New year resolution - happy to be yourselfAre you happy with your body?

Go ahead, have a really good think about it. Do you like the transition where your bottom meets your legs? Do you smile when you look at your bare stomach in the mirror? What about your arms? Do you like them, loath them or are you indifferent?

I believe that how you feel about your body has a lot to do with how successful you’ll be at initiating and then sustaining healthy lifestyle choices.

We all know that eating well and excising regularly is good for us. We’ve heard the health messages, we’ve read the articles. So why do we still struggle with getting ourselves out of an unhealthy lifestyle rut and into the life that we really want to live?

It’s because the emotions attached to food and physical activity go far deeper than just “doing it”.

Weight loss, for example, is simple, isn’t it? You need to eat less food, eat more nutritious foods and you need to regularly exercise and spend less time on the couch. If it’s as simple as this, why are only a few people successful in reaching and maintaining their new healthy weight? Why do so many of us struggle?

My thoughts… it’s all in your head.

Everyday we make choices that are either for our benefit or detriment. Most of the time we make beneficial choices – I don’t know many people who purposely put themselves in danger or a bad situation.

If you consider all the choices that we make each day, I think you’ll find that the type of choices you make directly reflects how you’re feeling about yourself at the time.

When I’m feeling great about my body, I can’t wait to throw on my workout gear and hit the gym with vigour . I make myself tasty, nourishing meals, drink plenty of water and say no to unhelpful foods high in salt and sugar. It’s easy, it makes sense. I value myself enough to look after my body. I’ve only got one after all.

The thing is, the mind of Kate Freeman is very fickle. PMS, a large burrito, a zit on your chin or left buttock, hell, even your favourite pair of jeans ripping right down the sides and in the crotch making you feel so large and dejected that you could live in track pants for the rest of your life. Rather than eating the fresh chicken and chickpea salad – that you’d prepared earlier (when you were happy with yourself) – you find the saltiest, greasiest thing you can find and eat lots of it…

I’m slightly over exaggerating, or am I? Have you ever said, “Ah what the hell, I don’t care about myself any more” and then gone ahead and eaten a packet of biscuits? If you have, don’t feel ashamed, you’re not alone. I have and so have many other women too.

Many people, who are trying to lose weight, believe that they’ll like themselves more and be happier once they reach their goal weight. This might be true but I don’t believe that you’ll like yourself more because your body has changed. I believe that you like yourself more because you’ve just spent the last few months or more looking after yourself: feeding yourself well and regularly exercising. The very act of prioritizing your health and investing time and effort into self-care can actually help you develop a good relationship with your body, thus making healthy behaviours a much easier thing to do consistently.

If you’re setting new years resolutions for that involve getting fit and healthy next year then you’ve joined the majority. It’s the most common resolution ever.

Of the clients that started with me earlier this year, the ones that have been successful in their weight loss have got their head into a good space. They’re done with the self-loathing and subsequent over-feeding. It was time to change, they were ready to change and they all feel that they are definitely worth the change. So, they made it happen. Day in day out, they made choices with their food that lead them towards their goal. Not in a strict, restriction kind of way, but in a balanced, positive kind of way.

So this year, as you set your new years resolutions to lose weight, get fit or something in between, make one of those resolutions this: I value myself enough to make the changes that I need to make to be the person that I want to be. Simply make a promise to like yourself next year. Be happy with who you are, the body you have and the person you show to the world.

Viewing yourself positively will be the push you need to take positive steps. No good ever came from self loathing or personal shame.

You are worth it. Your body is worth feeding well. Every single time you exercise makes a difference and every vegetable you say “yes” to and high sugar treat you say “no” to is stepping you closer toward your goals. Don’t ever underestimate the power of small changes from baby steps.

Happy resolution making everyone! Here’s to a year where we’re happy to be ourselves!