Lose Weight Without Hating Your Body: The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything | 70

0:00 SPEAKER_00: Let me ask you something.

0:01 SPEAKER_00: Have you ever stood in front of your closet, changed outfit three times, maybe even four times, looked in the mirror and thought, nothing looks good on me.

0:10 SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you've looked at a picture someone took of you and the first thing you thought wasn't, what a fun memory.

0:16 SPEAKER_00: It was delete it.

0:17 SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you told yourself, I'll buy new clothes after I lose the weight.

0:21 SPEAKER_00: I'll wear shorts next summer.

0:23 SPEAKER_00: I'll go to the beach when I feel more confident.

0:25 SPEAKER_00: Friend, what if I told you confidence isn't waiting for you at the end of your goal week?

0:30 SPEAKER_00: Because here's something I want you to think about.

0:33 SPEAKER_00: Would you ever look at your best friend and say, hide your arms?

0:36 SPEAKER_00: Don't wear that dress.

0:38 SPEAKER_00: It doesn't look good on you.

0:39 SPEAKER_00: You shouldn't be in the picture.

0:41 SPEAKER_00: Of course not.

0:42 SPEAKER_00: But many of us say those exact things to ourselves every single day.

0:46 SPEAKER_00: And today we're going to talk about why waiting to love your body after you lose weight keeps you stuck and how to start building confidence right now, even if you're still working toward your weight loss goals.

0:58 SPEAKER_00: So put those earbuds in, take a deep breath, and let's prioritize the best version of you.

1:04 SPEAKER_00: Hey beautiful, and welcome to Weight Loss in Midlife, where we ditch the diet cycle and finally lose fat, build muscle, and feel confident again.

1:12 SPEAKER_00: I'm Jennifer, a certified women's coach who's been where you are, stuck in the all-or-nothing cycle, navigating midlife changes and wondering why what used to work doesn't anymore.

1:23 SPEAKER_00: After years of restriction and burnout, I found a better way.

1:27 SPEAKER_00: Built on macros, mindset, and muscles.

1:29 SPEAKER_00: Each week, I'll share the strategies to help you lose fat, boost your metabolism, and build lasting strength and confidence.

1:36 SPEAKER_00: Let's dive into today's episode.

1:43 SPEAKER_00: Hey beautiful, welcome back to the Weight Loss in Midlife Podcast, the show for busy women in midlife who want to finally lose fat for good, feel confident, and have the energy to live their best life.

1:53 SPEAKER_00: I've created a free resource packed with tools and support I know so many women are missing.

1:58 SPEAKER_00: If you're tired of starting over every Monday, jumping from one diet to the next and wondering why nothing ever seems to stick, I created a free resource that will help you break that cycle once and for all.

2:08 SPEAKER_00: It's called Break Free from the Diet Cycle.

2:11 SPEAKER_00: It's seven podcast episodes to help you stop starting over, build healthy habits, and finally lose weight without another diet.

2:17 SPEAKER_00: This is not just a list of podcast episodes, it's a guided coaching roadmap.

2:22 SPEAKER_00: Inside you're going to find a beautifully organized coaching guide containing seven of my most powerful podcast episodes, carefully selected to guide you through the mindset shifts, the nutrition strategies, and the healthy habits that lead to lasting weight loss.

2:36 SPEAKER_00: But I didn't stop there.

2:37 SPEAKER_00: Each episode includes a coaching guide with reflection questions to help you go deeper.

2:42 SPEAKER_00: As if I were sitting down with you, one-on-one coaching you.

2:46 SPEAKER_00: You will also find simple, actionable exercise so you know exactly what to do after listening and a make it stick prompt designed to help you turn what you learned into habits that actually last.

2:55 SPEAKER_00: Because listening is great, but transformation happens when you actually take action.

2:59 SPEAKER_00: If you're ready to stop dieting, stop starting over and finally build a healthy lifestyle you can maintain for years to come.

3:06 SPEAKER_00: Head to the link in the show notes and grab your free copy of Break Free from the Diet Cycle.

3:11 SPEAKER_00: I can't wait to help you take your next step forward for lasting sustainable weight loss.

3:16 SPEAKER_00: You can also go to weightlossinmidlife.kit dot com backslash break the diet cycle.

3:23 SPEAKER_00: One of the biggest myths in weight loss world is this.

3:26 SPEAKER_00: When I lose weight, I'll finally be happy.

3:28 SPEAKER_00: I'll finally feel confident.

3:30 SPEAKER_00: I'll finally wear the swimsuit that I've been dreaming of.

3:33 SPEAKER_00: I'll finally stop criticizing myself.

3:35 SPEAKER_00: But here's what years of coaching women has taught me.

3:38 SPEAKER_00: Weight loss doesn't automatically change the way you talk about yourself.

3:42 SPEAKER_00: If your inner voice is critical now, there's a good chance it'll still be critical 20 pounds from now.

3:47 SPEAKER_00: Because confidence isn't created by the number on the scale.

3:50 SPEAKER_00: It's created by the relationship you have with yourself.

3:53 SPEAKER_00: And unfortunately, women over 40 have spent decades believing their worth is tied to how young or thin or wrinkle-free that they look.

4:02 SPEAKER_00: We live in a culture that celebrates youth and tells women that aging is something to fight instead of something to embrace.

4:08 SPEAKER_00: So it's no surprise that so many women struggle with body image during midlife.

4:12 SPEAKER_00: But what if I told you you've been chasing the wrong thing all along?

4:16 SPEAKER_00: Before we jump into what you can do with these negative thoughts, I want you to know that building a healthy relationship with your body doesn't happen overnight.

4:26 SPEAKER_00: It isn't about forcing yourself to love every inch of yourself tomorrow.

4:30 SPEAKER_00: It's about making small shifts in a way that you think and that you speak and you care for yourself that over time can completely change how you see yourself.

4:38 SPEAKER_00: So let's talk about three simple but powerful ways to get started.

4:42 SPEAKER_00: The first one, stop talking to yourself like you're the enemy.

4:46 SPEAKER_00: Think about the conversations that are happening inside your head almost all day.

4:50 SPEAKER_00: My stomach is disgusting.

4:52 SPEAKER_00: My thighs are huge.

4:53 SPEAKER_00: I can't believe I let myself go.

4:55 SPEAKER_00: Those thoughts feel automatic because you've probably been practicing them for years.

4:59 SPEAKER_00: You've been telling yourself those same things for years.

5:02 SPEAKER_00: But here's the question I want you to ask yourself.

5:05 SPEAKER_00: Would I say this to someone I love?

5:07 SPEAKER_00: Probably not.

5:09 SPEAKER_00: Research shows that self-criticism doesn't create lasting motivation, it usually creates shame.

5:15 SPEAKER_00: And that shame often leads to emotional eating, giving up on taking care of yourself or believing that you're never going to change.

5:23 SPEAKER_00: So instead of trying to love every part of your body overnight, start with something realistic.

5:28 SPEAKER_00: Body neutrality.

5:29 SPEAKER_00: Body neutrality simply means you stop judging your body all the time.

5:32 SPEAKER_00: So instead of saying, I hate my stomach, you might say, This is my stomach.

5:37 SPEAKER_00: It's carried me through pregnancies, stressful seasons of my life, illnesses, and every single day of my life.

5:43 SPEAKER_00: That's not toxic positivity.

5:45 SPEAKER_00: That's respect.

5:47 SPEAKER_00: All right, number two, waiting to live your life.

5:51 SPEAKER_00: How many things have you postponed because of the weight?

5:54 SPEAKER_00: Because you feel that you're overweight.

5:57 SPEAKER_00: Buying clothes, being in family pictures, going swimming, or sitting on the beach, date nights, vacations.

6:03 SPEAKER_00: Research shows that many women believe body image were going to improve after weight loss.

6:09 SPEAKER_00: But what happens is uh first it's isn't the weight loss.

6:13 SPEAKER_00: It's changing how you treat yourself.

6:16 SPEAKER_00: Wear clothes that fit your body now, not the body you hope to have six months from now.

6:21 SPEAKER_00: Your clothes are supposed to fit your body, your body's not supposed to fit into your clothes.

6:25 SPEAKER_00: So move your body because it feels good, not because you're trying to punish yourself.

6:29 SPEAKER_00: Go for a walk, dance in the kitchen, lift weights because you want to stay strong enough to carry groceries, travel, or play with your grandkids 10 years from now and live that vibrant life.

6:40 SPEAKER_00: Exercise is about so much more than calories, it boosts your mood, improves your sleep, reduces stress, builds confidence, and those benefits happen long before the scale changes.

6:50 SPEAKER_00: Alright, number three, appreciate what your body can do.

6:54 SPEAKER_00: So one of my favorite mindset shifts is this instead of focusing only on what your body looks like, start noticing what your body does.

7:01 SPEAKER_00: Your legs can carry you through life.

7:03 SPEAKER_00: Your arms hug the people you love, your hands cook the meals for your family, your heart beats over 100,000 times every single day without you even thinking about it.

