Have you seen the newest Weight Watchers commercial?
In it, Oprah interviews a woman who has recently lost weight using the Weight Watchers program. Now that the woman has finally achieved thinness, Oprah asks, “How do you show up in your life?”
To be honest, I don’t even remember the woman’s answer, because I got so caught up in the question.
This is where I BECAME FRUSTRATED
Why do we wait to ask someone how they show up in their life now that the weight is gone? And what happens if she stops Weight Watchers and gains the weight back? Is she suddenly no longer allowed to show up the way she had been before?
=====================================
Showing Up In Life, Regardless Of Your Weight
=====================================
The question “How do you show up in your life?” should not be attached to weight, it should he attached to our relationship with our bodies.
When we aren’t allowed to show up until we’re a certain weight, life becomes all about our size. When we recognize that we show up better when we treat our bodies with love, respect, and kindness, we set ourselves up for inner growth and outer health.
Want to practice how to use Body Knowledge with my system that gets you into a relationship with your body wherever she is at-together.
Gift: Know your Body Knowledge System® Essence of practicing a close relationship between you and your body by downloading this part of my playbook to get you practicing. Pages 71 to end of 74 please
When you have Body Knowledge you practice honoring your body where she is now and what you want for each other in the long run.
I encourage you to join me on this journey of practicing Body confidence and use this one tool now and see what happens☺
Today I want to talk about yoga pants AND a solution.
Yep. You read that right. Yoga pants.
So, what’s the big deal about yoga pants?
Well, I recently saw an article in USA Today that highlighted the body shaming that is prevalent in today’s society . . . this time, specifically around yoga pants.
In sleepy Barrington, Rhode Island on October 23, 2016, over 300 women and several men marched in protest of a critical letter to the editor in the local paper addressing “women of a certain age, ” i.e., any female over 21, wearing yoga pants in public.
One woman – Jaime Burke – took exception to the man’s judgmental statements and took action against another example of body shaming from a man in the media.
To her great surprise, her peaceful protest march in her neighborhood expanded from the 50 friends she expected to hundreds of supporters.
Body Confidence Catches On!
Thanks to viral media exposure, the women’s declaration of body confidence in their choices spread all over the country and around the world. Other women and men staged their protest marches in Australia, Texas, and other places around the world.
The History Of Body Shaming…
Body shaming has been happening for quite some time now.
After centuries of being dictated to by arbiters of fashion, mostly men, this century introduced a much-needed backlash from the previously passive women who accepted the unrealistic standards without comment. It takes just one courageous woman to assert her right to wear comfortable, appropriate clothing in public to influence women around the world.
The peaceful protest emphasized women’s rights to wear clothing they chose, rather than clothing chosen for them by an impersonal media. There is strength in numbers. As individuals, we may lack the body confidence to choose comfort over media pressure to conform.
However, women around the world are rejecting the need for an ideal body to be accepted. It’s never too late to join the international movement of support for women’s right to be different in size, shape, and age.
What Can We Do About It?
Well, as you can tell, I’ve been thinking about and researching body shaming a lot lately . . . and I’ve made it my mission to mentor any and all men & women who are ready to overcome this obstacle.
This week I’m continuing my “Natural Beauty Series” where we’ll compare two different approaches to the way we care for our bodies, The Conventional approach, which is driven by external influences, and the Natural approach, which is driven by your internal self.
The Conventional Approach: The conventional approach says we must make alterations to our true selves. This is where cultural influences become a big part of how we see ourselves physically. They suggest we should look a certain way. If we don’t we should alter or remove something on our physical bodies to look more like what is considered acceptable beauty. People all over the world spend billions of dollars a year on makeup and plastic surgery because of these cultural influences.
The Natural Approach: Alternatively, the natural approach teaches us to celebrate our true self. It suggests we make alterations to our inner selves and leave the outer self alone. The natural approach encourages us to appreciate our natural beauty versus trying so hard to meet the image of ‘perfection’ that is forced upon us through a myriad of social and cultural influences.
PRO-AGING Vs. ANTI-AGING
Pro-Aging is quite simply the opposite of Anti-Aging. Rather than covering up or altering grey hair, wrinkles, etc. Pro-Aging is all about embracing the way that you age in a natural way and celebrating your body’s expression of yourself!
