Mind Shift b/c of Jessica
 

I am most likely not going to be purchasing her new Lift & Shift Set, but after watching the clip provided on another thread, I am starting to realize I need to make mind shift. Jessica made a simple statement that really stuck with me.

She talks about focusing on what we're putting into our bodies vs what we're taking out. Not focusing on the calories burned but rather building lean muscle. (I paraphrased what she said). I think maybe I've been too focused on the calorie burn, that I've forgotten how benificial just moving, lifting weights and enjoying what I'm doing is part of the process. I've gone overboard with the calories in and out and lost a good amount of joy because of it.

Maybe... just maybe if I focus on what I enjoy, moving moderately and just being in the moment with my workout, I would yield better results overall. (physically, mentally & emotionally).

Thoughts, opinions welcome.

I posted in another thread about, how even if I'm doing a long or harder workout, I still pick things I love to do.

I do 20 - 30 minutes on days I work and longer ones on the days I don't. The shorter ones on the days I work are absolutely for destressing me after a hard day of work. The longer ones on the days I don't I put earbuds in and listen to a podcast.

I enjoy my workouts. I'm not really all that concerned about calorie burn.

I also do not do high impact.

Same...I am right there with you both! I also gave up dieting and don't worry about what I eat anymore. I eat what I want, when I want. I did a mind shift of focusing on what my body can do and not on what it looks like. It was SO freeing!!! I now do things I like in terms of movement. I really like Jessica Smith and she has become my favorite instructor. When I take rest days, I actually miss the crew of Jessica, Beth, and Debbie! But, I never worry about trying to change my body. I stopped weighing myself but I am guessing I am still over 200 pounds. I stopped thinking my body needed to be fixed. There is nothing wrong with me. I can be fat, strong and beautiful at the same time! I stopped wearing uncomfortable clothes (push up bras, sexy underwear, heels, tight clothes). I stopped stressing about whether I measured up to some arbitrary standard. Screw that! I AM ENOUGH. I AM WORTHY. I HAVE VALUE and my worth and value come from me and not what anyone thinks of me. Now, I live for ME and nobody else!! I work out because I like feeling strong and it grounds me helping my mood. I don't really want to kill myself working out because then it won't be fun anymore!!! So, I just enjoy the journey.....:)

Gemini,

That is a wonderful post! There is so much wisdom in it. You are to be congratulated.

Gemini - Great Post!

I think that is great advice.

There will be times where some people, for health or other reasons, might need to focus on how many calories they are eating to lose weight effectively. Pahla B is a proponent of this. But I think it’s been known for years that estimates of calories burned during exercise are very inaccurate, and I’ve never paid attention to that.
I find it distracting when cardio machines or apps or whatever tell me how many calories I’ve burned. I completely ignore them.

I want to gain or at least maintain muscle, and feel good. Exercise for me is about lifestyle, physical and mental health. Aging is freeing in that way. It’s not that I don’t still care what I look like, but how my butt or arms look are not the main things anymore. It’s being strong and having energy and knowing I am taking care of myself.

Your post made me cry. I am so happy for you. Thank you for sharing.

Erica

Thanks, Jane, IceQueen and Erica.

To the poster that cried, you are so brave and I admire your courage. Never be ashamed of where you are on your journey. The most important part is that you are ON the journey. You haven’t given up. I remember watching one of my favorites shows about a group of alcoholic women. One of the women broke her sobriety 5 days in a row. On the 6th day, she didn’t want to go to the AA meeting and get the “day 1 token” again. She said she was embarrassed and ashamed. But, her mentor told her she shouldn’t be ashamed and embarrassed. In fact, she should be proud. She could have given up but she didn’t. Every day, she wakes up and tries. Even if the day doesn’t go as she planned, she keeps showing up and trying. And, that is the bravest and most courageous thing she could ever do.

Please check out the podcast Maintenance Phase. It’s amazing!!! The hosts are AWESOME and one of them has an eating disorder. In fact, they did an episode on eating disorders that was so powerful and enlightening. I listen every. single. day. The world bombards us with sh*t messages 24/7 that try to get us to hate ourselves and question our worth. So, I combat it by surrounding myself with positive things that align with my goals of where I want to be. I read books like Dietland, The Body Is not an Apology, and What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat (the author has an eating disorder). She is also the co-host on the Maintenance Phase podcast. I also read quotes to remind myself that life is more important than a number on a scale. Life is short and I don’t want to be on the sidelines anymore. I am so sorry that you have had to suffer. Wishing you nothing but happiness, love and peace. Please know that you are supported on your journey.

I do think it's all about giving myself permission to change my goals. I've had the same ones since FOREVER. So much has happened since I started working out, with very little variance in my workout expectations.

I have no grand illusions of a tight, ripped body at this point. I do want to feel stronger, maintain my balance and flexibility and also maintain my cardio health.

