Hey Gorgeous -
I got on the scale the other day and realized I gained 3 pounds. For clarity, I don't promote or practice focusing on the number on the scale. In fact, Fit thru Faith focuses on "life gain" vs. "weight loss." I believe that your body was created 100% naturally by God. And when you eat the food that God created for your body to thrive and move consistently, your body will in time adjust to its service sizeTM - that size body where you can be of greatest service to God and the world.
So given all of that - what's the big deal about the 3 lbs? Well, I've done a lot of self-examination, exploration and experimentation over the years and I also have a practice of a daily weigh. The scale is a partner in my Divinely Designed Healthy Life*Style PracticeTM(2DLP).
Don't fear the scale! It doesn't define you - but it does give you data. If you're just starting your whole body health adventure, it gives you a starting point so you can celebrate your wins along the way. And since I do have this daily weigh practice, I know how my weight fluctuates normally from day to day, what's likely water, etc. and when I might need to pay a little more attention.
For me, 3 pounds is my internal "wake up!" that I may be off my "A Game" - and I actually know exactly what happened. It's simple - I broke my agreements. And what happens when you break agreements? There are consequences =(.
A Divinely Designed Healthy Lifestyle Practice is basically a series of agreements that you make regarding your whole body health choices. These agreements are uniquely designed by you to ultimately give you guidelines and freedom to enjoy indulgences while achieving or maintaining the happiest version of you.
These are the agreements I broke:
#1 - The Daily Weigh - I'm not religious about this, but as I mentioned, I do have a practice to weigh myself daily in the morning to stay in connection with the impact of my choices. This past week was a bit crazy in the morning, so I just never got to it.
#2 - Only purchase ONE pint of So Delicious Coconut Milk Chocolate-Peanut Butter Swirl Non-Dairy Dessert when it's on sale - OK, so my guilty pleasures are chocolate and peanut butter. And when they're together - forget about it. To keep my tastebuds happy and my waistline in check, I put an agreement around this "to die for" yummy dessert. Putting it in my cart every week would be problematic, but I also need it in my life =).
It goes on sale every now and again at Whole Foods and Sprouts. You know I check every week, but it's honestly easy to pass it by because of my agreement. First of all, it's expensive so I'm saving money, and second of all, I wouldn't pass up the "Hercules! Hercules!" moment I feel when I see that yellow "on sale" tag.
And of course it was on sale at Sprouts last week. I have a few other mini agreements around it like...not eating the whole pint at one time, and not eating it at night, so in general it wouldn't have had a significant impact on the scale if I hadn't broken a few other agreements at the same time like...
#3 - Only Eat What You Plate
I created this agreement to handle my bad grazing and hand-to-mouth disease habits. It's easy to go mindless when you don't actually see your food together on your plate. My See-Savor-Stop practice was a key tool in dropping my last stubborn 15, but with an over-scheduled whirlwind kind of week for the entire family, off-the-plate noshing and grazing - especially with nuts and seeds - were the name of the game. Nuts and seeds are awesome snacks - but endless and mindless handfuls can do some damage.
#4 - Move Daily
I also have an agreement to move my body everyday. I basically follow a 3-2-1 plan when it comes to being physically active - a minimum of 3 days of focused cardio (2 H.I.I.T. and one longer moderate walk or hike), 2 days minimum (sometimes 3) of full body strength training, and one day of focused stretch/core (like yoga or pilates). I do some stretching with every workout, but give a little more love on that day. On Sundays, I usually slow down and flex, but do what I need to do to stay active and get my 10k steps.
I don't live in a gym. I hit it and quit it to fit my busy schedule and use Youtube - a lot! My fallback on mornings that get a little crazy is the 7-minute workout. If I can't make time for 7 minutes, I've got bigger issues. Last week the 7 minute Workout was more of the rule than the exception.
So for me, Not Weighing Myself + More Calories from So Delicious & Mindless Noshing + Less Calories Expended Due to Shorter Workout Time = 3 lbs. See - simple!
So what are the lessons I learned?
#1 - Life Happens - Your whole body health adventure is not about perfection. Life happens, schedules shifts, and the unexpected will derail your plans. Expect it, but have a plan to get back up again! Lapses are life, but the key is to catch it early, so 3 pounds doesn't turn into 10, and so on and so on...
#2 - Be Kind of Yourself - I don't believe in beating myself up over food. It's food! That's why I say no CHEAT days, only CHOICE days. If you make a choice to have an indulgent day - own it. Then make a choice the next day to eat clean, move your body and celebrate life! The word tells us to "enjoy good health."
#3 - Stay Woke! - Living in your best health takes intention. Your old habits have been in your life for decades, so if you give them the opportunity, they will creep on back in - believe that! Set your intention each day to feed and move your body powerfully to make your epic impact on the world.
What's next? No dieting or deprivation - just getting back to my lifestyle practices. It may take a few weeks to adjust back =(, but I will.
What agreements do you have to support your whole body health? And if you don't have any, start with the habit that needs the most rehab. What agreement can you design to put yourself in the driver's seat?
And if you see the scale tipping in the wrong direction, don't shut down and wallow, choose life! Make an agreement and get back to the business of manifesting your destiny!
As always, would love to hear any feedback and how I can serve you more!
Blessings & XO!
Charlie Jordan Brookins
Your Girlfriend in Whole Body Health
Founder, Fit thru Faith
