(FYI that is NOT Ruth in the photo….its some crazy lady who thinks balancing on a cliff edge is a good idea!!!)
We’re all looking for some sort of balance aren’t we? You know where we are healthy, doing a job that is fulfilling and fun and all that jazz.
But if you feel like your in a total and constant state of chaos then what does ‘balance’ actually look like? What does it look like to get healthy and actually transform your life and health?
Well, let’s find out!
Balance is not a formula, it’s not a dietary label, it’s about finding freedom to be and live the way you want to live. And one of my previous and fabulous clients Ruth is here to share with us her journey of finding balance and transforming not just her health but her whole mindset to her body, food and life. We worked together over a few months so that she could find her version of healthy and her version of balance.
So I will hand you over to Ruth and her fabulous story!
Hi all, I’m Ruth.
(Hi Ruth!!!)
I’m a life coach based just outside of Oxford. This, however, hasn’t always been the case. Only a year ago I was in a very different position. I was living in central London consulting on a busy project for a large local authority. The job included a long commute and a lot of stress on top of doing coaching training and planning my wedding. The stress and exhaustion that came with juggling that many balls meant I ate. A lot. A lot of bad stuff too. I got into the habit of going out for nice lunches at work to get away from the stress, and being too tired to cook when I finally got home.
By the time I got to my wedding I was exhausted and unhappy. It was the most magical day, as I have the most amazing friends, family and hubby, but there was an undercurrent of unhappiness.
How had I let it get this far?
This feeling of unhappiness is what led me to book one2one sessions. I had been reading Kezia’s blog for a time and had bought some of her e-books, but I had got to the point where I felt I needed support. Training as a coach taught me that support makes a big difference in your outcomes, so it was time to walk the talk. I wanted to lose weight and find balance in my diet.
When we started the sessions I was still in the process of stopping my consultancy, shutting down my business and moving out of London. Kezia listened fully to what was going on for me and tailored the advice to suit my situation. I’m a boom and bust person (take too much on, can’t do it all, then give up completely!) and having the conversation with Kezia gave me permission to step back, to not make changes to how I was eating. She also gave me some simple supplementation ideas that would be easy to implement around everything else.
At that point, we took a break until I was settled in Oxford. The additional sessions were informative and insightful. I did a lot of experimentation with periods dairy, wheat and alcohol-free, continued the supplements and kept a food diary.
Cutting out the alcohol made the biggest difference to weight loss; no wheat made my digestion feel so much better; dairy made no difference (thank god!) and being conscious of the number of treats I consumed in a week was eye opening, but these weren’t the biggest lessons I took away from the process.
The most insightful thing from the one2one sessions was the amount of pressure I put on myself and the need for self-forgiveness.
I’ve been on a ‘healthy eating’ journey now for years. I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome back at university and ever since then I have been interested in the impact diet has on energy and your body. Over that time, I’ve read a lot. My brain is crammed full of information about food, diets and healthy eating options. Having that knowledge became an increased pressure to ‘get it right’. And gaining weight and feeling exhausted whilst in London became a failure, increasing the pressure further. Working with Kezia helped me see that pressure was not helping. I’ve been practicing self-forgiveness since. I have to work at it every day, but it is getting easier. (Yay – well done Ruth!)
Working with Kezia has helped me reach the balance I was looking for.
Balance is what I am all about (it’s even in my business name – Ideal Balance Coaching!) so it is great to feel I am finally achieving it. For me, balance is about identifying what your needs and desires are, not what friends/family/society tell you they should be.
What I loved about the process was the knowledge Kezia bought to the table. Sure, I knew about all the supplements she recommended, but I didn’t have a clue on which ones to focus on or the best way to get them. I knew trying wheat free would be a good idea but didn’t know what replacements to use. Trying to figure this out on your own is overwhelming and the support is worth it just for that.
So where am I now? The weight is coming off slowly, it feels sustainable and I feel like I know more about myself for going through the process. What more could I ask for?
(Find out more about Ruth’s biz here)
Thanks Ruth! And if you want to heal your body and find your own balance, your own version of healthy then why not book your free 30-minute consultation with me to see if it is the right fit for you >>>> click here to find out more about working with me one2one
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