I don’t normally like to comment much on people’s weight-loss or weight-gain journeys. Perhaps a little odd when I work in the fitness industry!

But I don’t believe in a “correct weight”. I’m far more interested in what you can do with your body, how you move it and how you feel about it, than what the scales say.

I believe we each have our own happy weight. 

This happy weight is where we feel good about who we are, love our bodies and feel comfortable in the skin we’re in. And Lord knows that’s rarely got anything to do with the size of our thighs, and a lot more to do with our mindset around our bodies.

I know amazingly fit and happy people at all sizes. Whether you’re naturally a slim-jim, or if you’ve got curves that’ll make us all jel. I often find the journey to body contentment is about learning to love your body for all it can do and all it is.

I don’t believe losing or gaining weight will necessarily make you happy. And it can be a slippery slope of “I’ll be happy when I lose another kilo…” where we never reach “happiness”, because we’ve framed it so we always have to do more.

I’d like to shift the self-love away from getting an achievement or doing something, to instead loving yourself for just being. Happiness is right here, right now. It’s a state of mind, not a particular size of jean.

Think about it this way, when you see a pic of a baby….

(Omg, so cute! 🥰)

… or think of your nephew or niece, or when one of your little ones was born. You loved that little human with all your heart. Just as they were. Not because they got a degree in Medicine, not because they fit into size 12 jeans, not for having the most stylish apartment. You loved them for just being.

And somewhere along the line, we shift our focus to doing and having. And only give ourselves acknowledgement, or praise when we’ve done or got something. (If we remember to celebrate ourselves at all!)

We are after all human-beings, not human-doings.

I think one of the most successful ways to finding your happy weight is to start loving yourself for simply being you. The wonderful, awesome, badass you that is. The one and only.

Now I know this can feel like a bloody tall order. It’s not always easy to do… Just be. It’s so ingrained to want to achieve. So I’ve put together a list of some of my fave tricks and tips that are super easy to implement that’ll massively help to live healthy, find your happy weight and learn to love the skin you’re in.
Some points are for when the “do-er” part of us needs a role, and other points are to help tap into the “being” part of us a bit more. Here we go:

1. Movement. The joy I get from movement is like no other – my body feels like it’s singing!
   Our bodies are designed to move and we feel so good when we do. Find a type of movement you enjoy and give it your absolute all! Whether it’s pole dance, swimming, running, silksyoga, ballet, bungee jumping, horse-riding, snowboarding…. anything! Explore different things, see how they makes you feel. And if you love it – jump in with two feet and keep at it!
2. Hydration. We all know to drink plenty of water… but it can be tricky to get it in. A cool and different way to stay hydrated is by eating cucumber. Cucumber is so full of water, it can be used as a drink alternative!
   Sometimes we confuse our signals and think we’re hungry when actually we’re thirsty. Have a glass of water before you eat a meal, and see if it makes a difference in when you feel full. (Particularly handy when you find yourself eyeing up the cookie jar). 
3. Good Food. I’m a big believer in little and often. Eating small amounts of good food throughout the day – what a wonderful way to live! I think it’s easier for the body to digest – well it works well for me. Instead of fluctuating between starving and bursting-full, I try to keep a steady state of being satisfied. Not over-indulging or depriving my body. It also means our bodies are less likely to store food as fat unnecessarily, because it doesn’t see the need to – it knows more food is round the corner so it doesn’t have the need to hold on to the energy for longer than necessary.
   A good tip for buying fresh, healthy food is to shop after you’ve worked out. We’re more likely to steer clear of the sugary treats, and pick up food that’s good for us. And remember to eat after a workout – it’s super important to re-fuel when you’ve used up your energy.Enjoy your movement —> rehydrate —> eat some good food —> do your food shop!
4. Find Your Tribe. If you hang around with people who like to binge-drink every Saturday and end the night with a greasy pizza, you betcha you’ll be grabbing a slice next to them. If you spend time with people who like to go to yoga and who catch up at trendy health-food cafes, you betta believe you’ll be slurping on those smoothies too.
   Remember to cast no judgement on whichever lifestyle you choose. (Hell I know I’ve enjoyed a greasy pizza in the wee hours on many occasion!) But make a conscious choice as to what you’d like to be more of in your life. Or what you’d like right now – it doesn’t mean you’ll never do the other again. 
5. Pillow Talk. At the end of the day, when your head hits the pillow, give yourself some lovin! Praise yourself for something you’ve done in the day. It doesn’t matter the outcome, or if you didn’t get the result you wanted. Depending on where you are, it might be “well done for getting out of bed today. It hasn’t been easy, and that was great that you did that.” Or it could be “you superstar, you went to a dance class today. Go you!” Be your own cheerleader!Brucey Bonus – Use your first name when giving yourself praise. Neuroscience research shows that by using your first name you connect better to what it is you’re saying. E.g. something I might say is “Becky, you wrote this blogpost today to help connect and help people on their journeys. Well done for sharing your experiences in hope they’ll resonate and help others.”

As always, I love to hear from you! Have any of these tips caught your eye? Which one would you like to try out first? Let me know in the comments below.

Have a great week!

Becky xoxo