Learn To Love Yourself As Christ Loves You

A Celebrity Metabolic Nutrition and Fitness Expert, Martha Stewart, known for physical transformations, said publicly, "Lisa is the only trainer that made a difference and was able to reduce my waistline when nothing else worked." With appearances on Martha Stewart, Dr. Oz, Cosmo, Men's Health, and countless national and international TV shows, you would think that I would have been able to lose weight and like what I saw when I looked in the mirror. Sadly, that's not my story.

My struggle with food and overeating later turned into an exercise addiction. Sure, on the outside, I may have appeared confident. I was fit, winning powerlifting shows; I even landed a few $1500 an-hour modeling jobs at the WWE (World Wrestling Federation )after I was able to white knuckle it through six weeks of clean keto eating and six days a week of twice daily bodybuilding/weightlifting workouts, and intense cardiovascular workouts every day. Additionally, I was doing daily stretching, prioritizing sleep, and resting correctly to reduce the stress that exercise imposed on my body.

While this may look super healthy, it wasn't. I didn't do all that because I was happy with my body, liked myself, or liked the image I saw in the mirror. I spent hours in the gym every day working out, ate clean to a fault, feared foods that weren't perfect, and avoided them like the plague because I didn't love myself and couldn't stand what I saw when I saw my reflection or looked into the mirror. 

Sure, I hear all of you saying that where your mind goes, your body will follow; positive thoughts equal positive results. But even though I always encouraged others, this never really sank in. It never occurred to me that if I didn't love myself unconditionally, I would never be happy with my body and would always strive for perfection.

Nothing could be more accurate, and striving only breeds more discontent, making you feel like you are not enough as you are. Your mind quickly becomes overwhelmed and confused about what to do, how to eat, how to exercise, which supplements to take, and trying to figure out the secret to success. For me, it felt like anxiety on steroids, and I became more depressed and less motivated, and my workouts began to feel like torture versus taking care of the body God blessed me with. 

My struggles ended one day when I was too depressed to get out of bed (except to eat, of course). I was begging God to answer my prayer, which was to get rid of the handful of belly fat and end my long relationship with unhealthy foods that were no longer serving me and were sabotaging my goals and keeping me stuck. I felt exhausted all of the time yet unable to sleep at night, neither of which was very helpful when it came to my morning workouts and made me crave sugar all of the time. 

After praying or pleading with God for years, one day, I decided to "BE STILL," quiet my mind of all worldly noise, stay off of the internet, and stop reading and watching all of the fear-based seemingly healthy diet, exercise, and supplement advice. God's quiet voice said," When you fully surrender, your struggles and suffering will end." This may sound easy, but I had to learn how to let go and let God direct ALL of my steps. Not just the ones I chose to surrender to Him, but complete surrender. 

As a Christian, I led with faith. Still, it didn't occur to me that I wasn't leading with faith in every area of my life, and while I was constantly dieting and training, I wasn't honoring God with my body. What I was doing was abusing the body He blessed me with, and from that day on, my quest for perfection changed into focusing on progress instead. My workouts have improved because I come from a place of love versus fear. I listen to my body now. Suppose I feel tired (as a 57-year-old, it's most days). In that case, I don't stimulate with caffeine, sugar, or addictive self-destructive energy drinks or stimulating supplements. Instead, I focus on my breathing and focus mindfully on tight muscles that need more stretching and less pounding.

On the other hand, if I feel weak, I train slowly and controlled, doing low reps and heavier weights to naturally balance out any imbalances that may have arisen. 

I'm telling you all of this because most people think the mindful-self love, love your selfie movement, means you slack on your workouts and allow yourself to eat what you want when you want, but that's where the miracle occurs. When you eat clean and exercise because you love yourself or you are on your way to a healthier I LOVE MY BODY MINDSET, all of a sudden, you want to show up for yourself by exercising and eating nutritiously because you know self-love means meeting yourself where you are. You want to eat clean versus having to force yourself to eat healthfully. In turn, you no longer need to punish yourself by overexercising.

Here are the things I wrote on my bathroom mirror. (Yes, of course, I obstructed my view of me. These things take time.) 

• Work out daily because you love your body and want to keep it in working order.
• Eat nutritiously, and choose foods that are good for your body because you love your body and want to feel good. 
• Honor God by taking care of the body He blessed you with.
• Be grateful for what your body does for you every day.
• I love my arms because they allow me to hug and hold my family and the people I Iove.
• I love my hands and arms, which allow me to hold my coffee mug every morning.
• I love my legs because they carry me through my day.
• I am grateful for my legs that help me get out of chairs and squat on the potty. Seriously, our legs do a lot!
• I love my eyes because they allow me to see beautiful things, such as flowers, butterflies, and the people I love. 
• I am grateful for my eyes, which allow me to see so I don't bump into walls or put on my eye makeup incorrectly (lol).
• I love my mouth because it lets me smile and say I LOVE YOU!
• I'm grateful for my mouth, so I don't have to drink my protein shake or coffee through a tube.
• I love my ears because they let me hear birds chirping, waves crashing on the beach, or children laughing.
• I'm grateful for my ears, which allow me to hear my favorite sounds, like race cars on a track or Chicago the Band singing "Feeling Stronger Every Day." 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
• I love my nose because it lets me smell spring flowers, coffee brewing, or sauteed garlic.
• I love my lips because they let me kiss my dog, family, and friends.
• I love my heart because it helps me love others and pumps blood daily. 
• I love my stomach because it digests and holds my food, nourishing my body and giving me energy all day.
• I love my beautiful mind because it allows me to DREAM BIG, be mindful, and exercise my creativity.
• I love my skin because it protects my internal organs and keeps me safe from the sun.
• I love my hands because they let me text, hold things I love, play instruments,  paint, or garden.
• I love my appetite because it keeps my body nourished and healthy.
• I love my personality because it makes me who I am, fearfully and wonderfully made. I'm grateful I AM WHO I AM.
  

The bottom line is that we all need to learn to love our bodies exactly how God made them and honor Him by caring for the bodies He blessed us with! 

HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODY BY:

• Eating foods that nourish your body and keep it strong (five servings of veggies daily)
• Drinking lots of fresh spring water every day (½ your body weight in ounces)
• Sleep at least seven hours nightly and rest when your body says, "I'm tired!" 
• Laugh out loud as much as possible
• Worry less; pray more
• Give thanks
• Remind yourself to be grateful for what your body does for you every day, even when it is unpleasant or you feel pain.
• Praise your way every day, and watch how much better you will feel.

WE ALL NEED TO FEEL LOVED. Remember to love your selfie, and most of all, remember that God loves you exactly the way you are. In His eyes, you are perfect!

GOD LOVES YOU!