Time out!
I admit that every 4 weeks I go to my beautician to get my hair colored versus keeping it grey.
Is that conventional or is it natural?
It is a choice.
I am not saying one way is better than the other. My goal is to raise your awareness that beauty can be real and natural. I want to help you understand you can choose to ignore the external pressures to be a perfect physical self.
And here is the catch: For me, maintaining a red head with blond highlights makes me feel beautiful. And I use natural products.
My point is this. It’s YOUR call to go pro-aging or anti-aging and you don’t need to choose one or the other. There is no reason you can’t do both. You simply make choices that make you feel beautiful.
CULTURAL INFLUENCES
Let’s be honest, everywhere we turn, we see messages about how we need to look and how we need to age. My question to you today is this:
Do you want to fight against your body as she ages, or do you want to embrace her natural expression of herself?
Everything you hear, read and see in the media will tell you to fight your body’s natural aging process. They try to sell you creams, surgeries, and dyes. And if that’s what you want to do – go ahead! There is nothing wrong with that approach.
But you may find a lot of freedom in embracing your body’s natural expression of aging. You might find freedom in no longer fighting what your body wants to do. And really this is all about you being you. It’s about being comfortable in your own skin. Learning to look in the mirror and going out into the world feeling confident and comfortable.
Now, this isn’t to say you can’t take advice from external sources. But the natural approach to beauty may free you from comparing yourself to those sources.
I believe that self-acceptance, in a more natural way, could be an option for you!
BODY KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM WISDOM
One day, I realized a few things:
I only care about “Anti-Aging” because the media was telling me to.
Aging has its place within our lifetimes. I don’t want to look like I’m 16… or 35… I shouldn’t and I can’t!
I was ready to embrace my age and my body’s expression of that age.
How about you? Are you ready to do the same?
My message for you today is this: listen to what your body is trying to tell you about aging. For me, it was incredibly freeing to embrace my body’s expression of my age. Maybe it will be for you too!
The Conventional approach to beauty is reliant on alterations. The Natural approach is all about celebrating your true self.
NEXT STEPS
We will be looking at Natural Beauty in other areas of your life over the coming weeks. In the meantime, are you someone who feels trapped by external standards of beauty? Do you feel pressured to fight against your body’s natural aging process? Are you ready to experience the freedom of the natural approach to beauty, stay within the conventional mindset or both?
It’s always your call.
I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts and comments below.
Be sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook for more natural beauty tips.
For those of you that have joined the 4-week Healthy Foundation series or those who have read my book. here is your chance to ask any questions over what we covered. Also for those that have read my book and have any topic type questions.
Just post in the comment section below any questions you have and I will answer them on our final celebration together on August 15th at 2 pm, Eastern.
Over the next couple of weeks after implementing what we have learned together I am sure there will be even further questions, so everyone can continue asking them and I will be happy to answer back.
My wish is that everyone can lead a healthy lifestyle.
Detox: ‘detox’ is fear oriented where we think we need something different than healthy food
Cleanse: This implies liquid regime that will purify us when in reality this is unnecessary and impossible
Skinny: inundated with this ridiculous body image ideal. Replace this word with having a relationship with your body in partnership
Never: This backfires. If you tell me I cannot have something…well you know the rest. Replace ‘never’ with occasionally. This creates awareness and flexibility
Perfect: Goodbye ‘perfect’ word. Perfection does not exist. Be in relationship with your body…not someone else’s
Bottom line; what you say and how you say it shapes what you do.
Nutritionists have told us for years to eat three square meals a day. It’s deeply ingrained in us to eat a protein-vegetable-starch meal. At schools and in the doctor’s office, this chart is on the wall.
This is the standard way to eat. If you follow the standard you will be tall, blonde, thin and rich, right?
Wrong! You have your own way of doing it, and you have the right to doing it your own way.
You may have already discovered what works for you. You just haven’t given yourself permission to relax around it and recognize that it serves you well.
You may already be grazing all day long, picking up fruits and vegetables here and there, and eating small meals that don’t necessarily feature heavy proteins.
