As I was working out this morning, I got really clear on some old hurts.

Memories of not feeling seen, loved, appreciated, and supported came back with full force.

I burst into tears and absolutely wept.

In the past, I’ve pushed down the emotions around these memories.

I did this because:

I felt expressing my emotions was unsafe and unvalued when I was a kid.

I became afraid of the emotions and I didn’t want to feel them, so I hid them well.

I “got” intellectually the spiritual concept that there is no need forgive because there are no mistakes. Every experience has value.

And this is absolutely true.

But this was still a way of covering up those old emotions—that were (and are) still there.

It covered up the fear that I am not valuable. I am not worth being seen. I am not lovable. People—and the very Universe—will not support me.

All of this is coming back up for me because I’m stepping out in a new and big way with this blog, with my business—in my life.

And that little girl inside me has been throwing a fit.

She has been letting me know with everything she has that this is Not Safe.

She has been trying to prove to me that:

• It is not safe to be seen.
• That I am not appreciated.
• That I am not loved.
• That I am not supported.

She has been saying, “Look, here is the evidence.”

• The lack of comments and feedback on this blog is evidence.
• Missed appointments and unfulfilled expectations with a mentor is evidence.
• Not getting the support I asked for from a group is evidence.

The list goes on and on.

But of course these things are playing out this way.

This does not prove that I am not seen, loved, appreciated, and supported.

It proves the Law of Attraction.

Like energy attracts like energy. So if I have this very active fear about those things, I will attract life experiences that shore up those beliefs.

To get a different experience, I have to change. Me. Moi.

I have to:

• Allow myself to fully feel those emotions.
• Forgive all those whose words or actions fed into my feeling that way.
• Be vulnerable—with my husband, family, and friends, and even with you fabulous readers.
• Be willing to ask for love and support.

And the 3 biggies:

• I have to trust that the love and support will come.
• I have to be OK if it comes in a different way than I expected or wanted.
• I have to acknowledge the love and support when it does come.

So this morning, I responded differently.

As the emotions came up, instead of stifling them and just powering through my workout, I stopped and did a great job of allowing myself to fully feel them.

And I acknowledge that the Universe responded right away with support.

David unexpectedly came upstairs to get a shirt out of the closet.

At first, I stifled my emotions. I thought I would wait till he went back downstairs to resume my crying.

But instead, I asked for the support I needed.

As he held me, the tears came back and I allowed myself to be vulnerable.

And I asked him to remind me over the next week that I am seen, loved, appreciated, and supported.

So what does this have to do with you and the weight you want to lose?

Because it is your old unacknowledged, feelings, thoughts, and beliefs that are at the root of your actions. They are how you are unknowingly sabotaging your weight loss.

That old feeling of not being supported has absolutely sent me to the refrigerator in the past.

Often, we try to soothe those scary and uncomfortable feelings with food.

And it works! For a very little while.

And then we feel bad about ourselves. We feel guilty.

You don’t want to feel that way either, so you head back to the fridge. An unhealthy spiral develops.

Emotions like not feeling supported can be at the root of giving up on your diet and exercise program.

• It makes the action just too darn hard.
• It undermines your confidence in yourself.
• It leads to the belief that you are somehow flawed, or that you just can’t do it, so why even try?

The inner work is the key to releasing the weight for good!

The bad news–if you want to call it that–is you never get “done” doing the inner work.

But the good news is that it gets easier. You become braver. You recognize that the fear of the emotions is worse than just allowing yourself to feel and move through them.

And the rewards for moving through them are amazing! Life becomes more fun and joyful! You love yourself fully. Releasing and maintaining your weight gets easier and becomes something you want to do.

You break the rebound weight-gain cycle for good.

And I know that’s what you really want.

I would like to ask something from you readers.

If you get value from these blogs, would you please let me know? Either send me an email or even better, leave a comment that might encourage another reader.

Also, would you share the messages that are meaningful to you with your family and friends?

My intention is to benefit as many women as possible and to spread the message that it’s time for women to release body shame. And I need your help to do that.

Please help me reach other women who are in pain and need to discover a new way to get the body they want.

I so appreciate you fabulous readers! You are seen, loved, appreciated, and supported.

Together we can do it!