By Amanda Delamer, MSc, ACC, CPCC and Dr. Alisha Rawji ND
Alisha and I met for coffee the other week and got talking about what commonly motivates people to seek out our supports – that of a Life Coach and Naturopath. One common topic that seems to drive motivation is weight loss – and losing pounds as quickly as possible.
While we totally appreciate that carrying extra pounds can be unhealthy, we often find ourselves being curious with clients, and asking, what if it wasn’t about the weight? What if your focus wasn’t just about the number on the scale? What if it wasn’t about cursing yourself about that cookie you just ate? What if, it wasn’t about looking in the mirror and being unhappy with how you look? What if we didn’t beat ourselves up for simply honouring one of our most basic and fundamental needs: eating.
What if we shifted our focus from losing weight to making intentional and consistent choices that support our overall health – mind, body, and soul?
Mind – Decrease stress and increase fulfillment.
What if we treated ourselves in a loving and accepting manner, channeling our energy away from frustration about the number on the scale towards healthy curiosity? In this moment, what do you want less of? What things are draining you? Ask yourself, am I making this choice because I think I should/could/__wants me to? Or am I making this choice because I want to? Stress shows up in so many ways, and takes up so much space in our minds. What if you shifted your energy from those things that drain you, to those things that fill you up? If losing weight is just one more thing on your “to-do” list, it likely feels draining. What happens if you shift the focus?
Body – Fuel your body with good nutrition and supplements, and move your body.
What we eat and how much we exercise are only small pieces of the larger puzzle which, quite literally, shape us. Our weight and body type have so much more at play than simply calories in and calories out. Understanding a little bit more about the basic science of how our bodies work, and how they work for us, can take us leaps and bounds further.
- Hormones (namely insulin and cortisol)
- Insulin gets released when sugar is increased, or when food gets broken down into simple sugars such as glucose. This is a normal
- Cortisol gets released from the adrenal glands during times of stress. This is also normal.
- The key is to support your body in not producing too much of these hormones.
- High carbohydrate and sugar intake
Insulin tells your body to store excess sugar as fat. When our bodies are introduced with excess sugars, or carbohydrates in the form of complex sugars, it will eventually be stored in the form of fat.
- Diet, Exercise and Lifestyle
Inactivity and unhealthy eating habits will not support you in weight loss. Beating yourself up , over the one cookie you ate yesterday or not making it to the gym seven days a week is not so beneficial either. Healthy balance is essential in all aspects of life, and the 80-20 rule can help maintain an ideal, and very achievable ratio (Refer to Andrea Thatcher, Never Diet Again Program: http://www.andreathatcher.com).
- Relaxation
There is nothing better for your mind, body, soul and adrenals than some relaxation techniques. Meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, tea with a friend, taking a walk out in nature – these are wonderful methods to lower our stress, feel grounded, and help our cortisol regulate to less erratic ups and downs.
Head over to Part 2 of this article, where we will dive a little deeper into the science of hormones, diet, and lifestyle.
Soul – Honour your heart, your inner knowing, your values and your purpose.
Dig a bit deeper. What do you value? What is most important for you? What is your bigger picture? Taking time to get clear on these questions can support that part of you, your inner leader, that knows your life is as it should be in the moment, and at the same time can want more for you. Wisdom, compassion, courage and clarity…This is the part of you that can let go of going after a quick fix and instead make intentional and consistent choices that will bring you more joy and fulfillment. If you have clarity that dropping weight is in line with what you value, go after losing that 20 pounds and give yourself permission to enjoy your life in this moment and all the moments leading up to. Decisions can seem easier to make as we make choices from a place of who we are, not who we would like to be or think we should be.
In addition to all of the benefits listed above, as we tune in and pay more attention to all parts of us – mind, body and soul – we can’t help but experience a decrease in stress and our bodies reaching a healthy weight.
Both Alisha and I, along with our amazing Docere Wellness team, strive to support the whole person – mind, body and soul. Please visit www.docerewellness.ca to learn more about us, our coaching and naturopathic services, along with information about all of our wellness services and practitioners.
Call 403-452-6262 to book in for your complimentary one-hour coaching session with Amanda Delamer, and visit the Docere Wellness Centre website or Facebook group to check out our seasonal promotions with our Naturopathic doctors Dr. Alisha Rawji, Dr. Michelle Hagel and Dr. Rabia Meghji.
Amanda Delamer is a self-awareness and fulfillment coach. Amanda coaches and supports people in living healthy, balanced and joyful lives. She coaches and honours the whole person – mind, body and spirit. Her clients experience fulfillment in all parts of their lives – health, family, relationships, career, and beyond – and they value and appreciate that all parts of their lives are connected, and that we all have responsibility in and for the world around us. She lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with her husband and three children.
Dr. Alisha Rawji is a naturopathic doctor born and raised in Calgary Alberta. She is devoted to the understanding of the body as a whole, and works with her patients in a holistic manner, with a mind, body and soul approach to health and healing. She loves to delve deep into getting to the root cause of disease as well as the science behind one’s symptoms. She has taken part in a volunteer group to Haiti with an organization called Naturopaths Without Boarders (NWB), and has obtained additional training in constitutional homeopathy from Mumbai India, as well as in high dose vitamin and mineral Intravenous Therapy (IV) in San Diego.