Like food, there’s no “right” or “sane” way to exercise (or NOT to exercise) — but there are sane ways to think about exercise…

and the difference usually has to do with our emotional attachment to doing things a certain way, rather than accepting ourselves for who we are regardless of how we may or may not work out that day.

If you feel like shit about yourself as a person when you don’t satisfy the exercise regime that you deem “acceptable” (e.g. I’m a lazy, disgusting pig who clearly sucks at life because I can’t even get off my couch to work out),

OR

you feel anxious when you don’t work out (e.g. omgomgomg if I don’t work out all hell will break loose, I’ll gain weight forever, and die alone in my apartment surrounded by rats and pigeons),

you’re probably pretty emotionally attached to exercise…which is likely a recipe for crazy-town (i.e. frustration, self-criticism, and their associated behaviors with food).

Now I’ve mentioned this “emotionally attached” thing before (specifically in the Stop Fighting Food free video training series that I’m re-launching in September, sign up here if you haven’t already seen it!

But let’s get real honest for a second,
most people are emotionally attached to their food and exercise looking a certain way,
because they’re emotionally attached to their bodies looking a certain way, and they believe they can control their bodies through working out…

which for most people has the following implications for their exercise habits:

exercise that is primarily motivated by hopes of weight control will likely trigger diet-mentality craziness and all of the rebellious behaviors associated with it.  

The best suggestion I can give to women struggling with “feeling crazy” around exercise, is to check your motivations —

Are you working out to make your body feel physically well, to take the stress off or because athletics are really fun for you? OR are you working out in the hopes of shaving off 5lbs, or because you ate “too much” that day, or because you don’t like yourself the way you are?

The latter is likely gonna backfire, primarily because you’re setting exercise up as a source of self-criticism and judgement, rather than nourishment, self-care and enjoyment.

Or, to put it another way, you’re attaching your self-esteem to what you do, rather than who you are. #unsustainable.  

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