Thank it and Release it....

photo property of Sieglinde Rouse

I believe in releasing things that no longer serve you.  There are things/situations/people that served a great purpose for you at one time.  The problem is, sometimes we hold on so tight to those people and things that we can't see when it is time to let go.  And quite honestly, we are scared to death to think about what life would be like without them there.  That relationship that brings you more tears of sadness than tears of joy...it no longer serves you, thank them for what they brought to your life and release it!  That friendship that was great at one point in your life, but since has become a drain on your spirit, thank it for the purpose it served and release it!  The hurt you feel when you think about a particular person or event, release it!   The weight that is now causing you great sources of physical as well as emotional pain, acknowledge it, thank it, and release it!  Holding onto these things are putting your mind, spirit, and body in a place where you are asking for more of the same...more hurt, more anger, more disappointment.   Get your head and heart free and happy to bring in more happiness, more joy, more freedom to do what you want!

In applying these principals to weight loss, it is helpful to acknowledge where your weight came from, thank it for serving its purpose, and release it.  Sounds strange right?  Here is an exercise I have been doing that I find incredibly therapeutic.  I start by breaking down where my weight gain came from:

·         20 pounds gained grieving the death of my father. 

·         10 pounds gained becoming a food blogger.

·         30 pounds gained from being pregnant.

·         20 pounds gained as a teenager and young adult.

·         20 pounds gained as an older child - teenager.

So, there, I acknowledged it.  Now, I go through each one and thank it for serving its purpose, and release it. 

·         To the 20 pounds I gained while grieving the death of my father:  I used you to stave off that tidal wave of grief.  I stuffed food on top of all that sadness instead of dealing with the crippling reality.  That was simply putting a bandage over a wound.  A wound that got infected because it was not cleaned and dealt with properly.  Thank you for what you provided at the time, but I no longer need you.  I am dealing with my grief is a healthy and productive way.   I release you.

·         To the 10 pounds I gained while becoming a food blogger:  Thank you for all the wonderful food I tried over and over again so I could present what I thought my readers wanted.  I met some of the MOST AMAZING people through my food blog.  However, I no longer need you.  Those wonderful people whom I now count as friends are just as happy to read about my low sugar/low carb recipes as they were to read about my sugar laden cakes and desserts.  The reality is that they just wanted to hear me!  I release you.

·         To the 30 pounds I gained with 3 pregnancies:  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for providing my amazing children the nourishment they needed to grow and be healthy!  You have given me my life's greatest pride and joy.  But, I no longer need you.  I am no longer pregnant.  My children ARE strong and healthy.  I release you.

·         To the 20 pounds I gained while a teenager:  I have to admit, I used you.  I used you to keep the boys uninterested in me so I would not become pregnant and married at 16 like my older sisters.  When I was 8, I saw what that did to my family.  I saw one sister drop out of high school and no longer have the future she wanted.  I saw another sister give birth to a severely handicapped child because her young body could not handle the pressures of pregnancy.  I saw my parents become grandparents at the age I am now.  I wanted no part of that.  So, thank you weight for keeping the boys at bay so I didn't even have to worry about that.  I now know that I could have just said "no", lol!  But, I am now married to a man who saw past the fat and saw my soul and has loved me far more than I ever thought possible.  I release you.

·         To the 20 pounds I gained as a child:  I admit, I used you too.  It was a double edged sword really.  I never fit in with my family.  My Mom was a model, my Dad was the ultra-cool vice and narcotics cop....kinda Miami Vice-ish, haha.  They were two very beautiful people that were very busy with their own lives.  My extended family was all overweight.  I used you to not only get my parents to notice me, but I used it to fit in with part of my family.  I didn't work.  It no longer matters to me.  I release you.

I challenge you to think about your weight and ask yourself the question if it still serves you.  If not, are you ready to release it?  The reality is, until we are seriously ready to release the weight from our mind, we will never be able to release it from our bodies, no matter how many different programs we try. 

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and will have an even better week ahead!

XOXO