Are you generally happy when you look in the mirror? Do you get on the scale every morning and evening? Do you count down to the last calorie? Do you measure every last flake of oatmeal? Do you dread the hot sunny vacation where you might need to wear shorts or heaven forbid a "BATHING SUIT"? Do you wish you had rock hard abs? Or larger biceps?

PHOTO CREDIT - NathanWalker.ca

Edmonton - June 5, 2012 - Are you generally happy when you look in the mirror?

Do you get on the scale every morning and evening? Do you count down to the last calorie? Do you measure every last flake of oatmeal? Do you dread the hot sunny vacation where you might need to wear shorts or heaven forbid a "BATHING SUIT"? Do you wish you had rock hard abs? Or larger biceps?

One of my clients is a beautiful, curvy 63 year old woman (I will call her Gloria) who has spent the last 40 years of her life trying diet after diet after diet and was still struggling to lose weight. Can you imagine 40 years of being unhappy when you look in the mirror? Or 40 years of stressing over the same thing every day? During my time working with Gloria, I realized the importance of truly listening to your own body. She had spent so many years following the latest fad diet and listening to the advice of the next biggest celebrity selling products, pills, and potions. For 40 years, she was being told by someone else what to eat, how much to eat and when to eat instead of just listening to her own body. Can you imagine investing 40 years of your life and not seeing results? I remember thinking "How tragic".

Gloria helped me to realize that I need to spend more time during the assessment phase of my appointments with new clients discussing body image and the emotional side of nutrition. I have also started setting holistic health goals with my clients instead of only weight loss goals. Holistic health goals are focused on you as a "whole person" and not just your body changing goals. These goals explore creating balance in your life; with balance you are able to begin to love yourself and accept your body. This is what I call "Finding Peace with your Body". It isn’t the change of the number on the scale or the shrinking size of her thighs that has changed Gloria’s life, it is getting closer to being at peace with her body that seems to have made all the difference in the world.

The next time you look in the mirror, smile and give yourself a compliment. Do you need help finding peace with your body?