL YOUR HUNGER” podcast with founder Tricia Nelson today… I am reflecting on my past on my relationship to eating and exercising.
As I tell my clients… focus on:
- WHAT you are eating
- WHEN you are eating
- HOW you are eating
- WHY you are eating
How many of us eat MINDLESSLY instead of MINDFULLY?
How many of us out exercise a bad diet or over train then believe we can eat whatever we want?
How many times do we eat out of habit, time of day, boredom or when stressed out?
I realized as I wrote my book and shared my personal story in “LIFE IS NOT A RACE”, I had to go deep into my WHY to understand why I was struggling with chronic fatigue, weight gain, muscle fatigue and poor recovery.
WHY me?
Chronic stress impacts the WHOLE you from the inside out. An accumulation of external stressors that become CHRONIC (leaky tap vs. on/off tap) as well as many HIDDEN internal chronic stressors impact the WHOLE you and leads to a domino effect of breakdown – or as we say in as FDN Practitioner coaches “METABOLIC CHAOS”.
Why do I struggle with chronic stress?
I think it started back in high school when I started noticing I wasn’t pretty enough and I was too tall… no one asked me to dances or ask me out on a date. I wasn’t good enough- or that feeling of never being “perfect” started me on a path towards low self esteem and poor body image. I started dieting in my senior year of high school – starting with a weekly appointment with a nutritionist and then starting to diet. That was the beginning of my relationship with food, self esteem and body image.
In college, I met new friends that were beautiful on the inside and out… they were outgoing, energetic and positive. They got the attention of the guys even if they were not drop dead gorgeous. It was there personality and confidence that made them even more beautiful and popular.
Perhaps I need to boost my own confidence and self esteem to gain attention from boys. Instead of depending on getting drunk at a party to become the “outgoing” person, I should have focused on learning how to love who I was and be happy about my looks instead of insecure.
After college, I started to participate in local fun runs then organized bike rides in my mid-twenties. Suddenly, I was getting into Danskin Triathlons, running marathons and organized long distance cycling events.
I found my happy place… exercising or training and racing. Athletics gave me confidence. I wasn’t depending on dieting to change my looks to give me confidence, improved body image and self esteem. Exercise brought me joy and happiness… but was it solving my “why” about my self esteem?
Instead of dieting alone, I started to workout (even in college I got into fitness -aerobic classes) and found my passion as my career as a fitness trainer. I didn’t change my body shape as much as I did when I changed what I was eating and figuring out the “zone diet” back then and low-carbs.
Anyways, the point I wanted to make today is that we need to reflect on our past to determine WHY we eat…eating out of hunger of course but WHY we eat when we are stressed, depressed, or bored.
Why do some of us struggle with food and then others who forget to eat?
I would stop and reflect on your childhood …any traumatic experiences, pain or feelings your are stuffing with food?
What are you avoiding?
Are you eating mindefully or mindlessly?
Are you training and racing all year long? Perhaps you are avoiding family life, pain or emotional situations?
Are you living life as a race – instead of a journey to help make yourself “feel better” by stuffing or hiding your real emotions?
What is eating you?
The WHOLESTIC Method program and eight elements is about training the WHOLE you from the inside out.
Do you want to move better…feel better…and look better?
We need to take more time to be present, be in the moment and be focused- especially when we eat and exercise. We need to unplug and disconnect when we eat and train.
Why do so many people feel more successful when they are multi-tasking and constantly busy?
Why do we feel lazy when we are not busy? We often are not even productive when we are “busy”!
What is your purpose? What is your WHY?
Let me know and listen to my podcast to dive in deeper especially with “Heal your Hunger” podcast and program with Tricia Nelson. A podcast episode coming out soon on my show “The WHOLE Athlete”.
Real thoughts with Debbie Potts.
What is your WHY?
