Hey there. I want to talk about something that goes much deeper than your workouts or meal plans. Everything you’re doing from an action standpoint, how you’re eating, how you’re exercising, it’s driven by something inside you. It’s tied to your relationship with yourself, because so many of us are carrying feelings and beliefs about who we are, and we use eating and exercise to cope with those feelings.
I also want to emphasize something very important. Anytime we’re talking about our headspace, our mental and emotional health, therapy with the right therapist can be a game changer.
A productive working relationship with a therapist is one of the most powerful things you can develop. It’s challenging to find, though, because it takes time to build trust and get to the point where your therapist helps you untangle the things going on inside you. Sometimes those things have been with you for years, if not decades. And a good therapist can position what they tell you in a way that feels safe and disarming so you can actually hear it.
We all have blind spots in our own lives. Things we either don’t see or choose not to see. A solid therapeutic relationship might not happen for a year or more of working together, but I’m telling you, it’s worth its weight in gold.
The reality is, there are challenges with finding therapy. There’s a shortage of therapists, the cost can be high, and it’s not always accessible. But if you’re able to get into therapy, it can help you untangle all this stuff, and it ties right back to health and fitness.
Because that stuff inside of you is what’s driving your actions…how you eat, how you exercise. When you look at someone’s posts on social media, you’re seeing their actions, their efforts, and the results that come from those efforts. But you’re not seeing what’s driving them.
Are they exercising because they’re afraid of becoming the person they were in the past? Are they using exercise and dieting as a way to avoid what they’re thinking and feeling? Or are they doing it because they’re connected with themselves and they appreciate and love themselves at every stage?
I hope that every person reading this eventually finds a therapist they connect with because it will help so much with your weight loss journey. It will calm your mind. And if you can move through life at a calm, deliberate pace, doing your actions from that place, you’ll not only get better, sustainable results, but the chatter in your head will settle down.
This is tricky because the fitness industry markets against our insecurities. The messaging tells us not to feel good about ourselves right now. It tells us to look a certain way, do a specific eating plan, or follow a certain exercise routine, as if that’s the key to finally being happy.
Thing is, if you don’t have a connection with yourself where you appreciate and love yourself at every stage “past, present, and future” no amount of weight loss or body change will ever be enough.
If you lose the weight and you’re not happy, you’ll start thinking maybe you need to lose more weight. Or maybe you’ll start considering surgeries to alter your body. And that’s a whole other conversation.
If you’re considering plastic or skin removal surgery, and underneath it all you love and appreciate yourself, go for it. But if you’re hoping that changing your appearance will make you happy and fulfilled, that’s not going to bring the lasting feeling you’re looking for. I’ve seen so many people go down that path and end up just as unhappy as before.
So let me tell you a bit of my professional story, and then I’ll share my personal story.
Professionally, I’ve worked in the fitness industry for over a decade consistently, and before that, I spent a few years in the space during and right after college. I’ve also worked in marketing and advertising for about a decade and a half. The reason I bring up marketing is because so much of what the fitness industry sells us is built on insecurity.
The message is always the same: Want to feel better about who you are? Buy this. Try this. Do this. And I’m tired of it. I’m tired of the industry marketing against people’s insecurities.
That’s why I started Your Level Fitness. It’s why I put out so much content. If you’re reading this on my blog, you might not even be aware that I also have a daily podcast, several other podcasts, with thousands of podcast episodes where I talk about these topics.
I want people to connect with themselves. I’m not telling you to change anything you’re doing. I just want you to live outwardly from a place of connection with yourself.
I do one-on-one coaching and some group work, but the key is that all the information and resources I give my clients are also available on my blog. I show you how to set goals and track your progress in ways you might not have tried before.
Because for too long, we’ve been living outside in. We try to change how we look on the outside, thinking it will make us feel better on the inside. But for many of you reading this, you’ve spent decades being aware of your body and actively trying to change it.
My hope for you is that you’re able to connect with yourself. And if you can, I believe therapy is the foundational tool for making that connection and appreciating yourself while you’re working through everything.
It’s not just about going to therapy sessions. Many of you who’ve been through it know that it’s the consistent work between sessions and over time that makes the real difference.
That’s why I do things like the daily email with journal prompts and extra activities. I want you to have daily actions you can take. Because if you decide the inside/out approach is what you want, I’ve got tools for you. These tools can help you feel better about yourself, connect with yourself, and create lasting change.
But I’ll never say these resources replace therapy. I’m a marketer and fitness professional, not a therapist.
Now, for me personally, this is all very real. I talk about having insecurities around my body because I was born with cerebral palsy. I was diagnosed when I was two years old. You might not see it when I’m sitting here delivering this message, but it impacts three quarters of my body. I’m very noticeably disabled.
You’ll see it in other videos of me walking or working out. It’s there. So I’ve had to decide: Am I going to beat myself up over my body for the rest of my life? Or am I going to appreciate not only my body but myself as a person and live outwardly?
So when I share this message, it’s not just words. This is how I live my life. I hope that if you’re on a fitness journey or working on weight loss, the conversation in your head is a calm, peaceful, and loving one. I hope you become your biggest supporter and encourager.
And if you can do it, please get into therapy. Don’t settle until you find a therapist with whom you have a working, productive relationship. It’s the game changer for everything.
I hope this message helps you. If you’ve read this far, I appreciate you. Let’s keep working toward a calm mind, connected actions, and building your life from the inside/out.
If you’re ready to take the next step, explore how we can work together through Your Level Fitness Coaching. I’d love to help you build this inside/out journey for yourself.