Sign a Peace Treaty with Your Body

I invite you to sign a peace treaty with your body in 2017! You may have the tendency to worry about food, calories and your weight from morning to night, which is stressful and harmful to your emotional wellbeing. The more you worry and the more stressed you are, the more you want to eat. It is a unhealthy cycle and a familiar pattern for many yo-yo dieters. They sign up for yet for another 30-day challenge, hoping for the desired weight loss outcome. I encourage my clients to stay away from those challenges and quick fixes.

Instead we discuss strategies for self-nurturing and self-soothing, focusing on self-love, kindness and gentleness towards oneself. The more you learn to love yourself and take care of your emotional needs, the less you are tempted to "numb" with food. We all have the need to comfort ourselves in stressful situations. Acknowledge that you need time out, vent or share your fears and worries with a close friend or a counselor.

Allow yourself time for YOU, take 10 minutes to go for a walk, write in a journal or have a soothing cup of lavender tea. The more you take care of your "true" needs, the less you will feel the urge to reach for food when you are not hungry. Set your intention in the morning to be kind and gentle with yourself and make a mental gratitude list and night before you go to bed. Tell yourself: "I am at peace with food and my body." This could be your new mantra for 2017...