Kerisma Vere's Blog
October 9, 2025
From Critic to Compassionate Ally — The story of The Light Switch Myth
Kerisma Vere’s journey to wellness was not a straight line. Like many, she struggled with an inner critic that constantly undermined her efforts. “You’re not good enough,” “You’ll never change.” “You have to get it perfect.” These were the harsh words she battled daily in her younger years. . However, rather than letting these thoughts define her, Kerisma chose to challenge them. Through more than a decade of dedicated work on the relationship she has with herself , She learned to transform her inner critic into an inner coach. Today, as author of The Light Switch Myth: A Beginner’s Guide to Realistic and Sustainable Change and founder of Towards Wellness Coaching , Kerisma helps others do the same by embracing a gentler, more compassionate approach to change and to themselves.
The Path to Coaching and Writing
Kerisma’s journey to coaching and writing was shaped by her struggles with self-criticism and the pursuit of personal growth. She learned that traditional self-improvement methods, focused on willpower and discipline, often create shame and guilt rather than lasting change. She discovered that true transformation begins with self-compassion. Shifting from harsh self-criticism to compassionate encouragement made change more accessible and enjoyable. This shift helped sustain the behaviors that lead to lasting results. Compelled to share her insights, Kerisma wrote The Light Switch Myth, challenging the quick-fix mentality and advocating for a sustainable approach to change, addressing the deeper components that hinder lasting transformation.
A Unique Perspective on Personal Transformation
Her personal experiences laid the groundwork for her coaching practice. Kerisma draws from over 55 years of lived experience, 35 years of working with skilled counselors and coaches, and more than a decade of wellness coaching, to offer a unique perspective on personal transformation. She emphasizes that change doesn’t come from forcing oneself to be better but from learning to be kind to oneself throughout the process.
“We need to meet ourselves where we are at and offer ourselves a helping hand to be able to create change from a place that is meaningful and will last. Coming down hard on ourselves or pressuring ourselves to be someone or somewhere we are not yet, only makes our struggle more painful and results in less progress not more.”
The Power of Compassion
In working with others and in healing aspects of her own past, Kerisma noticed a recurring theme: harsh self-judgment and unrealistic and impossible expectations we place on ourselves. She realized that almost all of us have this inner critic and that despite a culture that teaches us to be strict and demanding of ourselves that it always works against us.. Perhaps “cracking the whip” or “shoulding” ourselves will work in the short term but it always backfires and leads to bigger and longer lasting setbacks. Showing ourselves patience, understanding, and compassion towards the things we want for ourselves and the struggles we face in trying to achieve them helps us keep going and promotes progress. Kerisma recognized that the ways many of us had been taught to approach change was in fact the real root of the difficulty and repeated experiences of failure most people faced. Through her own trial and error she confirmed that leaders such as Brene Brown, Tara Brach, and Dr Kristen Neff were in fact providing a much more successful model of personal growth, transformation, quality of life and yes even creating change. She began incorporating these principles into her work, and her private life, guiding her clients to embrace a softer, more patient approach to personal growth. She wants anyone who doubts that being nice to yourself works better than being hard on yourself to know…it really does.
Coaching Philosophy: More Than Perfection
Kerisma’s coaching isn’t about achieving perfection. It’s about showing up for oneself, even when progress seems slow. It’s about working to develop a kinder, more unconditional, more supportive, and more attuned relationship with yourself. This naturally creates a foundation from which how we approach and sustain change brings about more meaning and more engagement, ultimately leading to less internal struggle and a more rewarding experience of engaging in the behaviours required to meet our goals. This philosophy is the cornerstone of The Light Switch Myth, which encourages readers to move from self-criticism to self-support by taking a closer look within.
“Creating a kinder, more compassionate relationship to self in tandem with aligning our goals to our values and the things that are important to us deep down, while adjusting day to day based on the information and feedback our internal world embodies and gives us, is in my opinion the true recipe for realistic and sustainable change.” excerpt from The Light Switch Myth Chapter 9
The Trauma-Informed Approach
Kerisma understands the impact of unacknowledged trauma and the frustration of generic self-help plans that didn’t fit her needs. For years, she struggled with self-blame and tried to force herself into methods that didn’t align with her experience. In her late 40s, she began working with a trauma-informed counselor, which deeply influenced her approach to coaching.
Now, Kerisma advocates for trauma-informed practices in wellness, addiction, recovery, and mental health services, believing they are essential for meaningful change. She recognizes that simply telling someone with a trauma history what to do can lead to further struggles. People must be met where they are, embracing their full histories and wounds.
Her coaching creates a safe space for clients to set personalized goals and address the emotional scars of past experiences. In The Light Switch Myth, Kerisma integrates trauma-informed practices, offering tools and insights for self-compassion, healing, and sustainable transformation.
