Hi, I'm Amanda! I help active women 40+ create a healthy relationship with food and their body through intuitive eating, mindfulness, and gentle nutrition. Learn to undiet your life with the latest Savor Food and Body Podcast episodes, blog posts, and free downloads at www.alpinenutrition.org
Keeping the💡 light on
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When's the last time you felt comfortable naked in front of someone, Reader? If you said never, I get it! I didn't use to be comfortable naked in front of my partner either, until recently. Two years ago, I told The Bike Guy to keep the lights on as I slipped off my clothes, bra, and underwear. This is NOT a weight loss success story. It's a body image story in progress. At the height of my dieting days, I had a lot of body shame. I told myself, "Your thighs are too thick. Your stomach is too soft and round. And your boobs are too small." Body image has 2 sides. How you see your body? And how you assume other people see your body? The story you tell yourself about your body image often reflects how you think other people see your body. It's shaped by years of messages about beauty, health, aging, and self-worth. It doesn't matter if the messages were direct or indirect, or where/who they came from. They became your inner dialogue, how you speak to and about your body. Which means, healing your body image is an inside job. You can order a copy here from Bookshop.org (affiliate link) Deb and Whitney teach us to reframe our "bad body image moments" (BBIMs) into experiences of mindfulness, curiosity, and self-compassion. Mindfulness is noticing what happens in the moment and what sensations you feel in your body. Curiosity is observing those sensations and thoughts racing through your head without reaction. It's the pause. Compassion is the response to your thoughts and body sensations based on the reality of your situation instead of assumptions or judgments. In their words, "mindful awareness opens the door, curiosity invites us in, and compassion helps us connect with ourselves." Let that sink in. I've practiced this for the past year as my belly has become softer and rounder. My food and movement routine hasn't really changed. I try to observe these changes with curiosity (it's hard, that's ok!). Is it because I'm 46 and entering late perimenopause? Or maybe it's my cookie and chocolate fetish, using them to cope with life stress and perimenopause symptoms? Here's how I apply the reframe from Deb and Whitney: mindful, curious, compassionate. "I noticed changes in my body over the past year. They could be related to hormone fluctuations, stress, food cravings, or all of the above." "I do my best to cope with life stress and body changes. Having cookies with a friend after dinner helps me feel connected to something other than life's challenges. Chocolate helps my brain function with less fatigue and brain fog after a restless night of sleep. Are there other coping tools I can reach for? Yes. But the cookies and chocolate are easily accessible for now. I know I can choose other coping tools at any time." Your turn! Think of a Bad Body Image Moment (BBIM) you had recently. Then answer these reflection questions:
If you feel comfortable sharing your reflections, hit reply! Let's work on reframing our BBIM together. Enjoy the weekend savoring food and your body! Amanda PS: The story you tell yourself about your body image often reflects how you think other people see your body. It's shaped by years of messages about beauty, health, aging, and self-worth. It doesn't matter if the messages were direct or indirect, or where/who they came from. They became your inner dialogue, how you speak to and about your body. Which means, healing your body image is an inside job. Scroll up for 4 reflection prompts to help you deal with "bad body image moments." |
Alpine Nutrition
Hi, I'm Amanda! I help active women 40+ create a healthy relationship with food and their body through intuitive eating, mindfulness, and gentle nutrition. Learn to undiet your life with the latest Savor Food and Body Podcast episodes, blog posts, and free downloads at www.alpinenutrition.org
Hey Reader! What are you up to for the 4th of July weekend? Our little mountain town celebrates the unofficial kick-off to summer with "Shake the Lake," a 5+ hour fireworks boom fest with the sound of explosives reverberating up mountain drainages. It's a bucket-list experience for tourists while locals console their dogs and hope no wildfires start. Independence Day can mean different things to people. About 12 years ago, a client texted me a picture of her scale in the trash with the...
“I just don't have the motivation to make healthy meals,” Kate said. ”Well, that’s not true. I want to eat more vegetables and cook at home. But when I buy fresh vegetables, they go bad before I get around to eating them.” ”Salads aren’t satisfying unless they have some protein on them, and I don’t have the motivation or time to cook the chicken, or fish, or tofu to put on the salad.” “So, having prepared foods like grilled chicken or fish, baked tofu, or canned beans on hand would make...
“I feel like my metabolism is broken,” Liz said on our discovery call last week ”Say more,” I said ”Well, since I turned 49 last fall, it doesn’t matter what I eat or don’t eat, or how much I exercise or don’t exercise, I keep gaining weight,” she said ”I’ve tried different diets over the years. Some worked better than others, but nothing works now. The weight doesn’t budge.” ”You feel like your metabolism is broken because it seems like your body doesn’t burn calories like it used to?” I...