Bricks in Our Backpacks…

Years ago, as a young mother, I spoke to a lady about a parenting decision my husband and I were facing. I was feeling unsure that we were making the right choice. She asked me, “What are you basing your decision on?” I shared that we were basing our decision on the way we were parented. “The way my husband and I were raised, I guess?” I doubted myself because of my experiences growing up. Instead of trusting my instincts, I was reflecting back on things I’d read in parenting books, how my parents raised me, and how I saw other family members treating their children.

She looked at me and said, “Donna, that is a brick in the backpack of life, and it’s weighing you down. There’s no right or wrong answer except the one that fits you best. Free yourself of that brick, stop worrying about it, and do what you know is right for your family right now.”

And you know what? She was right. I think of that conversation often and how freeing it was to take her advice. The decision we made fit our family perfectly. Since this conversation, this concept has been my guiding light. Now, I want to pass on that wisdom in hopes it frees someone else from their bricks too.

The Metaphor of Bricks in Our Backpacks

"Bricks in our Backpack of Life" is a metaphor that refers to the burdens or obstacles we carry through life. Just as a heavy backpack full of bricks would slow us down and make it difficult to move forward, the metaphor suggests that life experiences, beliefs, self-doubt, and other challenges can weigh us down and impede our progress.

I think this also pertains to the choices we make when it comes to our health.

The Health Bricks We Carry

What has often been modeled by our parents and grandparents, taken in subconsciously by the media and dieting trends, can develop into bricks in our backpack when it comes to our health. As a child, I remember my mom and my aunts discussing the latest ideas to lose weight, which included appetite suppressants, drinking shakes, endless hours of exercise, eating only vegetables or soup, even hypnosis.

Do you have those memories too? Can you identify with any of these bricks? The low-fat craze of the 90s, low carbs or no carbs, counting calories, tracking points, working out for hours, fasting, meal replacements, or prepackaged meals delivered to your home. Maybe you could even add to this list?

When we look back at all the diets we’ve attempted and failed at, we then add to our backpack the bricks of shame, guilt, frustration, and feelings of despair.

Freeing Ourselves from the Bricks

What if we could free ourselves of the bricks that slow us down and stand in the way of being healthy and making positive changes to our health? It’s possible—I know it is because I have done it, and you can too.

Diets are set up to fail us. They restrict us from enjoying the foods we love, the life we want to experience, feeling good in our own skin, living in optimal health, and so much more. This restriction is designed so that you fail and just keep coming back. Ever wondered how the diet industry has become a multi-billion dollar industry? Well, there you go!

How to Remove the Bricks

So how do we rid ourselves of something so ingrained in us, those bricks we often ignore that keep us from obtaining optimal health and wellness? I’m glad you asked.

Learning how to fuel your body with real food (a protein, fat, and carb at every meal) and creating trust with your body will help free you from the bricks known as the “dieting culture.” Understanding that food is not good or bad but rather purely fuel for the body is a mindset shift we have to take in order to live a freer life. Food provides the energy and stamina our bodies need and crave to sustain us. Why would we deprive ourselves of it?

By fueling your body and creating that trust, your body will begin to release weight, retain and build lean muscle mass, and improve your overall quality of life. You can learn how to bring about real sustainable change to your lifestyle.

Breaking Down Our Habits

When we learn about how our habits, thoughts, and behaviors around food infiltrate what types of food we eat, why we eat, and when we eat, we can get a better understanding of how to change and enter our next phase with a healthy and clear mindset. It’s time to break down our habits so we can remove those bricks of guilt and frustration and transform them into pillars of hope and transformation.

Stable Blood Sugar

By eating a protein, fat, and carb at every meal, our blood sugar stays stable. When blood sugar is stable, the body begins to trust that it will no longer be deprived and starts to release fat into the bloodstream. Our muscles then absorb the fat and burn it as energy. Our muscles are well protected, build lean muscle mass, and lean muscle mass creates a faster metabolism.

Ready for Change?

Are you ready to rid yourself of all the dieting bricks in your backpack and free yourself of all things food—physically, cognitively, and emotionally? I’d love to show you how I’ve done it and how others before me have. Let’s work together for the next three months and learn how to take the dieting bricks out of your backpack, lighten your load, and walk freely as a healthier, happier, and empowered you!