7:12 SPEAKER_00: Your body deserves appreciation far more than how it looks in a pair of jeans.

7:17 SPEAKER_00: That doesn't mean you stop working toward your goals.

7:19 SPEAKER_00: You absolutely can lose the weight, you absolutely can want to feel stronger, but you don't have to hate yourself on the way there because hating your body into confidence has never worked for anybody.

7:32 SPEAKER_00: Respecting the body that you have, that's where the healing begins.

7:36 SPEAKER_00: So here's your action steps.

7:38 SPEAKER_00: Action step number one, catch one negative thought this week.

7:42 SPEAKER_00: When you hear yourself criticizing your body, pause and ask yourself, would I say this to my daughter, my sister, my best friend?

7:49 SPEAKER_00: If not, don't say it to yourself.

7:51 SPEAKER_00: Action step number two, wear something that fits your body today.

7:56 SPEAKER_00: Something that you actually feel good in.

7:58 SPEAKER_00: Not someday, but today.

8:00 SPEAKER_00: Even if it means donating the genes you've been saving for when you are going to lose weight, get rid of them and wear the clothes that you have that make you feel good.

8:09 SPEAKER_00: You deserve to feel comfortable now.

8:11 SPEAKER_00: And action step number three, write down three things your body allows you to do today.

8:16 SPEAKER_00: Maybe it walked the dog, maybe it allowed you to work all day.

8:20 SPEAKER_00: Maybe it allowed you to play with your grandkids or your kids.

8:23 SPEAKER_00: It allowed you to lift heavier weights.

8:26 SPEAKER_00: It allowed you to laugh with your friends.

8:28 SPEAKER_00: Shift your focus from your appearance to the appreciation of your body.

8:33 SPEAKER_00: All right, beautiful.

8:34 SPEAKER_00: Your body is not the problem.

8:36 SPEAKER_00: The way you've been taught to think about your body might be.

8:39 SPEAKER_00: You don't have to earn the right to respect yourself.

8:42 SPEAKER_00: You don't have to reach a certain weight before you deserve to have confidence.

8:46 SPEAKER_00: You don't have to wait until everything looks perfect to enjoy your life, to be in the pictures, to sit on the beach.

8:52 SPEAKER_00: Because here's what I want you to know to be true.

8:54 SPEAKER_00: The healthiest women I know aren't the ones with perfect bodies.

8:58 SPEAKER_00: They're not.

8:59 SPEAKER_00: They're the ones who have learned to work with their bodies instead of constantly fighting against them and putting them down and thinking negatively about themselves.

9:07 SPEAKER_00: So, yes, keep pursuing your health goals, keep lifting weights, keep eating nourishing foods, keep taking care of yourself, but do it from a place of self-respect instead of punishment because your body has been carrying you through life every single day.

9:21 SPEAKER_00: It deserves your care and not your criticism.

9:24 SPEAKER_00: All right, ladies, if today's episode resonated with you and you're ready to stop starting over and build a healthier relationship with food, your body, and yourself, I have a free resource that I would love to share that I think it's going to be wonderful for you.

9:37 SPEAKER_00: It's called Break Free from the Diet Cycle, and it's seven podcast episodes that are going to help you stop starting over, build healthy habits, and finally lose weight without starting another diet.

9:47 SPEAKER_00: So inside, you're going to get a curated podcast playlist, guided coaching, and reflection questions and simple action steps that are going to make it stick and help you create real lasting change.

9:57 SPEAKER_00: Download your free copy using the link in the show notes and let me coach you through the next steps of your journey.

10:03 SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening and choosing to invest in your health and your future.

10:07 SPEAKER_00: These small moments of care that you take are what build real confidence and lasting strength so you can live your best life.

10:14 SPEAKER_00: All right, ladies, remember that you are beautiful and strong.

10:17 SPEAKER_00: Until next time, keep showing up for yourself, keep celebrating those small wins.

10:21 SPEAKER_00: And remember, one choice, one change, one meal at a time.

10:23 SPEAKER_00: I hope you have an amazing week.

10:30 SPEAKER_00: Before you go, I have one quick favor to ask.

10:33 SPEAKER_00: If this episode empowered you, it would mean so much to me if you could help spread the word so more women can use that, build muscle, and feel unbelievably strong and comfortable.

10:43 SPEAKER_00: The best way to do this is to create three years into the potential.

10:46 SPEAKER_00: It takes just 10 seconds.

10:48 SPEAKER_00: You're working with that.