We are taught to ignore our body. Conditioned to mask headaches with ibuprofen, and to reach for food or alcohol when we really just need to take or nap or go to bed early.
Between physical symptoms, like when we have a cold or a tummy ache, and emotions we are feeling like stress or anxiety, these experiences in our bodies trigger certain behaviors and thought patterns.
Often times we reach for the comfort of food because we have programmed our brains to relieve feeling uncomfortable.
Eating when you are anything but hungry is overeating. And overeating leads to weight gain every time.
I teach my clients how to listen to their body through the Hunger Scale. No points or calorie counting. When you practice getting in tune with your body, this grows your relationship with you — Self-Love, Self-Care, Self-Respect, and Self-Integrity.
Related: How to end the body-loathing cycle for your kids
Listening to your body in turn also means listening to your heart. Take a pause to check in with yourself both physically and emotionally.
If you have a cold, you may have practiced eating when you don’t feel well but I want to challenge that for you. Do you really need to eat? Or do you need to drink water/tea and have a nap? The key to this change is knowing your brain is going to argue with you.
Read More: Practical Tips to Combat Cold & Flu
Your brain believes eating is essential when you are sick because that is what kept you alive all this time. Seriously. That is what your brain thinks. Re-wiring your brain to listen to your body takes effort and diligence.
But this is how we get down to our natural weight. This is how we heal our relationship with ourselves. This is how we find agency and practice freedom within ourselves.
Ilana Charette is in her early 30s, a wife and mom of 2 under 4. She is a life and weight loss coach and a stay at home mom. She is passionate about teaching women how to trust themselves and their bodies again. Find out more about her and follow along as she loses her weight for the final time here: WhatTheWeightLoss.com and on her Instagram.
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