When you hear the phrase "create a healthy body for myself", what do you immediately think of? Weight loss. You may begin to wonder, "What kinds of diets will I have to do? How much exercise is this going to take? I've tried to lose weight before... it feels like a roller coaster ride to me... "
Healthcare professionals particularly struggle with excess weight. Researchers at the University of Maryland's School of Nursing found that 55 percent of the 2,103 female nurses they surveyed were obese, citing job stress and the effect on sleep of long, irregular work hours as the cause (Journal of Nursing Administration (volume 41, issue 11).
When you hear the words "weight loss" what comes up for you? What memories do you have associated with losing weight? Does it make you uncomfortable? Do you feel guilty, ashamed, or pressured? Why do these two little words carry such heavy meaning?
I want to share with you a perspective that one of my nurse colleagues gifted to me. She passed it along from one of her teachers and now I pass it along to you. "Weight loss". When we look at the term in its most concrete form we are looking at "losing" something. Well, what happens when we lose something?
Picture this: You're on your way out to breakfast. As you head out the door you realize, "My keys aren't hanging on the key rack! Where are they?" Even though you used your spare to lock the house you're sitting at the restaurant saying, "They've got to be somewhere... now where did I have them last?" You can't even enjoy your meal! You don't rest until you have found your dislocated item.
We lose our car keys. We lose the remote control. We can't find our wallet. What do we do? Well, very quickly we start looking for it. The hunt is on! We're on a mad dash to "find" the very thing we've lost. We cannot rest until we've got it back in our possession. Haven't you experienced this before?
So who's to say the same things isn't happening with our weight? When we approach it from the terminology of "weight loss" are you setting yourself up to go looking for it? If you can't find your weight, could it be true- that because of past behaviors and patterns- you're unconsciously trying to find it?
Instead try appreciating the body you have right now, the health you do possess. This will help you move towards your vision of ideal health. Just think about these concepts for a bit and reflect upon them this week.
Are you trying to lose something, but sabotaging yourself because deep down you always want to find what you lost? Or can you accept that having a healthy body is here and now. Envisioning the ideal body can move you even closer to the total health you are embracing into your life. Create that picture of what you DO want and move yourself each day towards it.
Elizabeth "Coach" Scala, MSN/MBA, RN is passionate about helping individuals to embody holistic living and embrace self-care. Through her business, Living Sublime Wellness, she writes regularly on the topic of self-care, conducts wellness workshops, and offers both in-person and online seminars for busy professionals.
Elizabeth is a Certified Health and Wellness Coach and holds Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Master's degrees in both Business and Nursing. Originally from Carmel, NY, she now lives in Baltimore, MD with her husband and two dogs. Visit http://www.elizabethscala.com for more information.
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