Feeling overworked and underappreciated? Having trouble staying consistent with your nutrition or exercise plan because you’re over stressed and overeating? Putting others’ needs before your own? Just part of the job for lots of women. Whether you’re a high-powered professional, a mother, a caregiver, a partner, a worker, a daughter, a friend, or all the above and more….if you’re a woman, you’re asked to do a lot.
Many of us spend our days putting out fires, handling to-do lists, wiping little noses, meeting deadlines, and making sure other people are fed, safe, and happy.
Make yourself the priority for a change.
Here’s the thing…Women like rising to the challenge of supporting others and getting stuff done. That is, until their energy runs out and they realise they don’t have any left over for themselves. And slowly, after months or years of putting other people first, multi-tasking, and wrangling that epic to-do list:
- They’re drained mentally and emotionally.
- The time they used to invest in self-care has disappeared.
- The clothes that used to fit..feel a little (or a lot) tighter.
- The sugar and junk food cravings seem much stronger.
- The exercise classes/workouts are postponed, then cancelled.
- The bathroom mirror and scale are avoided. (Along with the bed.)
- The stress of yo-yo dieting starts up again.
With putting so much time into caring for others, and juggling all their responsibilities, women end up neglecting themselves. But it doesn’t have to be this way, you can feel healthy, fit, and good in your own skin and regain control of your schedule and your body. You can overcome emotional eating and cravings. You can show love and appreciation to others while still taking care of yourself.
We’ll show you how.
There are two (or more) obstacles in many women’s way when it comes to getting healthy and staying in shape and get the body and life you want.
“But my life is different. My body is different”
That’s exactly what tens of thousands of other women think. They also felt frustrated, lost, and confused, struggling to manage their eating, health, and bodies. They knew they wanted to feel better, and they were trying hard or not hard enough, but they weren’t sure how to make it all work.
The kind of change you want is possible, no matter where you’re starting, no matter how you’re feeling right now, no matter how much stuff is on your plate. It’s possible!
“Help me have a better relationship with food.”
At some point in our lives, many women struggle with overeating and emotional eating. We love our wine, chocolate, sugar, or whatever our “I-deserve-this” or “I-need-a-freaking-break” treats are… but they don’t always love us back.
Once the “food rush” wears off, we’re left with the very same stress and problems we started with — plus now we feel guilty, ashamed, and maybe even out of control.
The cycle often looks like this.
- Feel stressed, anxious, upset, etc.
- Overeat.
- Feel guilty and ashamed for overeating.
- Feel more stressed, anxious, upset, etc.
- Vow to “do better”.
- White-knuckle a new diet, and/or make rigid “rules”.
- Feel stressed, anxious, upset, etc.
- Overeat.
- Repeat the cycle.
Here’s a simple tool you can start using right away.
Break the Chain
You simply notice, observe, and record what happened leading up to any food cravings, emotional eating, overeating, and/or any other times that feel “out of control” with food and eating.
Because here’s a secret: Those feelings and behaviours didn’t come out of nowhere. They aren’t random. Something led to them.
1. Start with any recent food or eating-related episode that troubled you. (For instance, eating too much, eating foods you didn’t want, feeling out of control, etc.).
2. Write down all the stuff that was happening around you just before that episode happened.
For instance:
- Where were you?
- What were you doing?
- What were you thinking?
- What were you feeling?
- Who was with you?
3. Now see if you can go back even further.
Maybe a few hours. Once again:
- Where were you?
- What were you doing?
- What were you thinking?
- What were you feeling?
- Who was with you?
Try to capture as much detail as possible.
4. Now look at your data. Are there any patterns?
If you don’t see any connections right away, no worries. Try this exercise a few times, and then start looking for links between what was happening in the days or hours before you had a serious food craving or emotional eating episode.
5. If and when you find patterns, be curious about them.
Don’t worry about fixing them right away. Just notice them.
“Hm, that’s interesting. Every time my mum calls me, afterwards I want to hit the chocolate.”
“You know, I actually feel fine most of the month, but the week before my period hits — watch out.”
“It’s been a long, stressful week at work. Give me that wine before I stab someone.”
6. You might notice solutions right away.
“OK, I’m going to go for a workout after I talk to mom, to get some of that energy out.”
“I’m going to mark my PMS days on the calendar so I know about them in advance.”
“I’m going to walk home on Fridays, to unwind.”
Or you might not notice solutions. You might feel stuck at step #5, noticing the patterns but not sure how to change. Either way, that’s OK. The important thing is: Now you’re aware of what’s happening.
“Help me be consistent with my diet, exercise, or healthy lifestyle habits.”
If you’re like most women, you’ve probably tried at least some stuff to get and stay in shape.
Here’s what most women have tried before getting results with us:
- Weight Watchers
- Slimming World
- MyFitnessPal and other calorie counters
- Jenny Craig and Curves
- Crossfit and other group workouts
- Popular diets like Paleo, juice fasts, cleanses, and low-carb
- Workout books and magazine articles
Of course, these aren’t “bad” options. They end up working for many people.
But most folks tell us they have a hard time staying consistent. They mean well, and work hard, but struggle to stay on track. In part, this is because other plans don’t account for your life. They don’t offer meaningful, step-by-step change that you can actually do in your real life. You know, the real life with a job and kids and a commute and going to school etc. The one that actual human people have. And, in part, most other plans don’t offer support, care, and accountability like coaching does.
Make yourself accountable to a program… that really works.
Ideally, you want a program that:
- Focuses on all the things that are right with you, and all the strengths and skills you already have.
- Gives you proven solutions that start to work right now.
- Has been tested with lots of people (so you know it actually works).
- You can customize to your lifestyle (so you can stay consistent and do it even when you’re busy).
- You actually enjoy doing (and isn’t just another chore).
- Makes you feel positive, hopeful, and supported all the way through.
- Lasts. Like, for life.
- Gives you a big goal to shoot for, if you want.
At Paragon Health & Fitness, we can help you write a plan that provides both structure and flexibility. We have the knowledge and ability to customize the plan based on your skill levels, goals, and how much time you have available. Programming reminders to practice nutrition, exercise, or lifestyle habits you’re currently working on and measuring your progress at regular intervals. If you would like more information please contact us.
Make yourself accountable to a person… who really cares….nothing worth doing can be done alone. Social support — whether that’s a friend, a workout partner, your spouse, your kid, your dog, a co-worker who walks with you at lunch, a personal trainer at your local gym, whatever — is crucial.
Don’t try to do this all alone.
Independence is great, but for a project like this, you need a team and a tribe of like-minded people helping and supporting you.
We’re in this business because we want to help you feel, look, and perform better… whatever body or goals you have.
The important thing is that you make yourself accountable to somebody and get the help you need. You have a lot on your plate already; why not let someone else show you the way?
Most people know that regular movement, eating well, sleep, and stress management are important for looking and feeling better. Yet they need help applying that knowledge in the context of their busy, sometimes stressful lives.
That’s why we work closely with our clients to help them lose fat, get stronger, and improve their health… no matter what challenges they’re dealing with.