Self-Love = Self=Care

THIS YEAR IS ALL ABOUT YOU! You need to nurture yourself emotionally, physically, spiritually, and mentally, and it starts NOW! I hope you're excited to hear that and are ready to put in the work. It's a shame we often neglect ourselves and expect to be superwomen for everyone else. When it comes to us, it can wait, but with others, we are willing to serve a pound of our flesh to ensure their wellbeing. Starting this month, we are intentionally working our way to living a well rounded life by focusing on our health, our relationships, and our prayer life. You will receive these tips in three separate blogs called "HEALTH IS WEALTH, PRAYER CIRCLE, and RELATIONSHIP WORKS". You can not care for yourself if you do not love yourself. Loving yourself is also impossible without discovering God's love for you. Follow me on instagram where I will post self-care goals for the month. LET'S GET TO IT!

March is Women's History Month and there is no better time to intentionally put self first. This month as we embark on our subtle but important health journey, we want to acknowledge our excitement for starting something new, our fear of not being able to complete the tasks, and our hope of staying consistent. These emotions keep us intentional.

Let's admit, the hardest change to make is what we eat because it gives us comfort. Trying to take away comfort from us puts us in distress, and without discipline, we quit. Our goal is to stay consistent with the little changes we make so they become longterm habits. So what are we doing for march?

MARCH GOAL 1 - REDUCE PORTION SIZE

What did you say?! Yep you heard me. This month we will focus on reducing our portion sizes with whatever we eat while still eating the things we love to eat. I'll suggest you cut your portion in half if you can, if not, you can gradually reduce starting now and by the end of the month you can reduce to the amount you desire. As easy as it may sound, it may be difficult for many people because when you're eating your favorite ice cream, you do not want to eat half of what you would normally eat. That's not satisfying, but that's loving yourself and putting health first!

Why is portion control important?

Portion control is the amount of food you put on your plate to eat and serving size is the exact amount recommended for you to eat. Portion control is important because it plays a major role in the amount of calories we take in daily. We also know that if we take in more calories than we burn off, we WILL gain weight. Intentionally filling up your plate because the food is good shows no self love or discipline and definitely isn't a self care practice. make a conscious decision today to eat less of what you love and start now. Remember to pray for the strength to remain consistent.

Tips for success

Write this as a goal in your Personal Development Planner under success habits and check it off daily if you intentionally controlled your portion
Serve in a plate what you would normally eat, measure it to help you know the amount, and then cut it down to a realistic amount you can eat without complaining then measure your realistic amount. Keep your realistic measurement so you can use that every time you serve yourself without always cutting your food down before you eat. This will help you mentally.
It may be helpful for you to weigh yourself before starting, for reference, and you can compare your weight at the end of the year if followed through. If weighing yourself puts pressure on you to weigh frequently then do not weigh. The goal is to remove external or mental pressure that leads to quitting. We are learning and implementing habits that puts us first without the added pressure.
Drink water if you do not feel full and give yourself 10-15 mins for your food to settle before going for seconds or quitting
If you do go for seconds, remember to eat only healthier options then.

Follow me on instagram for more tips and motivation during the month

@growwith_maryann and @woman_of_purpose_2021

Share your progress, challenges, and experiences on your stories and tag me in them. Use hashtag #healthiswealth. If you're not in WOP Facebook group Join now for more support.

Purchase your Woman Purpose Personal Development Planner now to help you stay organized and closer to God.