I'm a pusher.
I push.
How many times have I popped up in your inbox to push new food and body ideas - and then added on a side push of watch Ted Lasso (but I was right, wasn't I??) or go to PEI! (right again!) or eat this salad (up for debate).
I'm currently in Barcelona with my husband, my 11 year old, and my teen. And the teen is very into reading. A good thing! - you might think. Something I may have even pushed her to get into. But here we are, sitting at the base of Sagrada Familia, gobbling cookies and staring up in awe at the drippy, sandcastle-like, architectural behemoth... and her face is deep in the pages of a dystopian future run by 15 year olds.
So I push again - "Come ON..."
I whine
"put the book away and be here. Beeee with us."
Right this moment, as I sip coffee, type, and stare out the window at Spanish balconies filled with begonias and women in aprons hanging clothing on terrifying looking clothes lines... she's in bed on her phone, reading yet another book (she has THREE on the go). It takes every ounce of self-control to not bust into her room and push pull her out of bed - the sun is out! It's warm! We're in EUROPE!
If you're a pusher, you know who you are - and not just because you also want to go into that room and drag my teen out of bed. lol
The push factor is fairly common in women with food and body "stuff". Intelligence (hair swish), empathy (nail flip), and dogged perseverance (read: pushiness) are common traits in those who struggle with food and weight.
We know what to do: we've done all the research and possess encyclopedic amounts of information on food and exercise.
We're acutely aware of how others see and perceive us.
And we won't give up on finding a solution to these food and belly roll issues, like a dog won't give up on a cheese and meat filled bone.
We'll push and push and push... pushing ourselves right into the ground.
The Problem (with a capital P):
99.9% of healthy eating plans are selling you the same old shiz, wrapped up in slightly different packaging.
Cut this out,
limit this,
put your food in THESE plastic containers,
do THIS 15 minute workout,
eat this protein chicken wrap
and ALL your issues will be gone! TADA!!
And you try. You're a pusher and so you push yourself to adhere to these plans for as long as you can.
But I've got a new challenge for you...
This weekend, I want you to PUSH BACK. Use that force of nature that exists within you to say NO MORE.
City line posted a video with Dr. Joey Shulman this week about how gaining weight around the midsection is *optional* at midlife. As though any of us opted in to the genetic predispositions we have, despite every cultural indicator that we're wrong for aging and shifting.
Push back against THAT.
Push back against the voice in your head that cringes when you see yourself in a mirror or window reflection.
Push back against the idea that only way to be healthy is to weigh every morsel of food that goes in your mouth.
Let's stop pushing ourselves (and maybe our teens. Ha!) and PUSH BACK.
What are you going to push back on this weekend?
XO
Jill
