The Secret to Living a Vibrant Life

Hello my darlings, today I have a SUUUUUPER something special for you!

My lovely friend Nige has written a guest post for you that is about the secret to living a vibrant life. Nige is a personal trainer (a damn awesome personal trainer!) and in his post he ties in women's relationships with food + self love + happiness. So I think it's a perfect match for last week and this weeks topics - Body Love & Happiness.

Please give a warm welcome to Nige........ *clapclapclap*

There is an individual and collective mind virus sweeping through the western world at this current time that is leaving people paralysed with fear.

It’s called the Denial Virus.

Where I see the denial virus so prevalent is in my work with women, food and their relationships with their bodies.

Now, as a self-confessed kick ass personal trainer, I don’t always deliver a message that people want to hear. In fact, I sometimes get people’s backs up because I have the courage to speak out, breaking the cultural and societal taboos that say for example that we can‘t talk about women being overweight, that you're entitled to treat yourself to cake and biccies on a daily basis, and that it‘s perfectly acceptable for you to hump around far more weight than you ideally need to be.

Obesity is at an all time high, with children as young as two years old being classified as obese, yet we still continue to sweep the issue under the carpet like it’s just something that happens to other people, but not you.

The humongous slice of chocci cake, the sneaky mocha, the generous handful of potato chips, the naughty treat - they all add up. These seemingly insignificant choices quickly gather momentum and speed. Before you know it, you’ve been into three different patisseries, munching calorific goodies along the way… each one building on the next until finally you reach destination fatsville! I’m referring to sugar of the table variety that they often add to biccies, choccy, cakes, ice cream and fizzy drinks - the one that leaves you feeling sexy and free one minute and like a zombie the next.

It saddens me to see you doing this to yourself day after day, because I know that all this comfort eating keeps you from addressing a deeper wound - a childhood wound. Unfortunately, while we continue to avoid the issue, choosing instead to go about our day plastering over the cracks with sugary foods in the secret hope that someone will wave a magic wand and make it all go away.

It doesn't. The crazy cycle lives on.

What started out as an act of self love quickly spirals into a act of self sabotage.

When you eat to comfort yourself you are really hurting yourself.

I repeat: When you eat to comfort yourself you are really hurting yourself.

If these words hit you square in the stomach, perhaps its time you listened to your body, your intuition and that still, small voice - the one that’s whispering to have the green tea instead of the hot chocolate.

The bottom line is this: sugar addiction is utterly lethal. You can defend it till the cows come home but the fact remains that it is as addictive as crack cocaine and until you say no to it, you will continue to feel irritable, edgy and tired.

So, the purpose of this article is to help shine a light on how you can overcome this fear based addiction once and for all and take the positive action that is necessary to help you make lasting change to the way you think feel and look.

The first step to untangling this mess and feeling comfortable in your own skin is to first allow yourself to be where you are with all your flaws. I suggest that you stop whatever it is you are doing and take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror - not just a passing glance but a long, hard look. This is a sober moment between you and the reflection you see staring back at you. I want you to stop fighting with yourself, lay down your arms and surrender. Be where you are without doing anything. Just be with you.

When you look, ask yourself the following question: ”Can I honestly say, hand on heart, that I am entirely happy with the way I look and feel and with what I’m putting into my body on a daily basis?”

You don’t have to hide from the answer. Awareness, after all, is the first step to creating long-lasting change.

I encourage you to take a moment and no matter what you see, let yourself grieve for the part of you that seems like a distant memory. Beneath this apparent craving for sugar is a wounded girl who believes she is unlovable. Her deeper craving is for acknowledgement and love. You have to find the inner strength to reassure her and let her know that she is lovable and then do whatever it is that will help you take a step towards her rather than away from her.

Treat yourself with kindness, not food. Hold yourself. Then muster up all your courage that from this day forward, decide that you will do things differently - starting right now. Declare that you will take better care of yourself. No more excuses - it’s time to take action. Stopping sugar is one of the two most important things you can do in this life. The other is starting to train. This will lead you to a life that is lean, strong and vibrant.

Living a healthier lifestyle is a journey - when you first 'get clean', you may crave the sweet stuff but I just want to reassure you that it will pass - it's just a thought, and you don’t have to act on it.

Remember, the point of power is always in the present moment. You may stumble and fall but what really matters is how quickly you get back up and back on track. Breathe, relax, remind yourself that you are safe and loved and then make a healthier choice - one that is better suited to where you want to go.

It’s the small positive daily changes that we make to the way we think, eat and train that make all the difference. So, if you really want to see long lasting changes in the way you think, feel and look then you have to stop putting yourself last and start telling yourself that you matter.

The next time you are about to reach for the double choc chip muffin, stop yourself dead in your tracks - empower yourself, take a breath and watch your thoughts because it is only by doing this that you will free yourself from the clutches of the sugar monster. Facing your fears head-on is always empowering because there is only love waiting on the other side.

The most vibrant people I know have something in common. They are a pretty inspiring bunch, gentle yet brave, courageous yet surrendered, committed yet flexible, passionate yet receptive. These people don’t make excuses or justify why their lives are the way they are. They know that their lives are created from the inside out, and that creating inner vibrance is their number one priority.

The particular people I’m thinking of also have this in common: They don’t do refined sugar.

I wonder what you will choose today?

Love, Supernige

Biography: Nige's life is a rich tapestry of incredible stories that have shaped him as a trainer, an athlete and a man. He offers something as powerful as it is unique - personal fitness training, online courses and ebooks that will give you far more than just a transformed physique: he will give you your life back. He is also the creator of the motivational free weekly newsletter Kick A$$ Fridays.

[SIDENOTE: Wowwee! What an inspiring slap-in-the-face (but with love & kindness) post that was! I hope you got as much out of it as I did, and remember, all it takes to change is taking one small step in a different direction every day. Make sure to sign up to Nige's kick ass fridays newsletter - it is packed with incredible advice! Elise xo]