Body Image: Breaking Up with the 'Before & After' Photo

 

I wanted to kick this off with just saying this episode is going to dive into more of a scientific background of our cycles as women and tuning into our cycles. And I've been in a lot of spaces lately. Where I've been hearing this come up and it's so crazy how the universe just puts you in the spaces that you need to be at the time that it's relevant for you.

Because I have started doing this with my workout routines, I've started paying attention to my mood and my motivation with my cycles and noticing such a huge difference. And also with my productivity. So before where I would just sit there and like. Push myself through or like force things to happen where I'm just like driving myself crazy, trying to come up with something or trying to get things done around the house or working out and pushing myself so hard where I'm like, I am just not feeling it.

And so I was just in another space today where other people were talking about this like cycle sinking and they were talking about it through the lens of like an entrepreneur and being productive and creating courses and things like that where. In the past it's been, well, I have this hour and I'm going to cram in whatever I can do in this hour.

And not having it be your best work or just having it feel very forced and kind of yucky. And so in this episode, we're going to talk about how this aligns with where we show up when it comes to our body image and that. You know, before and after photo mantra that is put out there all the time. And of course we're going to implement it into the just right method and what that looks like.

So. Like I said, I have just spent years in this cycle of pushing my body, pushing my mind to the limit, you know, trying to get things done, trying to feel accomplished because yes, I am a box checker. I'm notorious for getting things crossed off of my to-do list. And so in order for me to feel that sense of accomplishment, I had to push myself.

I had to get things done, and it just really works against you, and especially when it comes to your fitness routine. Because when you're pushing yourself and forcing yourself in a time that your body is not ready to do, that actually has the opposite effect where your body creates more cortisol, which is our stress hormone, which causes us to hold onto access body fat, especially in the places that us as women are trying to eliminate body fat, our midsection, our thighs, and things like that.

So. What I thought was being productive was being counterproductive and having the opposite effect of what my goal was. And this is where we talk about the extremes in the world on we have to either be all or nothing. We either have to have this rigorous workout routine to get the results, and we have to have the 21 or 30 day program for us to be able to see results.

And then what? And then what? So I want to talk about that today. And I was working out six days a week. You know, it felt good most of the time, but like I said, on those weeks where I was OB, or not ovulating, excuse me, where I was on my period, or in that luteal phase, I was just tired and I was like, I really want to do something.

Less intense. I want to do Pilates or yoga, but I was like, no, I got to stick to my, you know, my routine. I got to do all the things. And so I just felt like something was off and I didn't know exactly what that was until I started to really pay attention to how I felt. And then tracking too that with my mood and how I was showing up for the people around me, the times when I'd be a little bit more irritable or the times when I would just be like, extra lovey and like.

Bubbly and happy and notice that there is a pattern. And it happened to be during my cycle, picking up on these things. And then on top of it, I was ignoring the signs that my body was telling me. You know, like I was exhausted, and my quality of sleep really sucked. And maybe I was. Injured or I just overdid it and I'm pushing through something that my body's telling me, no, you need to pause, and you need to heal.

And so we don't really pay attention because we're not in tune to do so. We are so in tune to this hustle culture of like, we must show up or we're falling off. So I want to introduce this idea that we don't have to do this all or nothing approach and how counterproductive it actually can be, especially if you're a woman in your thirties and forties.

This goal is not to live in the extremes of too much or too little, but to just find what works for you and your body, because we are all different. So I really want to help teach you how to break up with this before and after concept where. It's more sustainable and it's more joyful and it's a way that actually gets you the results that you're looking for.

And so we're going to start with that too much notion and explaining like some science behind a. Stress and why The hustle culture and the approach to fitness is counterintuitive, like I had said, because when we over exercise or we're pushing ourselves, when our bodies are saying, no, we need to rest, it's actually releasing that cortisol, that stress hormone.

And for women especially this chronic cortisol can lead to excess fat storage, it can disrupt our sleep patterns, and it can also cause hormonal imbalances that can be. SA, a challenge really to adjust in the long term, and sometimes that's where we need to start. So I just want to pause here because as a registered nurse and health coach, I actually have access to labs and supplements that are practitioner grade quality.

You have to be a licensed nurse or other professional to be able to access this. And so this is where I started for myself is I knew I wanted to find the root cause of what was going on. I wanted to tune into my body even more so. And I got my labs done. I got a full hormone panel, and I'm telling you, these labs are affordable and uh, it can be tailored to your specific needs as well.

