We just got married last month, and the lessons I learned from my wedding will help you with your weight loss challenge. I’d say we did a pretty good job from the wedding rehearsal on the left picture to our actual day on the right.
I had so much fun I’d love to share lessons learned to support you during your weight loss and health struggles.
- Be YOU. We all do what we “should” do or expected to do, but ask yourself if that’s really being your true self. Do you engage in relationships, pursue careers, and act in ways that is the societal norm but completely against your nature or even desires? When we live in a way that isn’t congruent to our true nature, we gain weight because we eat to fill the void, become depressed, or turn on our stress response which leads to belly weight gain. My wedding was the most unconventional one full of the silliest things including children’s skits (instead of a father walking me down the aisle), talent shows, hip hop/cha cha cha dance for our 1st dance, etc. I learned that I wasn’t stressed because it was fun and true to me. Stop living to please others (especially strangers and what they will think).
- Involve Others. As social creatures we need support and community. If you “flock” with healthy eaters and movers, then that becomes your ecology. Ask for help. We involved our friends in the wedding and they came up with amazing speeches, musical skit, Elvis impersonation, and tons of other things that made our event even more than what we could have possibly planned. I learned that studies show people are actually happier when we have friends/family to celebrate our good times (and not necessarily feeling supported during bad times).
- Let Go. Let go of control and strict rules. Allow your body room to respond and do what it does well which is to thrive and heal. If you put up barriers at every corner, you’ll never lose weight. That stress tells your body to slow down metabolism. During our wedding, we left lots of room for our guests to be creative from “writing” on our formal pictures on their speech bubbles to free-for-all talent shows. I learned that if you open doors to possibilities, you will get more than what you hope for. Let go of the need to control. (i.e., strictly controlling calories versus focusing on quality).
- Try New Things. Always be willing to get out of your comfort zone and try something new. You may find your new passion or surprise yourself with your hidden talents. We signed up for “1st wedding dance” lessons. We decided to fool the crowd with 10 seconds of slow 1st dance and bolt out to Black Eye Pea’s “Get It Started.” Neither one of us are dancers and after 5 lessons, we are now addicted to dancing. We learned that we love choreographed dancing. Who knew?
- Laughter. Always include tons of laughter and humor in your life. It’s been known to cure cancer and helps us attain our goals (and lose weight because we turn on our digestive system). With our speech bubbles, silly skits, funny musical, Elvis’ dance-off, and comedy show during the wedding, I don’t think I laughed that hard for 6 hours straight. I learned that laughter calms my life and makes my glass half full.
- Move. Movement reduces stress, balances our blood sugar, improves metabolism, keeps us young, and helps with weight loss. We danced non-stop for hours. Make sure you love the way you move and embrace your body just the way it is today.
- Your Focus. Focus on having fun, adding loads of pleasure in your life, and all things that make you happy. I had such a blast that I barely ate. I just didn’t feel hungry. I was so happy, laughing constantly, and socializing that food was not my focal point. And….I only had one glass of wine! I love wine and during such a drinking/celebratory occasion, I was surprised how little I drank. Again, choose your focus wisely.
The key to your success is living a life that feels amazing. Your weight gain or any illness you’re facing are mere symptoms of a bigger picture. Contact me for a free health consultation, and let’s start that conversation.
Here’s to YOUR amazing life and amazing body.
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