Did I earned dinner?

How many times have you told yourself, if I go to the gym and burn at least 500 calories I can have dessert tonight? Or maybe you work with a personal trainer and they told you you earned a glass of wine and dessert tonight? For many years I worked out like a maniac, cycling to and from work 20 miles each day, working out with a trainer for several hours a week, teaching indoor cycling, and always taking the stairs at work (even if I had to climb 10 fights to my next meeting). Our culture today encourages strenuous workouts and a very active lifestyle so I did not give it a second thought. I was actually praised by my trainor and work colleagues for pushing myself to the limit. Why do we need to feel worthy of eating, something necessary to fuel our body?

After practicing the 3 A's - Awareness, Acceptance, and Action I learned I was using food as a reward for working hard. Being honest with myself, I became aware of this socially acceptable pattern bought into. I learned to accept that I could not change my past behavior but I could change how I used food going forward, and that I did not have to earn my meals if I ate reasonably. I began to take actions supporting a balanced lifestyle of healthy meals and movement. I am very happy to say that 7 years into practicing the 3 A's I have lost the baby weight, feel great about my body, and no longer feel the need to work out compulsively so I could treat myself to the food my body deserves.

If you can relate to my story, and would like to learn more about applying the 3 A's to your life, hit me up! YOU ARE WORTHY.