By: April Dennis, TLS Certified Trainer
Many of us treat food as more than something that just nourishes our bodies. Food helps us celebrate good times and comforts us in sad times. We as a culture often use food as entertainment, and unfortunately, have used it as punishment. If you have not done it before, it may be time to give yourself permission to reconnect with the true purpose of food. Eating in a loving way benefits your body and your self-esteem.
My mother struggled with her weight for my whole young adult life. Because of her unhealthy relationship with food, I found myself dabbling in “controlled starvation” as a teenager. I thought if I ate food it would make me fat. Period. Fortunately, I did not descend into a phobia or diagnosable condition, but still my body and my spirit suffered. I found that rejecting health-giving delicious food, while indulging in the junky over processed stuff available in our culture had far-reaching health consequences that were just not worth it. We deserve to feel good in our skin. Our understanding that food does not have to be a series of misadventures or horror stories is the first step in recreating our relationship with our need to feed ourselves.
After decades of treating food like an inconvenience, TLS taught me that I could enjoy eating and have a healthy-feel-good-body too. As a young adult, I developed a fear of gaining weight, and my health and my self-esteem suffered. Unknowingly by neglecting the basic needs of my body, I compromised both my health and my confidence on every level. As an adult who felt “too thin” after being bullied in high school for being too “womanly,” and then suffering a significant baby-weight gain, I began the research into the idea of the healing power of whole foods. When the TLS Weight Loss Solution found me, I realized balancing blood sugar had been the missing key.
When I sit down to a well-thought-out TLS friendly meal designed to keep me in the fat-burning zone AND that meal also appeals to my eyes and tastebuds, I appreciate me; I love myself by feeding myself well. The meal boosts my self-esteem, and consequently, I find it much easier to remain committed to balancing my blood sugar one meal, one snack at a time.
If someone is struggling to adopt the TLS Weight Loss Solution as a lifestyle, I encourage them to love themselves right where they are in that moment. Perhaps they have never considered eating healthy food could impact their self-esteem or confidence in a positive way. We often do not treat ourselves the same way we treat our loved ones. Each time we take the time to create a meal that nourishes our healthiest happiest self, it is a profound act of self-love. Remember, the greatest gift you can give your loved ones, and your Self, is the gift of self-care. Make food a love letter to yourself.
April Dennis is a TLS Certified Trainer and an independent distributors of Market America products.
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