Hold the Panic

This weekend I was getting ready to celebrate a friend of mine and I wanted to find the right dress for the event. Last year at this time I was getting ready to step on stage in a sequin-laden bathing suit after months of preparation. My body just does not look the same today as it did last year. The clothes I wore this time last year just look different today. In just a few weeks I will be headed to Hawaii and the last thing I want is to feel uncomfortable in my own skin. My instinct is to panic diet by drastically lowering caloric intake (and possibly limiting some foods entirely) and significantly increase my exercise intensity and duration.

My instincts SUCK. This is exactly why following emotions is a terrible idea. Drastic diets create a lower metabolism and can increase fat mass, not to mention damaging your endocrine (hormone) system. If you happen to have similar diet panic instincts like mine, I've found that objective numbers or data help me to gain perspective.

I am at a healthy weight, this is a fact. My body composition is in a healthy range, but there is room for me to safely and reasonably drop 5-15 lbs of fat. It's not reasonable or healthy to have a super low body composition year round (nor would l like the behavior year round to sustain that body.) As we get closer to summer, it's likely that many of us will have to fight the panic diet feelings. FIGHT HARD!

We don't need immediate drastic results, we need wellness in all aspects. Support yourself, celebrate your healthy habits and work on the ones that aren't aligned with your goals. I wanted to talk about the things that I think or feel because those thoughts aren't always right (or helpful). Maybe you have similar feelings squeezing into a bathing suit that fit perfectly last year. Long term success trumps temporary changes. It takes effort to choose a different thought, but it is so worth it!

‪#‎eatwell‬ ‪#‎moveoften‬ ‪#‎nopanic‬‪#‎smallsteps‬