Your ideal weight, and holding back
What would you do if you were at your ideal weight?
I was staring-down at a new swimsuit, in a house on the beach, with family, friends, and a wild surf nearby. I wasn’t at my “ideal” weight, and it was ticking me off, holding me back physically and emotionally.
“What would you do if you were at your ideal weight?” , flashed into my mind, and the answer came immediately.
“Anything I want to.” It hit me over the head. It smacked me silly. It flattened me.
Years of holding back, always wanting to lose those two, or five, or ten, or twenty pounds, (at times even more) before I would “do it”. I’d held back from all kind of things over the years, feeling not quite good enough, not yet my best.
I’m a grown up now. I’m happily married. I’m successful. I have my own company. I have a child.
Who really cares?
When does good enough, become good enough?
When does happiness begin to reflect what’s in your heart instead of the amount of body weight you carry around?
I put that swimsuit on. I smiled. I grabbed a sea kayak, joined my athletic husband and rocked it. Never mind that I flipped the kayak, and came up with a bleeding leg. The oceans were rough, and I could still swim to shore.
The kids loved it. I felt great. My husband thinks I look 25, and skinny.
I know how to lose a few pounds, or a lot of pounds, it’s what I help people with. And I’m finally figuring out how to love any weight I decide to visit.
Stuff happens. Book deadlines, moving offices, stressful times, weight comes and goes.
Remembering what I would do at my ideal weight keeps me doing it anyway. And that’s what really matters.
Carrying extra weight is not good for our health, but self-punishment can be just as bad.
If you have a couple of pounds to lose, or twenty, cut yourself a break. Dress like the beauty you are, at any weight. Put on your lipstick, grab a gorgeous cover up and sashay down that beach.
The weight will come off, soon enough.
Don’t add emotional weight to it, and don’t postpone joy.
Do you allow your weight to become an excuse?
Have you held yourself back from life, love, or the ideal job because you weren’t quite there yet?
Are you ready to finally move on?
Share your story with me here, I’d love to hear from you.
With summer love, and rays of sunshine,
Holli
Xo
Denise Tilley / 7.12.2012
Holli! This is beautiful and so true. My take away is when you said,
‘Don’t add emotional weight to it, and don’t postpone joy.’
Perfectly said. I so relate to this post and am currently working on shedding some extra weight. However, for the first time, I am not punishing myself by waiting to do things I love in the summer, like swimming, until the weight comes off. It is proving to be a great practice in true Self Love and also turns my weight loss goal into something joyous instead of arduous because I’m practicing Self Love now! Thanks so much for posting this- every woman needs to hear this valuable wisdom.
Holli / 7.12.2012
Hi Denise,
Thank you, I’m so glad this resonated with you. I’m so glad you’re loving where you are, and what you’re doing NOW.
This is big stuff.
Love,
Holli
Heather McCoy / 7.12.2012
Wow, this couldn’t be more timely and it was helpful to know that other health coaches feel the way I do! I loved this so much I shared it with my own FB fans!
Hello swimsuit and hello summer!
xoxo
Holli / 7.12.2012
Hi Heather,
Thank you for sharing this blog, and for sharing so much of yourself. Rock that swimsuit, Heather!!!
Holli xo
Dana / 7.12.2012
I love this Holli!! It took me SO long to get to this place of loving where I am “now”…. Do I still get “off track”? Of course but that makes my job a lot easier in relating to my clients with these same thoughts… It’s now the awareness that I “love”…. the knowing that when these thoughts creep in from my own little “inner critic”, I can work through them whereas I previously would berate myself for them. Thank you for this, such a special reminder!! <3
Holli / 7.12.2012
Dana, thank you for sharing this with us. And for keeping your inner critic under control:)
XO Holli
Jennifer / 7.12.2012
I always say “guilt has calories”. This is why the French are so thin, non? YES! Self-punishment can be the most effective way to sabotage a healthy lifestyle. Thanks for the reminder, Holli. I can never hear it enough.
Holli / 7.12.2012
Jennifer,
I love that!! Guilt does indeed have calories!
Here’s to your inner French girl!
Holli
Maria / 7.12.2012
“how to love any weight I decide to visit”
I loved how you phrased this! I have lost 30+ lbs over the last year. However, a few pounds have crept back during the last two months due to lots of stress in my life. I’ve been getting very upset about that but after I read what you wrote I realized I need to cut myself some slack here and ride through this wave without beating myself up. Thank you for this post, perfect timing!
Holli / 7.12.2012
Maria,
I’m sure it’ll leave just as it came, don’t stress it:) and keep having fun. Congratulations on your weight loss, I bet you feel fantastic!
XO Holli
Stephanie H / 7.12.2012
Life has gotten in the way of my jeans not fitting the way I like them to. I am in training mode for a major trek and doing strength training with trainer. She constantly marvels at how strong I am (as she adds more weight!) which makes me appreciate my body and how well it is serving me. Our bodies work really, really hard for us! We must love and be tender with them in return. Thank you for your insight.
Holli / 7.12.2012
You’re so welcome, Stephanie. Good luck on the trek, sounds awesome, and have fun seeing how much you can really do!
Holli xo