6 Steps to Self Love and Weight Loss

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When I was 25 kilos above my natural body weight, LOSING that weight was easy compared to the greater challenge of loving myself.

I mean, how could I possibly love myself when I hated what I saw in the mirror each day? Each time I passed a reflective surface, I launched into a mental critique of my body…

Arms? Wobbly.

Thighs? Touching (eew) and wobbly.

Stomach? Bulging.

Booty? Uh, let’s not even go there.

When it came to my physical appearance, not a kind word was spoken. I was either “too much” of this or “not enough” of that. I’m pretty sure I qualify for the world’s longest running Self Judgement Party (and just FYI… I was the only guest. Because firstly, ain’t nobody going to come to a party like that and secondly, you don’t want them there anyway).

So if you’re ready to inject a little self love into your life and put an end to the self sabotage and yo-yo dieting, this is a mighty fine place to start.

1. BOOT THE BOOGIE MONSTER OUT YOUR BRAIN

We’ve all heard the saying “think about what you’re thinking about”. It’s cute. It’s Pinteresty. But are you doing it? Your thoughts are always going to take you SOMEWHERE, so it’s really up to you whether you go on a trip to “my booty needs its own postcode” or “I’m a cutie patooty with a fabulous booty”

And just on the down low, there’s no need to judge your thoughts. They’re not right or wrong. They’re just stuff floating through your brain. It’s up to you whether you latch on to them or release them into the ether.

If you’re feeling sad, mad or anything but glad, it’s likely your thoughts have wondered off to “Boogie Wonderland” and taken your self love with them.

Your mind is the most valuable piece of real estate you’ll ever own. Don’t rent it out to trashy tenants.

2. I AM

I Am. These are arguably the two most powerful words in the English language. They hold the power of creation. They can take the invisible and turn it into reality. When you say the words “I am”, you create a statement of absolute truth. Think about it… how many times a day do you tell yourself saying “I am fat, ugly, stupid, lazy”? Sure, in the process of creating self love what you think is important. But what you say may be even more so.

Sprinkle some fairy dust over those negative statements and replace them with statements like “I am able to do anything I set my mind to” or “I am loving experimenting with healthy foods” or “I am a cutie patooty with a fabulous booty”. If nothing else, it will make you smile.

3. BE A NOSEY PARKER

Our mind is on an eternal quest for answers. Ask it a question and it will give you an answer, albeit sometimes a ridiculous one, but an answer none the less. If you ask your mind why you’re so unlovable, it will happily churn out a response such as “because you’re 15 pounds overweight, you lardass!” or, when it has nothing better to offer, “Because you’re a bad person”.

What if you started to ask yourself questions that demanded a positive response? Questions such as “why is it so easy for me to love myself and my body?” or “why do I find it so easy to enjoy delicious, nourishing food and still lose weight?” Get the idea? Ask a better question and you’ll get a better answer.

When you ask yourself why enjoying healthy food is so easy for you, your brain immediately kicks into overdrive to find the answers for you. Suddenly you start to notice recipes or new foods that you had never noticed before and, just like a magical ending in a children’s Fairy tale, everything seamlessly to fall into place.

4. STOP THE WORLD! I WANT TO GET OFF!

Some call it meditation, others call it prayer; I like to call my me time, my Quiet Time. This is when all those super fun devices that keep you chasing your tail all day long (aka computer, phone, laptop) are turned off and you commit to spending a few minutes doing whatever blissful thing you want to do.

Read a book. Focus on your desires. Mentally construct the life of your dreams. But whatever you choose, Quiet Time is not a time to reflect on your problems. Watching negative re-runs of the day’s events in your mind only creates more stress which, FYI, leads to weight gain thanks to the hormone Cortisol. The aim of Quiet Time is to not only reduce stress levels, but to replace them with feelings of hope, optimism and all that happy stuff. Why? Because eventually these feelings create behaviours which are followed by actions. Think it. See it. Believe it. Achieve it.

5. REVERSE ENGINEER YOUR THOUGHTS

What if you simply decided that the very thing you thought was a monumental disaster, was actually the opportunity of a lifetime? What if you decided that your marriage falling apart gave you the opportunity to start life again on YOUR terms, YOUR way, with MORE self love? What if you decided that the car breaking down during peak hour traffic gave you time to indulge in some self love practices instead of being a bad-ass inconvenience? What if you decided that stubbing your toe on the coffee table was a loving reminder from the universe to slow down instead of rushing through your life (and maybe, shift the coffee table?)

The only person who decides what a particular circumstance means is you. Make an effort to consciously decide what events mean to you. And don’t be fooled. Your greatest opportunities will may arrive to the party all dressed up in scary Halloween costumes but when you strip then naked, they can actually be your greatest gift.

6. GET ON THE GRATITUDE TRAIN

Allow me to give you the low down on gratitude… it’s impossible to be grateful for something you believe you hate, so if you’re looking for the quickest path to self love stardom, hating on your body is NEVAH going to get you there. I don’t care how many things you would like to change about your body, you can always find something to be thankful for. Heck, if nothing more, gratitude will stop you from fixating on all the parts of your body that you don’t like so you can send some lovin’ the ones you do.

Don’t like your thighs? Then be grateful for your eyes. Don’t like your eyes? Send some positive vibes to your fingers. Don’t like any part of your body? Then start with something you don’t have to look at, like your heart. It’s still beating, isn’t it? Well then?

It doesn’t matter where you start, it only matters that you start. Some days you nail it and others, meh…not so much. It’s okay. Just start somewhere, every little bit counts.

Sending you chocolate coated luuurve!