I believe perfectionism is a disease in the health, weight loss, diet, and fitness world (and other segments of society too). I admit, it’s really difficult for me to chat with others in my field. I used to wonder why I readily run away when a “colleague” tries to talk to me about health. I think I finally understand why “I don’t fit into the mold” and don’t want to “talk shop.”
In the nutrition, fitness, and health world, people (in general) try too hard. It’s too much for me. There are all these expectations, measurements, etc. and it then transfers to the general public making them feel like they need to eat perfect and exercise in the perfect way. This, I believe, sets us up for failure. We never feel good enough and perfectionism is a very unstable state to reside. It does NOT last. When we can’t maintain it (which is completely human), then we resort to self-criticism and continuing the all-or-nothing patterns. Can you relate? Is this you? I bet it is because most people in my office fall into this category.
And for those who can maintain perfect, have the perfect body, and eat perfectly all the time, are they truly happy? They start to feel isolated and distract from the real important stuff in life. I seriously had to tell a few clients to cheat a little; don’t be so strict. They looked miserable. Feel miserable and lonely. I don’t want that for anyone.
When we feel miserable, isolated, lonely, our body turns on the fight-or-flight mode and digestion/metabolism slows down. There is danger in the world that is far more important than efficient metabolism to the body. Plus, we just cannot maintain this mentally nor physically. Stop! Just stop! Tap into what’s really important in your life. Here are some ideas to start:
- Stop weighing yourself constantly, counting calories, looking in the mirror, criticizing yourself. Be kind to yourself; be nice. Once you do that, you’ll be nice to others and be so much more productive and happy and actually feed/move your body in a way that works and sustains. It’s a domino effect. If you struggle with this balance, please give me a call. STOP dieting and stop punishing. Start learning how to take care of your body in a way that works.
- Mistakes are OK, just own them. Try to enhance yourself. I love the quote above. We are all growth in progress. Be human! Be vulnerable.
- Laugh at yourself. It’s the best person to laugh at. We are silly; we are messy.
If you need help understanding nutrition and all the mixed messages out there, give us a call. We will address your stress level, diet, exercise, cravings, emotional eating and overall health and happiness. Start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle. Check out Yelp for other people’s opinion of Happy Food.
~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA
