Eat with Your Whole Body

Doesn’t this sound FUN! When I hear the words whole body eating, I envision my whole body enveloping food….quite comical. Whole body eating…what does it mean? How can it help you to reach you goal?  How can it help you improve your relationship with food?

 

As you know, food is a convoluted topic. There are many facets to our relationship to food. It provides nourishment, connection, satisfaction, comfort, and healing. Food is ever-present and is a big part of our life. This makes it imperative that your relationship with food is settled, comfortable, non-judgmental, and satisfactory.

 

When the body is looked at in an investigative fashion, you see that it gives us signals and is a great source for nutritional information. Do not underestimate the power of the signals. The body tells you when you are hurt…right? Then why wouldn’t the body tell you when a food doesn’t sit right, or when a food makes you feel lethargic, or maybe that it needs more iron rich foods, protein, no grains…etc… The body sends information of what it needs.

 

Listen closely.

 

The human tendency is to ignore it, to be stubborn…but then guess what happens? The body will begin to break down. Instead of waiting for a health crisis, take control now. Pay close attention to the body and its signals, it never lies and will not mislead you. Learn to work WITH the body as it’s needs change from day to day.

 

Nourishing Wisdom, a fantastic book by Marc David, describes that there are 5 steps to Whole Body Eating. I highly recommend this book. It brings a fresh perspective on the body and how to truly nourish it. It’s not just the food…it is so much more! Here are Marc’s 5 Steps:

  1. Make a conscious choice to eat.

Ask yourself these questions before you eat:

  1. AM I hungry?
  2. Will food satisfy my hunger?
  3. What would truly nourish me in this moment?
  4. Do I choose to eat?

When you choose to eat, eat without resistance and punishment.

The tendency is to eat on autopilot, when driving, while watching TV, reading a book…you fix a plate of food, take the first bite, then all of a sudden you look down and it’s all gone. Where did it go? Do you remember eating any of it? Do you remember the taste, the feel, the smell? Pay attention to the food and the nourishment it provides; the nutrients, the connection to the earth, the enjoyment and satisfaction of the taste and scent, the decision to choose life, the love that prepared the food, the source of the food, grateful for the provision of food, etc…

2. Ask your body what it wants.

Consciously choose what to eat. Allow yourself to tune into your body and see what it needs. Listen closely and be willing to experiment. Remember that “it isn’t a matter of choosing the “right” food as it is enjoying the food you choose wholeheartedly.”

3. Eat with awareness.

If you don’t quite understand what eating with awareness is, go back and read my blog post on eating with awareness. Engage all your senses into the experience; the ambiance, the conversation, the aromas, the people you chose to eat with. Take it all in!

4. Listen for Feedback.

Take 5-10 minutes at the end of your meal to reflect upon what you have eaten and how you have eaten it. Breathe deeply 5-10 times. Learn from the meal; how is it sitting in the tummy, did it satisfy you, would you eat differently next time…Slower, faster, did you overeat, what would make your meal more complete? Relax and don’t punish yourself if the answer isn’t to your liking, just make note of it.

5. Release the Meal.

Be Free. Engage wholeheartedly in the next activity. Take time to assimilate it by taking deep breaths, listen to music. Have you ever finished a meal and found you self thinking about food and wanting more? You feel food obsessed.  Know that you can release food and not think about it anymore.

 

These steps will help you receive the most from the food you eat. Your relationship with food will begin to repair and once again you will be friends not enemies. Remember, each time you eat, you are choosing to live.  So engage yourself in the food choices you make; how you prepare the food and how you eat it.  And simply ENJOY!

Choose to Embrace Your Body Now to make lasting changes.

What I want for Christmas

How do we stay healthy for Christmas?

What does good health mean to you? What does that entail? Eating “right”? Exercising? Taking supplements? Drinking plenty of water? Getting the right amount of sleep? Stress Management?

These are super important for the CONTINUED health of our body. But one that is talked about and rarely practiced is …..peace-3010107__340

Stress Management…in other words…PEACE.

Those words alone do not feel intriguing….do they?

AND what exactly does that mean? Stress Management?

Plus, how do you manage something that is as elusive as stress?

I am sure if I gave you a list of items, every day happenings or people’s names…you would be able to circle many of them that cause a degree of stress in your life.

But how many times do you write that off to “LIFE”. This is what makes stress so elusive. We are told to manage those items….but how exactly do we do that?

Here are the average stress management steps:

Take note of the item that stresses you.

Can this be eliminated or changed?

If it can be eliminated…then steps are taken to do that….success happens for several weeks….then it is added back in….partly due to behaviors that are embedded in the psyche and partly due to that fact that we feel we deserve it, the stress, pain, anxiety, discomfort…etc.

That sounds harsh…I know. But it is true.

In my desire to release stress from my life. To live free in a body I love. One thing I know for sure is…..old patterns that cause stress are present for a reason. We can’t or don’t let them go because we (humans) don’t feel deserving of that freedom, of FEELING that good.

And that makes the stress hard to eliminate from our life.

morning-2243465__340 The second thing I know for sure is….the old patterns that cause stress, or anything else in your life that  causes stress, can SHIFT….shift in a way that releases the burden of stress on the emotional and physical body.

How, especially this time of year….how do we let this go? How can we begin to create a SHIFT in our life that releases this stressful burden?

Well, my loves…. That is my Christmas gift to you this year.

Soulful Time rescued me. Soulful Time has come in different forms throughout my life in practicing to live free from anxiety, fear and stress.  And this Christmas, I want to share them with you.

My hope is that you can learn from these different styles and then create the Soulful Time that works best for you.

Stay tuned for the next several emails where I will share my practices with you.

Merry Christmas beautiful soul,

Get a glimpse of what Soulful Time can look like for you here.

Soulful Time Process

The way to annihilate fear is to be aware of it, accept it, face it, then…do the task anyway.

This can be hard to do without a foundation to support you while you are in the midst of it all. Soulful Time saved me. It became the foundation of my journey and then I realized the heartbeat of the method I created for my food and body clients; E – Embrace, N – Nourish, D – Digest.

Soulful time is spent in silence, being aware of what you want to happen in your life, being aware that there is a greater power living inside you, and then listening to that divine power within.

That is where the answers you are seeking reside. Right within your heart. Waiting to be heard.

Spend 5-10 minutes each morning in soulful time; breathe, be silent, check in to what you want to happen today (ask important questions), be silent again and let the inner wisdom unfold. Finish with gratitude for enlightenment and guidance.

Here is an example of what soulful time could look like:

Breathe

Breathing is so important during soulful time. Breathing keeps you focused and relaxed so that you can tap into your inner wisdom and guidance.

Gratitude

I am grateful for……gratitude-1251137__340

Expound on that by reciting why you are grateful for it……

Gratitude is cemented into the soul when we dive in to the reason that one thing brings gratefulness to us.

Affirmation – create your own or borrow mine 😊

I AM…….(state your name)

I love and approve of myself

I come from greatness, I attract greatness, I AM greatness

I am at peace with all of life, I breathe in the abundant gift of life with gratitude.

I ebb and flow with life’s movement and energy.

I AM RESILIENT!

I am always safe and secure for my Heavenly Father watches over and guides me on my path of enlightenment.

I love and am loved.

I trust that life supports me.

All is well within my soul.

Next: ask important questions

Examples:

What do I want to have happen today? How important is it, to me, that it happens today?

What is the focus for my life? How important is that focus to me? Does it take priority over my selfishness? Self-sabotage?

Be silent and wait for the answers to unfold.

End with Gratitude

I am grateful for……

Expound on that by reciting why you are grateful for it……

May this time you spend in quiet be a blessing to you and all you do.

E.N.D your Struggle and begin Level 1 coaching with Ashly.
Join here

More Soulful Time Strategies here

Bunnies are Everywhere! Getting Side-Tracked

Bunnies seem to be in abundance this year. I do believe we have 3 times more bunnies this year than last year. Star is in “Dog heaven”! She can’t wait to go for a walk every day. Once she spots a bunny, she attempts to dislocate my shoulder just so she can go on an all-out chase with the bunny.

Thank goodness, the mama tone “uh-uh” works on her. She will freeze in mid-air once that is uttered from my lips. And my shoulder is saved!

Today, we went out for a walk and saw the bunny you see below hoppin’ across the lawn. Star attempts to rip my arm out of its socket when she hears “Uh-Uh” and she stops in mid stride to do my bidding. What a sweet obedient puppy.

distraction, sidetracked, weight loss, health,

Don’t get distracted!

Well…. Maybe not. For the entire walk, she keeps trying to turn me around and go back looking for that bunny. This girl is truly side-tracked. She can’t take 2 steps without digging in her strong legs, stiffening up her neck to slip out of the collar and giving me a look of “I am not going a step further until I can get that rabbit!”

I know how she feels.

I get side-tracked like that too.

Don’t you?

Here is an example:

You have the all-out intention to workout in the mornings…but sleep, beautiful, perfect, extra sleep is calling your name.

You have the all-out intention to meditate first thing in the morning…but rushing out the door takes precedence.

You have the all-out intention to stick to that meal plan…but gosh, its hot and you are tired and going through the drive-thru is so much easier.

We look at these and think that it’s sleep, lack of organization or fatigue that keeps us side-tracked…but is it ?.?.

Yes, sleep is a major component to being healthy. In fact, if you want to read my thoughts on that, read this sleep article I wrote a while back.

Lack of Organization causes undue levels of stress. And as you know, stress is the #1 cause of dis-ease in our world. Anything we can do to reduce or eliminate stress is another major component to being healthy.

Fatigue is so common that it is becoming the norm. If you aren’t fatigued, then you must not be working, trying or striving enough.  Or the prognosis is chronic fatigue and the best excuse ever is at your fingertips.

I’d prefer to take a deeper look and ask a very important question:

If my intention is to give myself the greatest care that I am capable of then why am I allowing myself to become sidetracked by small things that can be easily rectified?

Star can be pulled off course so easily with a bunny hoppin’ across the trail. And if she gets loose and runs on her own, she could wind up nose to nose with a snake down in one of those gulley’s that we have around here.

Star is adamant

Star is adamant!

When we allow forces to side-track us, we find ourselves nose to nose with something that will continue to hold us back from living the life we desire in a body we love.

Ask yourself the question, what outside force am I allowing to sidetrack me away from the intention I have for my life? It’s not the small things. It is something bigger and holds a deeper meaning in your life. It is not about fatigue, lack of organization or even sleep…those are the symptoms.

The question is…What are those the symptoms of?

After some deep soul searching, please leave a comment below. I would love to know how this lands for you.

Love & hugs,

Ashly

 

 

I’ve Got Things to Do, Have Time to Rest

I am sure that all of us have thought that at one time or another, especially coming up on this Celebratory time of year.  Before the desire to cut out sleep over takes you, I want to share with you WHY you want to sleep.  This is a blog post I wrote several years ago that I thought will be perfect for this Holiday season coming up.

 

We are given the impression early on in life that you can do all and be all.  We have a job that we must be responsible to; a family to care for, child’s activities, and church activities…the list goes on.  What about Rest? There is a saying…”I’ll sleep when I’m 6 feet under” that is very morbid, I know…and we always laugh it off.  However, we really do need REST.  In order for our bodies to heal, replenish, grow, build, repair, etc…we must have SLEEP.  

 

There are 2 kinds of rest: One is SLEEP the other is RECOVERY 

SLEEP
This here will motivate you to get some sleep….Research shows that those who only get a few hours of sleep a night are more likely to become obese. Your body needs to shutdown and repair itself…The only time to do that is at night.
There is also a correlation between sleep and the hormones that influence our eating behaviors.  Ghrelin is responsible for feelings of hunger, while Leptin is responsible for letting you know when you are full.  When you are sleep deprived production of ghrelin is increased and the production of leptin is decreased.  This will make you feel hungry and never feel full. In conjunction with that, poor food choices are made when feeling tired.  It is easy to see how these changes can lead to weight gain.
What should you do??  In addition to eating right, breathing deep  and exercising….make sure you get 7-9 hours of sleep a night.  Don’t short change yourself.  This is important for your health!

 

Remember, when you don’t feel tired, you won’t feel hungry!

Recovery

 

This is taking time between workouts to rest, or taking time after a BIG weekend to rest.  Allow the body to get back in sync with one of these activities:

  • deep breathing
  • yoga
  • meditation
  • stretching
  • low impact activity that you enjoy and that brings out the “child-like” zest for living
  • Tai Chi/ Qi Gong/ Shi Bashi

 

Recovery is important for muscle development; diminish symptoms of over training, mental and emotional balance.  When taken on a regular basis, all you need is 24-48 hours of recovery time.
How can you tell when to take recovery time??  Listen to your body, tune into it. Here are some signs:

  • sleep deprivation
  • nagging joint pain
  • lack of focus during workout
  • over eating
  • emotional eating
  • snappy/irritable
  • frequent minor injuries…etc.

 

If you have any of these symptoms, give yourself 24 hours to recoup and get back to it. You will find that your workouts are more effective when you give your body the proper recovery time.

 

To sum it up….Get your sleep, allow your body to recover often and the body in turn will work like a fine tuned machine for you!


sources:

2008 IDEA Fitness Journal,

Flier, J. Annals of Internal Medicine, Dec. 7, 2004; vol 141: pp 885-886
Van Cauter, E. Annals of Internal Medicine, Dec. 7, 2004; vol 141: pp 846-850

 

What’s Keeping You Stuck?

This is Star. You have probably seen her around my FaceBook page. Love my Star!

fear, weight loss, diet, fitness, weight, fat loss, fat. fitness, body

Comfortable Fear

Before you freak out and get all concerned…she is fine! This picture was taken last summer. She had an anxiety attack out in the heat and had to hole up in an oxygen tank for a little while.
It was REALLY scary!

But all is well.

Isn’t that how life happens. We have experiences that make us hole up in safety, in fear for our life. Then we get stuck there. It feels safe, so, we don’t want to leave. But we can’t deny the fact that it is fear that is keeping us there.

Fear gets you stuck …. AND …. Fear keeps you there.

Sometimes I wish I could be more like Star. Once this past…she was great. She got right out of her “stuck-ness” and continued on, as if nothing happened.

What is keeping you stuck?

Stuck-ness happens when we don’t know what step to take next. Whether it is diet related, health related, relationships, business, finances, it all boils down to fear.

I let fear RULE my life for many years…. It is hard to live IN JOY when fear is a part of every fiber of your being.

What is fear?

False Evidence Appearing Real? We make up stories and then live as if they are true. We bring them to life…. for some reason…(human flaw)… this makes us more comfortable. BECAUSE then we know the outcome. No fault can be fall us when we are “right”.

Comfortable. That is a strange word when it is in correlation with FEAR. How can we continue to live in Comfortable Fear? They are opposites and yet we live them together, day in and day out.

I want AND desire to live Comfortable Peace; with food, my body relationship, the relationship I have with myself, my familial relations, my friends, my business, my finances.

How do we make this change? This shift? I think that is the most important question.

AWARENESS is the answer.

Fear is living in a future that doesn’t exist. Awareness is living in the present.

Let’s apply this to over-eating. That is a very common struggle among the women and men that I work with.

Over-eating evolves from tight control or lack of control, it is really a fear that I won’t be able to stop eating. “I’ve got to have the whole thing…it tastes so good and I may not have the opportunity to eat it again any time soon.”

It is also the fear of being present…not wanting to acknowledge that you are eating so you don’t have to “count” it as eating.

You are exactly right…. The physical body or more specifically the digestive system doesn’t know food is being eaten when you are CHECKED OUT. Food isn’t registered by the head brain OR the gut brain. Overeating, a belly ache, and increased body weight are the results.

The typical response to this is a sense of failure and “why even try” attitude (Comfortable Fear)

That is a lie. We tell ourselves a lie because we are IN fear. Fear that “what if we are right” “What if I can NEVER stop eating too much, what if I go on a diet to only gain it back, What if, What if, What if.”  We could “what if” ourselves to death. We might as well go ahead and admit it, right?

What if we applied this same line of thinking with relationships. What is keeping you stuck in your relationships? Fear of being accepted for who you really are? For standing in confidence on an important issue when others look at you like you are crazy? So you withdraw and turn inward for self-preservation? Which keeps you alone. And proves you right (Comfortable Fear).

So why get out there and pursue a healthy relationship with food or people? Comfortable Fear is …. comfortable…. safe…. easy…. and sad to say but USEFUL.

It provides the excuse of WHY maintaining a healthy body weight is unsuccessful, or WHY nourishing friendships or business or finances are stunted in growth.

Comfortable Fear is something we CREATE and utilize to keep us from living the life we were intended to live in a body we love…. because Comfortable Peace is too hard…it requires too much.

So, let me ask the question again:

What is keeping you stuck?

I’m going to be honest and in “in your face” for a moment.

It is…..

Y-O-U

You and the Comfortable Fear YOU CREATE.  DO you LIKE it? Do you like living this way?

Is it giving you EXACTLY what you have dreamed of?

So, what is it going to be?

Do you want to CREATE a lovely life living in a lovely body?

Then CHOOSE Comfortable Peace.

Comfortable Peace is:

Standing firm in your own footprint

Operating with ease and grace – with the choices you make around food, your body and your life.

Appreciating your OWN uniqueness

Believing in WHO you are and what you provide to this world

Living in a state of gratitude…with EVERYTHING – even the challenges – There is a valuable message in all experiences.

Living in AWARENESS – being present in the here and now.

BE-ing in alignment with your Truth

You know what to do next. You simply take the next step into Comfortable Peace.

Because Comfortable Fear hasn’t brought life’s desires to you. Why not try something new?

Comfortable Peace

 

Ashly Torian is an expert in the fields of eating psychology, mind body nutrition and fitness. She serves women and men that struggle with food and body issues. She holds the key that unlocks the  cage and opens the doorway to freedom from these struggles so they never have to experience them again.

 

If you want to know more about living in Comfortable Peace, visit my website or contact me directly.

Sweet FUN Star

Living in Comfortable Peace

 

 

Where have I Been? ENGAGED!

BMI vs BCI is a serious conversation. Body Mass Index (height to weight ratio) and Body Composition Index (Muscle to Fat ratio). BMI is not an accurate tool to measure health. When Robert and I graduated and got married, we applied for life insurance. My handsome hubby had 3% body-fat BUT his BMI labeled him as obese.

So getting a good rate on life insurance took some doing on the part of our agent. You see, 3% body-fat shows that his muscle to fat ratio was on the extremely healthy side. Whereas the body mass index reflected a person who was unhealthy.  Robert was a power-lifter/bodybuilder, he created this ratio all on his own with ALOT of hard work in the weight room.

NOW, for the past year, I have been working with an eating protocol with supplementation that aids the body in the ability to decrease fat while

BMI vs BCI_blkINCREASING lean tissue (that’s muscle mass) without the hardcore weight training that Robert had to do back in the day.

The beautiful thing about this program is that is helps both men and women!

With sensible eating protocol, supplementation that actually benefits the body, with absolutely NO artificial stimulation, you CAN reach your natural desired weight.

But wait…aren’t I the one that is so against dieting in a punishing way to lose weight. YES I AM!

I had to meet you in the middle. Maybe you have considered coaching with me BUT you NEEDED to lose the fat faster so you went to something else. OR you just were not ready to do the work on your food behaviors.

No matter what the reason is…..RIGHT NOW is your time.

All these reasons and more is why I love this so much. You get to eat real live clean food in the way the body enJOYs! Plus find a movement program that works well for you, INCREASE lean tissue so your body will burn MORE fat at rest than it does right now,  PLUS coaching with me.

Let’s face it….with this program the fat is easy to lose...it’s the keeping it off that is tough. It is the food behaviors that have been around for decades that will bring you to the place where you are now. So coaching is an essential part of this protocol.

If you are curious then sign up for this free webinar Tuesday, May 9th at 4:00 pm and 7:30 pm CST. I will send you the link to join the webinar. Just let me know which one you want to attend and I will do the rest! Join up here for 4:00 pm CST. Join up here for 7:30 pm CST.

A NewYouin90? oh yes!

If you can’t wait till May 9th for the goodies, just contact me now…I’ll help ya! info@ashlytorian.com

 

The Power of Your Desire

As I am writing this blog post, I am fortunate and blessed to be sitting on the ABB Fun House Patio. It is absolutely a beautiful day and one filled with inspiration that I would like to pass on to you.  This is the final month of the year, which means that goal setting is right around the corner. So here is my message for you.

Instead of goal setting why not tap into The Power of Your Desire…. which leads you to reaching your goals.  passion, goals, weight loss, fat loss, body love

When you desire something, you are filled with an inner power.

What determines how much inner power you have is how badly you DESIRE “IT”

AND most importantly, the drive behind it.

Meaning, the desire that you have for something needs to be driven by what you are most passionate about. For example: If you desire to end over-eating and lose weight, there needs to be a powerful reason to get you to do that, but, most importantly, a reason to maintain these changes for a life-time.

I hate to say this, but, the reduction in the number on the scale is not going to do that for you. It will motivate you for a short while, but it will not last.

It hasn’t yet? Has it?

BUT

When your desire for this comes from or is driven by your inspiration in life, your passion, your reason for being, you have just tapped into your inner power.

To explain this difference further, here are a few examples of motivators. Motivators are temporary measures, the passion behind them comes to an end. And soon you are left with the poor behaviors that got you where you are in the first place.

  1. To see the number on the scale drop
  2. My husband wants me to…..
  3. I have a reunion this summer…
  4. I just want to feel better

Now, to get lifestyle changes to stick…there needs to be a life-shift. One that inspires you for the long term.  A life shift causes a physiological shift which enhances your metabolic power. Here is a list of inspirations or passions:

  1. My spiritual gift requires me to be healthy and mobile. If I want to do mission work and serve others in foreign countries, then I am inspired to change my habits.
  2. I want to be an example for….. (this one can be tricky and one that I would guide you on)
  3. My 3 strengths are Honesty, Love and Spirituality. If I want to live in accordance with my strengths, then I can utilize them to get real with my healthful intentions and stick to them.
  4. Mountain climbing is a passion – I will use this as my focus to maintain my intention to achieve my goals.

weight loss, diet, believe, exercise, goal settingGoal setting is not meant to be superficial. Goal Setting calls on the Power of YOUR Desire.  Increase your level of desire and you will increase your ability to achieve your goals.

When it comes to weight loss and choosing a program to aid in that endeavor, please remember that:

You are not the Problem!

The problem is assuming FOOD is the problem.

….that your relationship with it…is not a living, breathing thing.

The belief that structure is going to “fix” it

…that it is even something that needs to be “fixed”

My goal…is to see people healthier, living with vitality and love. Living on a diet or always stressing about the ‘need’ to lose weight…isn’t healthy and not living with vitality and love.

Obsessing over food is not healthy and not living with vitality and love.

The Problem is FOCUS

What we put our focus on. Is both the problem and the solution?

Marc David states “What you think and feel is directly related to the chemistry of the body.

Stressing over food …..you become a dieting monger. On the flip side, having your focus on what inspires and drives you…completely changes the chemistry of the body, one of stress chemistry where cortisol is flying around wreaking havoc, to one of love chemistry where endorphins are leading the way to fulfillment and purpose.

Looking back over your life…is this really where you wanted your attention and focus? On your body and how much you weigh?

How much more could you have achieved/accomplished if your focus had been on something that has purpose instead of obsession with food?

What could we put our focus on that would benefit us body and soul?

This is the missing ingredient to dieting program. The way to maintain forward momentum is to seek that which you want to attain.

Weighing yourself every morning brings your focus to something that will pull you off track.

Instead, have what you want to attain right out in front of you. Each morning ‘meditate’ on that for 5 min, breathing it in, affirming your direction and point of focus. Visualize. Step in to it. Shape-Shift into it.

BE what you want to become.

In other words… Your Desire is your point of focus.

Utilize that which inspires you to be your focal point to nourishing your body in a way that enables you to live the life you desire.

For more information on how to live per your Desire, contact me for a discovery session. We will find your point of focus so you live Inspired, Healthy and Free! info@ashlytorian.com

 

Tackle your Stress with this Workout

Is this really possible to get rid of stress?? Hmm…I don’t think so. Stress is a part of life and the trick to conquering it is facing it head on and most importantly to breath through it. Avoidance only aggravates it. So when you are stressed about anything, just tackle it, face it and take care of it.

Exercise is also helpful.  A Study at Princeton shows that exercise may actually help to rewire the brain to make it more resistant to stress hormones.  Exercise brings the brain to a calm state and when faced with a stressful situation, it takes more stress to bring it out of the calm state.  Exercise remodels the brain.  If you exercise regularly you may have already seen this benefit…and now you have to science to back it up.

Here is a body weight workout that can help get the heart pumping during this season of your life when you are experiencing elevated stress. Put it to use for 3 to 5 or 10 to 15 minutes to help you alleviate mental and emotional fatigue and stress that may set in.

Enjoy!!

Who’s coming to dinner?

Who is eating your meal? Is it the capable adult that you truly are or your alter ego? More times than not it is our alter ego, also known as Archetypes. We are all made up of various archetypes, some are strong and capable while others hold us back. Which ones are leading your life? Which one is at the table with you more times than you care to admit?

Caroline Myss, in her book Archetypes, states that archetypes “are impersonal patterns of consciousness that form the essence of human nature.” Meaning, our experiences and moods create a response in our soul (mind-heart-emotions) which results in a particular behavior.

The events of the day can lead to eating irresponsibly. The boost into princess or prince archetype, the ones that say “this is what I want and I want it now”, could be caused by an upsetting conversation or not feeling like you performed your best in your presentation. It could be any experience that caused injury to your ego. The alter-ego can also show up under different moods. When feeling depressed, the ego tends to say “so what, who cares, it doesn’t matter.”

 

Well, it does matter. It matters because in that one moment, that one, very short moment, all the hard work and good intentions in reaching what you want to attain were just set aside because of the Queen/King. The responsible adult in you decided not to stand up and step in; the princess/prince won that battle. How many times will you let the princess/prince win before you say “I’m done?”

The question is, how do you use this information for weight loss?

Simple.

Every time before you begin to eat, ask yourself the question, “Who is eating?” Slow down enough to care what answer is revealed. Breathe in the acknowledgement of who it is, and if it is an archetype that isn’t serving you, release the experience that triggered the archetype to show up in the first place.

Sit there and breathe for several breaths until the stressed feeling that the experience brought on dissipates. It may take several minutes until the responsible adult shows up at the table. Be patient. Once you get the hang of this, the body is capable of switching gears in 60 seconds, it takes practice but it is doable.

Archetypes are fun and a great way to get to know “you” a little bit better; see who shows up during your day, during your various experiences. Practice when you are at the table by putting the empowered adult who is responsible for their actions in charge of the meal.

For more information on these personas and how they affect eating and living behaviors, check out Ashly’s group programs.

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Ashly inspires and encourages you to draw out the strength and courage it takes to nourish the body, soul and spirit in accordance with your life's purpose.