Episode 107: This Will Change How You Feel In Your Body (Body Positivity Series)

Start being proactive about how you think and feel about your body today!
The magic happens on the mat.
Learn more about 6 Week Body Positivity Series with Isha Warriors

Support Alli Louthain in getting more of The Awesome out into the world!
Subscribe to Monday Mindset With Isha Warriors today!

Last week I talked about how developing a grateful mindset and expressing gratitude was the most powerful and effective way to change how you view your body. I want to remind you that the shift takes time and consistency. I have always tried to cultivate the attitude of gratitude.  If you’ve been a listener for some time, you know that about two years ago I started my own business and with that, came a boat load of new responsibilities, new tasks that took up my time and a huge technology learning curve (like a tsunami wave size curve) and with all of that came stress.  The link between stress and weight gain is real.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/stress-and-weight-gain

So there I was, about a year or so of being a small business owner and at the same weight I was when I was 10 months pregnant with my fourth child. And the weight just did not want to come back off again! I struggled with feeling positive about my body image as I tried to out on jeans that no longer fit and shirts that now hugged me uncomfortably.   In episode 102 shared with you my aha moment in the dressing room of H&M. And I truly believe that “aha” moment happened because of two factors. FACTOR #1 was, that months before standing in that dressing room, I intentionally decided to step up my gratitude game.

But FACTOR #2 is also key. I discovered that even though I started seeing my body as a gift through practicing gratitude I still FELT not like myself IN my body. I felt thick and heavy.  And this made me feel uncomfortable in my own skin. And you might be thinking, “Yes, Alli- you gained a significant amount of weight-you literally were heavier.” And I will tell you, incorporating a practice of what I am going to share with you today changed how I felt IN my body despite the fact that the number on the scale didn’t change and I am still wearing a pair of jeans two sizes bigger than I did a couple years ago.  Because of FACTOR #2, I feel different inside my body and it has made ALL the difference.  (Make sure to listen in on what it means to get intune with your body!)

Being a healthy woman isn’t about getting on a scale or measuring your waistline. We need to start focusing on what matters — on how we feel, and how we feel about ourselves. – Michelle Obama

Notice her emphasis on how we FEEL. Months ago, in addition to keeping a daily gratitude journal, I decided to focus on doing things that made me feel physically strong and I made it a priority in my schedule so I was consistently showing up for myself.  

FACTOR #2: Focus on developing physical strength.

• Make developing a strong physical body a priority in a way that is honoring to you. 
• Find what YOU love to do to move your body. What do you think is fun?!
• Give yourself time, support, consistency and grace and be prepared to be blown away with how