January 2017 | ElementsForAHealthierLife.com | 27
She taught the whole group, the doctor and me very valuable lessons by sharing her journey and what she learned:
~ Indira decided to focus on the positive experiences of her journey. Instead of being upset that she did not lose weight, she focused on what she was learning and even though the doctor called the group a ‘weight loss group’, Indira called it her ‘healthy life’ class to keep her focused on what she could learn to make her life healthy and joyful.
~ Indira incorporated changes very slowly. She started to include more vegetables with her meals. She then continued to make her meals with more wholesome ingredients. She started walking in the park once or twice a week and gradually worked towards walking daily. She focused on getting more sleep, drinking more water, reducing her stress, and bringing more joy into her life. She was not trying to stop her unhealthy habits, she just focused on creating healthier ones.
~ While Indira’s progress was not visible to her doctor who was looking for a confirmation from the scale, it was very noticeable to her. She was feeling better! She felt light, energetic, enthusiastic and positive. She was sleeping better. Her skin was clearer. She had better focus. She felt healthier and happier.
~ Indira’s biggest strength was her positive attitude. She taught her doctor to not push for weight loss results with her patients but to stay focused on what they could do to improve their general health and well-being. The whole group was applauding her when she shared her lessons and triumphs and celebrated her amazing accomplishments.
After a year of participating in the group Indira started to lose weight. Her weight loss was REAL and permanent because it was the results of real shifts in her life and not just the result of a temporary diet. She had every reason to be very proud of herself.