Gemini2874 thanks so much for the support, information, and the inspiration!

Erica

Gemini You deserve all the love and respect and happiness that comes your way! I wish all of that for you!
being happy in your own skin is priceless. Don't let anyone take it away from you.


donna

Everyone, I really love this! I was literally thinking about this today after my workout, Jessica Smith of course. I am 48, a mother of 3. I've been up and down in weight over the years. I have always been a little overweight, but strong and healthy. At my thinnest and most fit, I was still far from my WW goal even though I was in a size 12 bottoms and M tops. Very discouraging. I looked great! I'm now in a 16/18 bottoms and an XL or L tops, but this is were my body always settles when I'm not trying so hard to lose weight. I finally got my own workout room in our home! I have been enjoying all my DVDs and my Slim Cycle. I love Jessica Smith and Suzanne Bowen has also been on a very positive stance lately about accepting yourself and life being more than just losing weight. I heard a very sad story today about a 38 yr old woman who recently died of a blood clot after a tummy tuck. She was a wife and mother. It is not worth it! I wish she could have been more accepting of her body and what it has done for her. Men don't have this pressure, they never would!

Thank you for posting! I really need to hear more of these stories and experiences!

I've been struggling with disordered eating and exercise for my entire life. I'm 53 now. Many years ago, I was reading a book about eating disorders and it discussed a woman who also struggled her whole life and was afraid her headstone would say, "Wanted to be thin" because that was the focus of her life. That scared me and I didn't want to be that woman. But here I am - probably 20 years after I read that book - and it's still a battle every minute of every day. I don't know how to stop my brain from feeling the way it does.

Erica

I am 100% on board with all of this.

I was reading through some old threads recently and came across this post of mine and thought, "Wow, I really needed to hear this again."

Alison, great post! I totally agree with this philosophy.

Thanks! I read it and thought, "5-yrs-ago-Me was so wise. What happened?!" :D

Have you tried Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? My issue was anxiety, and I worked through a CBT workbook. It helped me to retrain my brain. There are also therapists trained in CBT. However, I don't know a lot about eating disorders, but your comment about your brain brought CBT to mind.

I saw a helpful therapist for a short time many years ago but I don't think it was CBT. I'd like to try it again but just can't justify the cost after having several years of very expensive medical issues.

Do you remember the specific workbook you used? I'm glad you found something to help with the anxiety!

Erica

Alison - I agree, wonderful post! Thanks for sharing.

Erica

I can relate, I couldn't afford therapy either. And perhaps there are similar workbooks for eating disorders, I haven't searched for that. But my workbook was The Anxiety & Worry Workbook by David A. Clark and Aaron T. Beck.

https://www.amazon.com/Anxiety-Worry.../dp/160623918X

TBH, I didn't do all the worksheets. There are a lot! Most of the time, I did each worksheet once. It's also hard to copy them out of the book. I did a google search for the worksheets, and did find images. Perhaps they can be printed.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=The+Anxiet...ages&ia=images

Best thread ever! Love reading these posts!!!:heart:

Thank you! I just ordered the book from the library!

Erica

I so agree! So much wisdom here, I absolutely love it! :love:

You’re welcome! I hope it helps.

Thanks for this thread! I consider it one of the most encouraging VF threads for a while.

The clip in question is the one video currently on the front page of https://www.liftandshift.us/ . Around 2:55, near the end, she says something like this, as I transcribe it:

I'm also wondering how this sort of "mindset shift" manifests in this program. Although I haven't been interested in buying the program for simple practical reasons (and hadn't viewed the video before reading this thread), I'm now even more interested in seeing what messages she'll be giving in this and future programs.

The program guide (PDF, free) actually begins with more open discussion of this idea. The discussion here doesn't fully match my preferences, but it's still remarkably different from what I would've expected years ago. (Even the name of the program is a kind of example of what I'm thinking. Years ago, I would've expected the "shift" to refer to "shifting fat" away from the body, "shifting" the proportional sizes of different body parts, or whatever.)

I find the idea and its companion ideas intriguing: they remind me of a variety of other developments in what and how people elsewhere are thinking (maybe Jessica has been influenced by some of the same people). If I could spend all day writing VF posts, :p I could even start multiple threads in different directions. ;)

One direction in particular is that mainstream fitness-flavored products tend to concern "what you're taking away from your body"--not just "calorie burn" but also a whole complex of messages about deprivation, restriction, finding alleged faults with most of our bodies (such that we supposedly need to take those things away), "tearing down" instead of "building up" (in multiple senses), and the ideal of what I'll call a "minimized" body (especially for women). I find such messages utterly demotivating--not in any sense that I'd stop exercising but in a sense that I'm not motivated to use products that use those messages. :p I like exercise, but it really needs to find new publicists. :eek: