Category Spiritual

My favourite one-word weight loss affirmation

Today, I’m thrilled to share with you my favourite weight loss affirmation.

Now, there’s a bunch of people out there who knock affirmations and claim, “they just don’t work”.

Maybe you’re one of ‘em.

Once upon a time, I used to be suuuuuper cynical of affirmations too.

Course, affirmations DO work. Because anything you repeat to yourself on a consistent basis WILL BECOME YOUR TRUTH.

So here’s my favourite affirmation.

It’s just one word.

“Enough”.

Or, for those of you who like the long version: “I am enough”.

Say it to yourself now – “I am enough”. Notice how it feels in your body.

“I am enough.”

Saying it at the beginning of the meal helps to curb your appetite.

Saying it at the end of the meal… helps you to recognise “enough now, you’re enough, you’ve had enough food, you’re good, you’re done.”

Your monkey mind will come up with a list of objections:

“How can you be enough… you’ve got cellulite, you can’t wear a bikini!!!!”

“Okay  “Roger that!!!! I do have cellulite, but I’m still enough. And I can     wear a bikini and I will fit my bikini even sooner because I accept that I     am enough.”

Do you see how this enough-ness game works?

Have fun with it!

(photo courtesy of Huffington Post)

Happy 2018 gorgeous!

Have you seen how much the term ‘self-care’ is trending recently?

Back when I was eyebrow-deep in my food struggle, I was scathingly dismissive of self-care. How frivolous and trivial!

But, now, I realise it’s an essential adult life-skill that correlates directly to our health, happiness, and wellbeing.

Every day, many of the smart, busy women I see for weight loss hypnotherapy share that “taking care of myself plummets to the bottom of my To Do list when I’m busy, or life feels overwhelming.”

Most clients have a history of caring so much for others, for so long, that they’re emotionally doubled over in pain, confused as to why they’re exhausted and wondering why they seek comfort in food, or binge or overeat.

Sure, when the calendar gets busy, or stress levels skyrocket, it can be tempting to skip the daily practices that comprise our self-care.

But as women, we need to knock that off and start putting our oxygen masks on first, so that we can be happy and healthy during 2018, and beyond.

Three reasons why self-care is important if becoming your happy shape and size is your goal for 2018.

1. 1. Little eyes notice everything you doWe all know that actions speak louder than words. The way you respect your own needs is a much more powerful example to the youngsters in your home than any words you say. We, women, need to walk our talk and show the younger generation that self-care isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity for a happy, healthy life.
   2. Self-care is life-giving oxygenWhen we practice regular self-care, we’re more able to focus on living life fully, we’re more engaged and productive, and less drawn to self-sabotaging “escape” behaviours like procrastination or stress eating.
   3. Self-care creates feelings of relaxation, calm, and peaceSelf-care activates your body’s self-repair mechanisms, it encourages better digestion and improves our immune functioning.

And my favourite…

1. 1. No one likes a martyr!Who hasn’t been there? You said ‘yes,’ and you slapped a smile on your face, but every fibre of your being was screaming ‘no!’

      Martyrdom is soooooo last season! Ignoring your self-care leads to feelings of irritability, resentment, frustration, exhaustion, and increased health issues. It can even impair our immune functioning.

So listen to your body. Start prioritising your self-care this year. Are you feeling overwhelmed? Is your heart feeling heavy? What’s your gut telling you?

Start noticing the signals that you need nourishment. And start doing the small daily practices, the self-care that allows you to be more you.

Take the time to go for that walk in nature, enjoy some deep energising breaths, or start that new hobby you’ve been contemplating for years. What are you waiting for?

Do the small things that you love to do

And the more you give yourself oxygen, the more you can be there for loved ones but from a place of joy, of peace, of love.

However you choose to do self-care, know this gorgeous—you are worthy and deserving of self-care, freedom and fun. So take care of you, okay?

Love etc, Avril

PS: If you’ve decided that losing weight is part of your self-care for 2018, the virtual gastric banding can help. Why not drop me a line so you can start taking care of you.

Image credit lds.org

Can you remember the olden days when we’d say grace at the dinner table?

Haha, no not in my family either—but we’ve all seen it in the movies!

By saying grace, the intention was to bless the food and to be grateful for it.

Gratitude is a very powerful emotion. It releases dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin—all those good feeling hormones—into our body. When we’re grateful our body moves into the relaxation response which means our self-repair mechanisms work more efficiently and we digest the food more easily.

There are many other benefits to gratitude. When we’re grateful, we learn faster, we heal more quickly and we’re more receptive to change. Who doesn’t want more of that?

How to practice gratitude?

I encourage you, the next time you sit down to a meal, to remember that food is sacred.

Chances are if you’re eating, an animal died to provide for your nutrition.

Appreciate the food, perhaps by sending a prayer of gratitude—in your own mind—to the farmer who raised the crop, to the person who cooked the meal (even if it was you!) or the teenager who packed your groceries.

Grateful
Appreciate
Acknowledge

“Thank you for the food, thank you to my miraculous body for taking nutrition from this food, thank you… thank you…thank you.”

Remember to practice eating with a grateful heart and allow yourself to discover the power of counting your blessings!

Love etc, Avril