Weight Loss as a Gateway
What do I mean?
When I had lost significant weight, I was amazed at how much brighter my world was. Because my weight loss was not only an end goal, but also a by-product of the multitude of ways in which I treated myself with love, care, and respect, I had so much energy and confidence.
“I’ve really done it,” I thought, “I’ve lost the weight I believed I would never lose. I’m doing things for myself I never dreamed I would do. I am so capable. This is a miracle.”
The real miracle, of course, was not the smaller number on the scale or the smaller size jeans I was wearing. The true miracle was that I learned to honor and trust myself. I learned to show up for myself repeatedly, no matter what.
When I made showing up for myself a habit, I realized, “I can do anything.” Seriously, if I could change my relationship with eating and food, and ultimately lose the weight that I had wholeheartedly believed I couldn’t lose and keep off in the past, what else? What else was I capable of?
And I realized, “I can do anything.” Seriously, if I could lose the weight that I had wholeheartedly believed I couldn’t lose and keep off in the past, what else? What else was I capable of?
First, I realized I was capable of keeping off the weight because I liked the way I was living. Not just the way I was eating. I liked my life.
Second, I just let the achievement sink in. I did this thing, this really difficult, challenging thing. I can do hard things. So, what else can I do that I think is out of my reach?
And I answered myself.
I can be a life coach and weight loss coach.
I can help other women (and men) who think it’s impossible to lose weight. I can show them the way. If I can do it, so can they.
So I enrolled in the best life coach program through The Life Coach School.
I can start my own coaching business.
I don’t really know what I’m doing, but I can figure it out. I can learn from others.
I can hire my own coach to help me evolve into the next, best version of myself. I can open myself up to someone, let them in, and allow them to guide me, to show me my own mind.
So I did.
When a person accomplishes something that she didn’t think was possible for herself, the entire world opens up. What else can I do that I didn’t think I could?
What else?
In this way, losing weight really isn’t about losing weight.
It’s about:
Committing to myself.
Showing up for myself.
Changing what wasn’t working for me.
Coexisting with discomfort as the means of change.
Creating new habits.
Demonstrating my inherent value and worth through the actions that I take.
What am I worthy of doing?
EVERYTHING.
ANYTHING.
I am worth the chance.
I am worth the risk – of failure, of embarrassment, of awkwardness, of looking like an ass (to someone else). Because who cares!
The process of taking care of yourself and losing weight opens up the entire world to you.
You see possibility and capability where once you saw hindrance and impossibility and “for everyone else, but not for me.”
It is for you, too. Especially you.