So you can do as much or as little, but really it gives you a picture. What your body is telling you. And so if you're interested in that, just shoot me a message at stacy@thegoldilocks.life and just share with me kind of what you're experiencing, what you're trying to get out of it, um, what you want to know about yourself, because I really feel like that's a great starting point to get you a baseline of knowing where you are.

And what we can work with, with what we have, because oftentimes we are just throwing things at the wall hoping that they stick, we're going in blind, and we don't really know what is going on with our bodies. And so that can be discouraging when we get started at a place where maybe it's not where we're supposed to be starting for our bodies.

It just ends up being that we're working harder and harder, but getting little results or we're hitting that plateau and then we're just quick to give up because it's like, why am I doing all this work for not, and so this myth is this, before and after photo kind of promotes this unsustainable short-term mindset, right?

Where it's like, okay, we did the program for 21 days or 30 days, and now look, we got these results, but then what? And it's honestly so frustrating because true progress is not about looking a certain way for a moment in time, and that's where that before and after photo kind of gets me is because it's, it's not sustainable.

What really works is building the habits that last a lifetime. And that's where when we can approach things from the knowing of what our body needs and tuning into and not having this fixated too much focus on, I got to push myself and then I'll have the results. And I know there's a time in place, so like if you're going on vacation or you're.

Getting married or you have an event or something like that and you're trying to lose like 10 pounds in a reasonable amount of time. Like, yes, this, this is the time. But also too, this is not something that's sustainable because it's not a habit that is ingrained. You are not. Building the blocks that are necessary to get you there, to get it to last.

So there is some effectiveness around that mindset. But for the sake of where we are and our goals really is that sustainability and finding things that work without having to push ourselves or the opposite where we just give up. So I just wanted to put that out there as well. And also, I want to point out the emotional concept of this, where when we're working out, and it just feels like another thing that we have to do, like a punishment or a chore.

And it's not a matter of if you'll quit. Because this is important. It's a matter of when you're going to give up because you aren't in that place to have that sustainability, because we are so focused on that all or nothing that before and after photo. And honestly speaking from experience and somebody that has been working out consistently for the last five to six years, that it takes time to see results.

And you must be real with yourself and realizing that. You didn't get to where you are health wise, whether it's body, mind, whatever, overnight. You did not land here in 30 days’ time. This happened over years, and the same happens when you have. Sustainable goals. You must understand that this is not a quick fix.

It's not meant to be that way. It's supposed to prepare you for habits that get you to those goals in the short term, but also so that you can keep making that progress and not fall back or give up. This isn't something that we just sign up for to turn around and quit. That is not the goal, and that is where this before and after, it's like, okay, we took our after photo and now we're done.

Right, and that's not the case. We know this. And so that's why we're here because we're going to talk about the shift. And like I had shared, that moment for me was just recognizing that I was exhausted and I wasn't getting those results like I did in the beginning. And I really needed to tune into my body because it was more about how I was feeling and what I was seeing more so than this strict schedule that I felt like I just had to adhere to.

For what? It wasn't doing what I needed it to do for me, and it didn't leave me feeling great. And then I just noticed that, you know, I want to know what my body is saying. I want to see where my stress levels are biologically, I want to see where my hormone levels are because if my hormone levels are out of whack and I start this program.

I could be pushing against a brick wall, and then I'm just getting frustrated and setting myself up for failure, when really, it's not anything that I'm doing wrong. I just don't know any better. And so I'm going to listen to, you know, the experts in the field and I'm going to count my macros and I'm going to show up and do my workouts and all those things.

But really. They don't know what my body is telling me. I don't know what my body is telling me. And so it starts there and that's where that shift happens. So I want to introduce to you this concept of cycle sinking for fitness specifically, but also know that this can also step into, uh, other areas in your life as well.

So obviously our bodies have a weekly hormonal blueprint, and we can use this to our advantage. So instead of fighting against our bodies, we can work with them. And so the first phase, if you're not familiar, we're going to just kind of go over the basics of a full menstrual cycle. And for those of you that might be in, uh, perimenopause or menopause, anybody on birth control.

Or somebody that has something like um, PCOS and things like that can be a little bit trickier to track. But knowing that it isn't impossible, it just needs a little bit more tweaking and understanding of what's going on to be able to get an accurate read of where you are. So this is more so for those that have a regular cycle, but again, this can be fine-tuned to meet you where you are as well.

So don't count it out because you are still going through the cycle and it's just in a little different way. So the first phase is the follicular phase. So this is that post period phase where your estrogen starts to rise again, and so you're getting a little spike in energy. Your body kind of hits that just right time for the higher intensity workouts, like heavy lifting.

Also like high or cardio is good here, but I wouldn't just focus on the cardio, especially us women in this phase of life. Because again, um, if we're not too careful, it can have the opposite effect. So if you want to add in cardio. I suggest adding it in the end of a strength training workout, like 15, 20 minute walking, like an incline walk on a treadmill is perfect cardio and gives you that extra little bit of calorie burn if you're looking for, um, additional cardio.

So that is the follicular phase post period. Right out the gate, you are ready to just start at it. Phase two is ovulation. So this is about two weeks into your cycle where. Estrogen and testosterone are peaking. So this is where those levels are going to be at the highest. And this is your peak performance window.

So here you are coming up out of your follicular phase, having that ramp up of energy, and then boom, ovulation happens, and you are seriously ready to beat your personal records, okay? This is the time if you have a PR to try to beat it because your body and your hormones are in sync together to really get you to that next level and push you.

So this is where you can go hard. Phase three is our luteal phase. So this is post ovulation, and this is the transition phase. So this is where progesterone is now the dominant hormone where estrogen and testosterone are coming back down, but that also means progesterone. As it's rising, your energy starts to drop and your body is more sensitive to stress.

You become more tired. This is why women in their pregnancy, in their first trimester are often so tired and exhausted is because they have. A high level of progesterone flowing through their bodies. This is a time when your body is way more sensitive to stress. So if you are overdoing it, that's when it can have that counterproductive effect.

So this is that time to introduce the just right shift. So to moderate and to introduce a lower impact workouts, not doing that. High intensity cardio or strength training. Think moderate strength training and lower impact cardio. Things like yoga, Pilates. Um, walking, uh, incline on a treadmill, doing some lighter weights, but not pushing yourself.

Then the fourth phase is when you are bleeding your menstruation, and so your hormone levels are at their lowest now, and your body is shedding that uterine lining. And so the just right approach here is to rest gentle walking, stretching, restorative yoga, meditation, things like that. Pushing hard here is going to be counterproductive.

So yes, I absolutely encourage you to move your body here, but just doing those lighter. Movements and motions. So, and again, if you're feeling it on a day and you're just like, I really don't want to, that's okay too. You can do that and you're not. Here's the thing. We think that if we take a few days off, all of our progress is just done and we are going to go backwards and we're going to start to gain that weight again.

And the truth is no, you're not going to get set back by missing a few days. You're not going to get off of your strength training routine if you take a week off to do things like yoga and walking. And honestly, yoga has some strength training components too. It's great for things like balance and core strength, so you're not undoing all of the work that you put in.

And honestly, this is your time to recover, which is where muscle can grow and build the best. So. I don't know why we aren't taught these things from a younger age because this would've been so helpful, and I think this is something that we are starting to figure out a little bit more, but how amazing it actually works when you follow it and listen to your body and what your body's saying.

This is why that mind body connection is so important. It's about listening and tuning into what our bodies are saying. It's not a weakness. It's really just being intentional and compassionate with yourself, and your body is going to respond so much better in this way. So here are just a couple takeaways for this episode, and the first one is the rule of three.

So I want to always try to give you some tangible things, some easy things that you can use and implement right away. And so instead of doing what I was doing and the six days a week for your workout routine, try to start with three, make it intentional. This way. As you're starting to learn more about your cycle and tracking your mood and your motivation and how you're feeling and things like that, it's going to allow you to start that, to build that progress.

But it's also going to help so that you don't go backwards and, you know, pick, try and think about where you are in your cycle. If not, pick a place to start. You can always start with lower impact or moderate weights. Um, you're still, even body weight is. Still progress. So just choose something that you know is for you with intention and you're going to be less likely to fall off.

Then do two strength days in one cardio day. So you're going to do three intentional workouts, two of which are going to be strength training, and one is going to be cardio. This is going to be during your follicular phase. And then as you transition into your luteal and menstrual phase, you're going to kind.

Shift back out of that and switch out your cardio for things like that. Restorative yoga or walking that we talked about. And so this is not going to overwhelm you hopefully, and this is going to make it so it's more achievable. You're still going to see progress and you're going to work with your body not against it.

