I’ve been reading a book called The Last Diet by behaviour change expert Shahroo Izadi. She promises to change the way you think about weight loss by replacing shame and guilt with self-compassion. One thing she asks you to do early on is establish a new daily self-care habit. I decided to moisturise my body. I’ve always looked after my face but the rest of me has been neglected for years.
That one small change has triggered a whole new series of self-care habits! A weekly pedicure, facial, regular toe nail painting and exfoliation are now part of my routine. I’ve also added other things such as listening to music daily and reading a book (only weekly at the moment) to my routine, so that I can care for my mind as well as my body.
Doing these small things for myself on a regular basis has really helped me change how I feel about myself, but it hasn’t been easy. Every day I fight the urge to ignore my new habits, telling myself that “I don’t have time”, “I can’t be bothered” or “What’s the point?” By following through with the habits I’ve chosen for myself I am telling myself that I am worth the time and effort they will take. The knock-on effect of this is that I am feeling more determined to follow through with my decision to stick with my eating plan – because losing weight is another way of caring for myself.
I am feeling really, really happy to be at my lightest weight in nearly 25 years! I can see and feel a difference in my body shape. My legs are getting slimmer, my tummy is starting to flatten. I had almost forgotten how good it feels when the inches start to melt away! I’ve tried really hard this month and had hoped for a bigger loss, but I am not discouraged. I will simply carry on.
Your Mystery Slimmer
