I Really Just Can’t Be Bothered With Getting Fit and Healthy!

by | General, MAGIC Living, Nature Calls, Real Life Stories | 0 comments

Why January is the Wrong Time of Year to be Trying so Hard 

 

Sabrina says:  

Hi Chinmayi,

 

I still have sugar cravings left over from Christmas. I’m trying, but I don’t seem to be able to cut sugar out as easily as I did before the holidays. 

 

My energy levels and enthusiasm are just not there. I know I want to get back to yoga, take walks in nature and start my healthy eating again, but I just can’t seem to do it! 

 

The weather is so cold and miserable. When I get in from work, all I want to do is curl up on the sofa after a carbohydrate feast and watch TV. I just don’t want to go anywhere in the evening. 

 

How am I ever going to find the motivation and energy I need to be successful with your book? 

 

I keep seeing adverts for detox diets and shakes and I feel so tempted to give myself a shock back to a healthier routine. 

 

Please help! 

 

Sabrina 

Chinmayi Replies: 

 

This is a Familiar Routine 

Thank you for being so honest. I have so many clients that I know are struggling with motivation at this time of year. 

You are not alone in this familiar routine of looking out for a new plan, method or diet to give us a fresh approach to a healthier routine. I write about this in BodyMAGIC! in Chapter 12 – The Novelty Factor. But it’s only going to soothe your curious mind for a while. The only promise with any of these offers is a reduction in your wallet, not your waistline. So please, don’t do it! 

Firstly, please know that you got hooked back on sugar with only one or two days of consumption. You can get off it again with only one or two days of abstention. When the cravings come, satisfy with fresh fruit, dates, nuts and nut butters, muesli, rice milk or a small piece of dark chocolate – but only when you get a craving. Clear your cupboards of all white sugar products, milk chocolate, desserts, puddings, biscuits, and cakes. Their time has been and gone for the foreseeable!  

Secondly, honor your mood and attitude at this time. It is perfectly normal to feel lifeless at this time of year.

You are attuned to nature!

Really until mid-February, depending on where you live, nature is asleep or resting. So you are trying to push against nature!

Spring is called so for a reason! Resting now can mean allowing yourself to rejuvenate and revive your energy stores for Spring – the most energetic season of all! In nature, nothing moves or grows faster than in Spring. Perhaps you can bear that in mind now. 

Rest and Restore More 

That doesn’t mean doing nothing at all when the urge to rest passes, even momentarily. If you feel like going out for a walk when the sun is shining, do it! I’m sure like the best of us, you still have commitments for your family, friends, and work that you can’t just ignore. But be prepared to feel more tired at this time. It’s why we have long dark nights and shorter days. We’re supposed to rest more and restore. 
Don’t neglect your self-care but make short-term adjustments where necessary. 

Perhaps focus on more relaxation than spinning.  

More yoga than Zumba (hope you are getting a general idea).  

If you are a member of a gym and you don’t feel like your usual workout, how about going for a swim and sauna or steam instead? Soothe. Replenish. Nurture is the order. 

And….Relax!!! 

Ask yourself if you really know how to relax. Most of us don’t, actually!  

Relaxation is not sleeping. It’s not sharing a bottle of wine with your bestie or watching TV.  

Relaxation is an art. It involves consciously connecting with the body, without distraction and letting go of tension. It’s not even meditation. Meditation is rarely relaxing! 

Believe it or not, when you relax, you create the right environment for weight loss. You trigger the Relaxation Response which sends thousands of lovely messages throughout your beautiful brain to allow endorphins to flow.  

The opposite is the Stress Response – where your brain is in a state of emergency. Here you produce adrenaline and cortisol which tells your clever but defensive body to put layers of fat around your middle to protect your organs. Hmmmm, which would you prefer? 

For more information, read BodyMAGIC! Chapter 13 – Stress and the Mind. You’ll be amazed at how clever your mind and body are in keeping you alive and well! 

You can find out more about Chinmayi’s best-selling book:  

BodyMAGIC! – a Happy Ending to Binge and Emotional Eating HERE.   

There’s FREE access to several practices including yoga, meditation, and relaxation (Yoga Nidra). 

Or why not help yourself to a FREE Breakthrough Session with Chinmayi herself? You can book that easily HERE. 

If you have a question or want to share some of your experience with BodyMAGIC! please email chinmayi@chinmayimagic.com. Chinmayi will answer as many of these as possible publicly so that everyone can benefit. Your name will be changed unless you express otherwise.

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