Body love #2. Self-care
Body love for optimal body composition
Follow along, and join the exploration on the link between body love & body composition. And how honest ‘body love’ is one of the most valuable tools in improving total body composition (leaner body). Check out Post 1. 'Freedom', and look out for more to come.
With over 15 years experience in the health and fitness industry, working very closely with clients of all ages, abilities, experiences, medical history and personal goals. I have developed a deep insight to the physical desires of individuals who cross my path, and those of my coaching/personal trainer peers.
At the end of the day, everyone wants to feel f*cking good in their own skin, which is great. But too often they expect the body composition of an athlete, or a genetically gifted human for about a 15th of the work.
Some will work really hard (most don’t) on their physical self and eat the right foods. But, the biggest challenge is getting clients to work on their mental game. The strongest link of all.
As a coach, I can educate and facilitate the path to their desired physical results, but it’s the clients role to do the heavy lifting and self-exploration. It’s also their role to accept this responsibility and to choose the right attitude, mindset and internal dialogue in doing so; to support their progress. For many, this is the missing link and a key reason for not achieving; or sustaining the body they desired.
Why? Because it’s hard work. And building your mental game can be really confronting, because it exposes your vulnerabilities and limitations that are easier to turn a blind eye to.
In this post, we’re looking at the importance of self-care, and it’s role in body composition.
'Self-care' - is a set of regular practices that optimise our physical, mental, emotional & spiritual well-being. Each with a significant purpose such as; nourish, enhance, uplift, inspire, rejuvenate, pleasure, even challenge.
Self care first requires a set of standard practices, 'a basic self-care package' if you will.
However. These aren’t sometimes practices you adopt for a week or 2. They are daily practices that have the potential to serve you 24/7.
It should come to no surprise that; exercise, nutritionally dense food, clean water, love & friendship, time in nature, good hygiene and a healthy/supportive home & work environment are all part of your ‘basic self-care package’. And are all vital for optimal health, longevity… and you guessed it. body composition.
From here, the next step is self-awareness. Self-awareness is your teacher, your guru. Self-awareness provides you with specific information about what you actually need, enjoy, when, whom with & how (this will become your intuition).
But.. is it that simple? No quite.
I can hear many of you saying;
“I do this already, my diet is impeccable, I bust my gut in the gym, I love my job and my partner, I have endless energy and don’t need much sleep… But i'm still carrying an extra 5kgs of fat around the tum that I'd rather not have, and I still hate looking at myself in the mirror".
Or maybe, you’re saying
“As if. No one actually lives like that, you can’t have it all… I also have this shoulder thing from when I was 10, so I can’t really do XYZ… and my social calendar….and kids...I'm genetically pre-disposed to....my boss is a prick but I absolutely cannot quit, oh and I love wine”.
Sound familiar? Both of these scenarios; or variations of, are very common and can both impair the body’s ability to shed unwanted fat, without diminishing performance, energy & mood.
So... where do we go from here? The next step to your self-care package is mindset. A healthy, supportive mindset acting as your own personal positive influencer.
Your self-care package is a joyous routine, not a chore!
A mindset that eyes the rainbow of vegetables on your plate with gratitude, not a form of punishment.
A mindset that finishes every last challenging set & rep because you believed you could, and resisted temptation to use your past limitations as an excuse to stop.
A mindset that enjoys a pizza with friends guilt free, and takes pride in saying no when you've had your limit.
A mindset that enjoys running/exercises for the exhilarating feeling of freedom and energy expenditure, not for the number of calories burnt.
A mindset that can admit the most productive and rewarding experiences are the ones where you are mindfully present. Cementing the importance of active listening, deep breathing, and mindful living. It’s not living and working on autopilot, simply existing,
A mindset that honours your intuition and innate intelligence.
When you truly get to know yourself inside and out, and are willing and able to choose a mindset that supports you. The rest will follow suit. Then, the self-care package suddenly evolves from a list of nagging chores into a fun, empowering, and fulfilling lifestyle.
With this new 'mindset' you can now see your limitations, past experiences, injuries & or traumas as privileged experiences, not defining moments that permanently mould you into a limiting box.
From here on in you can now cut the bullshit, shed the baggage (maybe some body fat too), and live in peace with pride knowing you are taking care of yourself the best you can with what you've got.
I’ll look forward to sharing the next post with you soon.
In health and love x