Okay. So that is the rule of three. Three intentional workouts. Got it. The second strategy is that just write movement, audit. I want you to track, I want you to reflect on your current routine. I want you to reflect on how you're feeling with your current movement and start tracking how you're feeling going into your workout and how you're feeling afterwards.

And do this for a month to just see where you are and if you are not feeling it. Swap out one of your current workouts for something that you truly find joyful. It could be something like dance, it could be a long walk outside, even some gardening, just moving your body and then noticing how that shift affects your mood and your motivation.

The last thing that I wanted to mention is to intentionally prioritize your recovery because like I had said, fitness is just not about what you're doing in the gym. It is about your body being at its peak to be able to perform the way that it needs to and to be able to recover and build and repair.

All of those components are super important, and the things that are going to build you to that place that you are hoping to be those sustainable goals that are going to carry you and give you that progress over and over and over again. The goal is not an after photo. All right? So also focusing on those key components of our overall health, which is.

Sleep. Prioritizing sleep is going to help with hormone regulation as well. So paying attention to your cycle, but also paying attention to your sleep cycle is crucial to helping you lower that cortisol level and also regulate the rest of your hormones, making sure that you're getting enough water. I must tell myself this all the time.

I do not drink as much water as I should. But it is so important, and honestly, the difference that it makes in how I feel when I have a day where I'm super hydrated versus the days that I'm not. I notice a change in how I feel. I also notice a change in how my skin looks and how soft my hair feels. And there's just a lot of things that water really does help with that.

We don't always do the best at it, and I know I'm guilty too, but seriously, it's one of the easiest things if you want to use a tracker or some something to help keep you motivated to drink enough water. I'm telling you, it is a very crucial component to this. Progression that we're aiming for. Um, and then always trying to get enough protein in.

And I am a macro queen. I have got it down to a science for the most part, and knowing. It has to be specific to you. So what works for me obviously isn't going to work for you, but I have the ability to be able to create that so that you can understand it and follow it and have it be realistic. Because I know what it's like to be a busy mom.

I know what it's like to be on the go, and it's not always possible to get that aim of perfect macros every single day. And yes. I still eat pizza. I still eat the birthday cake. There are ways to make it, and this is where this podcast comes from, is this life of moderation because I'm not going to live my life and not enjoy it.

We are here for a very limited time, and I don't want to cut out the things that I enjoy. Can I indulge in every single day and still get the goals that I am shooting for? Probably not. But I have found a way for me and my body that works, that I can tune in and know. And I also know where I need to tweak my what my intake, my fitness, and things like that.

So same thing for you. Prioritize prior protein, prioritize water. But also know too that there are going to be times when you're going to prioritize the slice of pizza, and that's okay too. I'm here for that. So the important part of this is to put those non-negotiables in play though, so that you can have this just right plan, so that you can have the moderation and not feel guilty so that you can.

You know, have those few days of rest during your menstrual cycle and not feel like you're falling backwards. It's all about getting comfortable and understanding what that looks like for you. So just to recap, I just want to highlight that the goal is not a perfect body. The goal is not a perfect weight.

That the goal is not the perfect before and after photo. It is a body that feels good. And a life that feels balanced. And so this just right approach is about building that sustainability so that you can enjoy life and you can enjoy the relationship with your body. It doesn't have to be perfect, but you don't have to beat yourself up to get there either.

So I challenge you to try one of these strategies or implement as many as you feel is realistic. And I would love to hear your thoughts. I would love to hear where you are. And if you need additional help in like planning what that looks like for you, or you want to know more, you want to dive into. Figuring out that root cause and what your body is saying, and you want to know more about that, let me know.

I am here for you to support you, to guide you. And yes, I have things that I can offer, but I'm not here to sell to you. I am here to just give you the information I wish I had when I got started. Because we are giving so many conflicting messages, and they are, most of  them are coming from this all or nothing approach and it's, it's so overwhelming.

It's so frustrating when you feel like you're doing all the right things and yet. When at the end of the day, you're just like, but I'm not, I don't even know where to turn. I don't know what to do, and I know what that feels like. And so I am here to support that. I am here to just help answer questions or guide you in the right direction and give you resources, whatever it is that you feel you might need and maybe you have no clue.

And that's where I can come into and just step in and kind of hold your hand as we walk through this together. So. That's all I have for you today. I hope it was helpful, and I look forward to seeing you back next week.