I’m going to share with you five simple truths that can change your life – your body – and your health. Now, you might be thinking, “Hey, shouldn’t the order be body, health, and life?”

Nope.

That’s exactly why most people either can’t release weight, or gain it right back after it has been lost: we’ve got the order wrong! You have to shift the life that you’ve built around yourself before you can create lasting change in your body, which will then improve your health.

Here are those truths for you to consider. Really soak them up, and allow them to water the seed of change within you.

1. You are not a failure.

My mission is to empower others to create healthy bodies from the inside out. The most important part of this process is that it begins on the inside – not the outside. In order to support that this holiday season, I want to tell you that no matter your weight, your body, or your body image… no matter what you ate or whether or not you worked out… you are absolutely NOT a failure.

2. Your needs matter.

This is plain and simple. If you feel a need to change but there’s a house full of people who say it is impossible, then you have to decide what is more important: what you need, or what others say. For example, one of my clients had a Friday night pizza-and-Coke ritual with her family. When she decided to make different choices, she was met with resistance. So she put her foot down and compromised: they could still have family time, and they could still eat pizza, but she herself would have a healthier meal.

3. You are enough.

No matter what you’ve heard. No matter what you think. No matter what society tries to tell you. You ARE enough. Just as you are. Don’t worry about anyone else’s expectations but your own, and accept the opportunity to choose not to let yourself down. Expectations lead us to feel like we are not enough, so set your own bar and be gentle with yourself.

4. It is never too late.

It is a myth that you are too old, too fat, or too anything to change your life. You are powerful. You CAN change – at ANY size, weight, or age! How do I know that? At 24 years old I lost 100 pounds… for life. And I have witnessed hundreds of women – who believed that change was impossible – turn their lives around once they were willing to see that their beliefs blocked any forward movement.

5. You can learn to love yourself enough to change FOR GOOD.

Who said that loving your body is not sustainable? That is the old diet mentality: you go on a diet and off the diet, and it’s just not realistic. But you CAN have a body you love, and enjoy it for the rest of your life.

You can make ONE change today that can, like a string of dominoes, change every day that comes after.

Will you sign up for a course to help empower you?

Will you find or create a support group?

Will you visit websites to create healthy meal plans for you and your family?

Will you take a walk for 10 minutes?

Even if the day is half over, start right now, right this moment… because every moment is an opportunity to begin again, and a new chance to love yourself unconditionally.

Remember: food is not love.

Food can be comforting and nurturing, of course… but it will never cure your soul sickness. It will never fill what you really need, although it might briefly feel that way.

Food is energy, and that’s it.

It is a consumable fuel source that sustains our bodies, and how well the engine runs is primarily dependent upon the kind of fuel we provide. It will still run if we shovel in sugar, but the price to pay is drastic inefficiency. If we offer our bodies fruits and vegetables, healthy proteins, and whole grains, we will feel the difference in only a few days – or even hours.

While food is not love and comfort, mealtimes CAN be.

You can create rituals of love and comfort at your meals.
Are you setting a beautiful table and eating lovingly prepared food?
Who do you invite to your table every day? The company you keep is a strong influence, and the word companion literally means “to break bread with.”

Are you too busy to create this expression of self-love?

I hope not, because this isn’t a luxury.

For centuries, mealtime was a staple of healthy bodies and healthy families. We ate together. We talked. It was a platform for community. It was the backdrop to our lives. It nourished more than our bodies – it nourished our relationships, and it nourished our souls.

At your next holiday meal with friends and family, stop and look around.

Do you feel the love?

Is it the food?

Is it the people?

Is it the setting?

Can you really feel it?

I’m betting you can.

Now, can you allow yourself to create this… in some small way… every day?

Nourish your life, so you can better nourish your body, and your health will reflect the effort.

What steps toward change will you be taking this holiday season?

What kinds of nourishing foods and conversations are you looking forward to?

Feel free to share in the comments below.

Laura Fenamore, Body Image Expert, Coach and acclaimed Author is on a mission to help women around the world end the constant battle with their bodies and start adoring who they see in the mirror. Her approach walks students and readers through the heartfelt journey to self-love at any size or age by unlocking the secrets to a lifetime of emotional, physical and spiritual health. After overcoming a lifelong battle with addiction, obesity, and eating disorders, Laura released 100 pounds – keeping it off for more than 28 years. She chronicles this journey to self-love and health in her widely acclaimed book, Skinny, Fat, Perfect: Love Who You See in the Mirror. Learn more about Laura’s programs, or invite her to speak by visiting SkinnyFatPertect.com.

Image courtesy of cuncon.