You already know you like to eat light, unprocessed foods. So why are you telling yourself you have to do it their way? It’s because their way has become the standard.
No More Should’s!
This is the section of “no more shoulds!” The standard now, today, right here is you! It’s hard to get out of these entrenched ideas—and this is just one example. For a long time, people have believed that if you’re a smart human being, you follow the standard. Just do these things: three square meals a day and 30 to 60 minutes of exercise three times a week, and you’ll be healthy.
Accept right now that your way is OK.
Accept that you are already part of the way there.
Accept that your style will get you where you want to go.
Your style has been expressing itself all along, whether or not you have been conscious of it or have acted on it. You already know it. When behaving according to your style, it brings joy. When behaving according to someone else’s style, struggles occur. Ironically, when things go smoothly, you don’t notice. However, you certainly pay attention during difficulties.
Whenever we struggle, it’s our body’s signal that we are not doing something in our own style. Relief, freedom and joy are the signal that you have hit upon something—the way to do it in your own style.
Eating is a pleasure. It’s a time to stop and taste life. It’s a way of communing with others sharing
your life with them. Savoring your food is a way to come awake in your body. It’s a way to thank your body, to be grateful in your aliveness.
Sometimes we forget this. We forget that it’s really so simple. Our pleasure with food depends on how it feels in the body. How does it taste in your mouth? How does it feel in your tummy? How does your body feel after you eat—is he/she nourished? Does he/she feel light or heavy? Does he/she feel guilty or lethargic or joyful and energized?
Your relationship with eating becomes easier when you are conscious of your body’s relationship with food. The heaviness or lightness you experience depends on the environment, the season, the weather, and the taste of the food itself. Pay attention to how your body experiences food in the moment. Do that one thing, and you’ll know what to eat—all the time, every day.
People are like cats and dogs. They will eat whatever food is put in front of them. We are quite used to being told what to eat and how much to eat. Whatever we are served—or whatever is handy—that’s what we eat. Holding the relationship with your body sacred means asking your body what he/she wants.
Join Coach Stephanie Wood in this engaging video where you will experience a taste of how to tap into what your body is telling you… so that… you can make better choices in all areas of your life (including shopping for clothes).
It’s Coach Stephanie and this week I want to talk about how we create a plan for most of our lives… but most of us don’t create a plan for what we’re going to eat.
You plan your day with the following:
1) You SET your alarm to wake up, get up, and go to work.
2) You PLAN your route to get to where you’re going for whatever reason.
3) You PLAN your leisure time: going to the gym, going out with friends, bringing a movie home.
So, let’s make a plan with food!
==========================
MAKING A PLAN WITH FOOD
==========================
Are your food choices included in your plans?
Probably not…
Particularly:
if you have “issues” with food: over or underweight, inaccurate body image, guilt for enjoying a “forbidden” food, shame for giving in to a craving, anger and resentment for denying yourself a favorite food.
If you sleep through the alarm, how long do the bad feelings last?
If stuck in traffic on the fastest route to work, how long do those bad feelings last?
Not your entire life.
You plan for those actions and are spontaneous with making alternate strategies, so why not plan for your food?
It’s simple and fearless, because it puts you back in control…every day, in every way.
========================================
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER…
========================================
This week’s Body Knowledge System Wisdom teaches us a practical lesson.
Here are a few examples of how to put food into your schedule:
Every morning when you wake up, scan your day. See what’s coming up.
Have two appointments back to back? Make sure you eat a full lunch!
Have a long doctor’s appointment? Make sure to pack a Tupperware.
It’s really very simple. All it takes is a little intentionality.
Having a relationship with your body (like you would with a pet) is important… and you would never let your pet go without food!
So, give your body the food she needs, so you can both have the energy to do what you need to do in a given day!
====================================
WHY NOT JOIN OUR ONLINE COMMUNITY?
====================================
Join our online community of women who are learning to plan every part of their life… including what they eat. It’s a lot of fun!
Here’s how to join this private, no-cost Google+ group:
1. Click reply to this email, and say, “Yes”.
2. Then look for my personalized invitation to join us! [Body Confidence Community with Stephanie Wood]
Talk to you soon,
Stephanie
P.S. Listen to this, enjoy it, and take from it what you want 🙂
