I’ve gained weight – here’s what I’m going to do about it…

I’m like so many women I know – I don’t like gaining weight.

I’ve spent 1/2 of my 50 years struggling with unwanted weight (and hating my body), and the other half learning how to be at peace with my body – how to feed it so I feel my best – and how to teach other women to do the same.

And still, after all of that, my weight is not perfectly stable. I gain weight and I lose weight. Not in a yo-yo, dieting kind of way…but in a gentle ebb-and-flow-of-life kind of way…like having kids and illnesses, injuries, and celebrations. They all have their effects.

I can pretty much tell you that every August – as I head back from my yearly journey back to family and dear friends in Canada – I’m a bit heavier. This year is no different, except that I’m a bit older and my body doesn’t let go of it’s weight as easy as it used to. I certainly don’t bounce back from an extra glass of wine or desert in the way that I used to in my twenties or thirties.

What I’ve noticed is that my 40’s and now my 50’s are a time of deeply respecting and honoring my body. At the core of this time of life, is the hormonal dance that determines all our body’s functions. Hormones are chemical messengers, they tell our body exactly what to do and when my hormones are off balance, so is my body and it’s weight.

As lovely as it is to be away with family and friends  – there’s a certain stress that comes with it. Packing up and traveling – while I love it – it shifts my cortisol levels…and that’s our master hormone…it impacts other hormones as well as our metabolism, digestion, hair, skin, mood and so many other body functions. I know that my hormonal shifts are very connected to my weight gain.

So instead of working with my weight exclusively on the level of food – the “what will I eat and not eat level” (which will result in me eating great food, but not necessarily producing the complete body shift I”m looking for) – I’m going to rebalance my body by balancing my hormones.

And I’m going to do it on many levels.

Shifting your body, your energy, your skin, is not only about what you eat (although) that’s VERY important,  it’s also about:

• how you’re sleeping
• you’re stress level
• the toxins you’re exposed to (in food and in the environment)
• the specific kind of exercise your doing 
• self-care rituals 

So here’s what I’m doing to feel my absolute best in my body.

I’m going to:

• respect, appreciate and love myself (not judge myself)
• only choose the foods that truly serve me.
• slow down and settle down (even though September can be a craaazy month, I’m going to get even better at saying NO and taking time for me)
• Keep up my passionate regime of paddle boarding and yoga on my paddle board. It makes me so happy! It doesn’t stress my body in the way that I have in the past when I’ve tried to “whip my body into shape” (boy, that never works for long, does it?!)

How do I know this will work to rebalance my body?

Because I’m not trying to “FIX” or “CURE” myself of my weight gain. Instead I’m caring and nurturing myself – and almost magically, when we CARE deeply for ourselves…the cure follows.

Bullying ourselves and will-powering our way into wellness doesn’t work, it only results in more stress.

It’s when we deeply care and nurture ourselves that sustainable transformation happens. 

Today, I invite you to take the caring approach to creating balance in your life.

And, if you’d like support, please join Karen Schachter and I for a life-changing program! Hormonal Harmony!

We’re starting in October, but you’ll want to sign up now, because the early-bird bonuses are not to be missed!

This is the exact program, I’m going to be using to step back into my own body-balance! 

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nina Manolson, MA, CHC, certified Health Coach and Psychology of Eating Coach believes that every women deserves to feel good in their own body. She helps women create a healthy and positive relationship with their food and body so they can love their body and life!  She’s the founder of NinaManolson.com and NourishedWomanNation.com 

She helps busy women look and feel their best, and helps them feed their kids well in a world that doesn’t.

She’s the author of “Feed Your Kids Well In A World That Doesn’t: an everyday guide to make healthy food happen in your home and beyond”. She’s also the recipient of the prestigious Health Leadership Award from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

To get your F.R.E.E. Video Series “What to do now, when everything you’ve done hasn’t worked” by mail and receive her healthy recipes and wellness tips click here.