A Commitment to Integrity and Accessibility
Kerisma’s approach to coaching stands out because of her commitment to integrity and compassion. She doesn’t promise quick fixes or guarantees. Instead, she empowers individuals to uncover their own answers and create change on their own terms. Her work is rooted in the belief that true wellness is about building a positive relationship with oneself, and this relationship requires respect, patience, and self-compassion. When we learn how to support and respond to ourselves with the same kind of compassion, encouragement, and unconditional love, many of us have always naturally offered others, we become our own best resource for navigating the ups and downs and twists and turns that lasting change involves.
Kerisma also believes in making her services accessible to vulnerable populations, ensuring that her approach is inclusive. She has created an integrity and accessibility policy to support individuals who may not have the resources to access traditional wellness services. This commitment to accessibility is part of what makes her approach unique and effective.
The Power of Vulnerability
Kerisma’s authenticity is one of her greatest strengths. She doesn’t present herself as someone who has all the answers, but rather as someone who has walked the difficult path of healing and transformation, a journey that continues even now. She shares her struggles and triumphs openly while encouraging others to learn to acknowledge them within themselves. Her writing and coaching are grounded in this authenticity, reminding others that healing is a personal, non-linear journey. She has long believed that when people have the courage to share openly and honestly we move to transform the stereotypes and harmful misinformation that has left many of us feeling alone and misunderstood. We begin to reshape the conversation to be more inclusive, compassionate, and helpful. But she also knows the importance of discerning with whom and to what extent as a means of ensuring continued safety in a world that is not always as receptive as we may want it to be.
The Core Message of The Light Switch Myth
In her book, The Light Switch Myth, Kerisma shows readers that meaningful change isn’t about perfection, not even about progress. It’s about learning to love ourselves for who we are in this moment and thus change becomes a hope for ourselves and not a condition of self worth. It’s about learning to accept and support ourselves unconditionally, even in moments of difficulty. Particularly in moments of difficulty. This is the core message she hopes to impart to anyone who feels stuck or overwhelmed or just plain tired of being mean to themselves. Her message, one that comes from personal experience, it is possible to create a softer place to land within.
The Path to Coaching and Writing
Kerisma’s journey to coaching and writing was shaped by her struggles with self-criticism and the pursuit of personal growth. She learned that traditional self-improvement methods, focused on willpower and discipline, often create shame and guilt rather than lasting change. She discovered that true transformation begins with self-compassion. Shifting from harsh self-criticism to compassionate encouragement made change more accessible and enjoyable. This shift helped sustain the behaviors that lead to lasting results. Compelled to share her insights, Kerisma wrote The Light Switch Myth, challenging the quick-fix mentality and advocating for a sustainable approach to change, addressing the deeper components that hinder lasting transformation.
A Unique Perspective on Personal Transformation
Her personal experiences laid the groundwork for her coaching practice. Kerisma draws from over 55 years of lived experience, 35 years of working with skilled counselors and coaches, and more than a decade of wellness coaching, to offer a unique perspective on personal transformation. She emphasizes that change doesn’t come from forcing oneself to be better but from learning to be kind to oneself throughout the process.
“We need to meet ourselves where we are at and offer ourselves a helping hand to be able to create change from a place that is meaningful and will last. Coming down hard on ourselves or pressuring ourselves to be someone or somewhere we are not yet, only makes our struggle more painful and results in less progress not more.”
The Power of Compassion
In working with others and in healing aspects of her own past, Kerisma noticed a recurring theme: harsh self-judgment and unrealistic and impossible expectations we place on ourselves. She realized that almost all of us have this inner critic and that despite a culture that teaches us to be strict and demanding of ourselves that it always works against us.. Perhaps “cracking the whip” or “shoulding” ourselves will work in the short term but it always backfires and leads to bigger and longer lasting setbacks. Showing ourselves patience, understanding, and compassion towards the things we want for ourselves and the struggles we face in trying to achieve them helps us keep going and promotes progress. Kerisma recognized that the ways many of us had been taught to approach change was in fact the real root of the difficulty and repeated experiences of failure most people faced. Through her own trial and error she confirmed that leaders such as Brene Brown, Tara Brach, and Dr Kristen Neff were in fact providing a much more successful model of personal growth, transformation, quality of life and yes even creating change. She began incorporating these principles into her work, and her private life, guiding her clients to embrace a softer, more patient approach to personal growth. She wants anyone who doubts that being nice to yourself works better than being hard on yourself to know…it really does.
Coaching Philosophy: More Than Perfection
Kerisma’s coaching isn’t about achieving perfection. It’s about showing up for oneself, even when progress seems slow. It’s about working to develop a kinder, more unconditional, more supportive, and more attuned relationship with yourself. This naturally creates a foundation from which how we approach and sustain change brings about more meaning and more engagement, ultimately leading to less internal struggle and a more rewarding experience of engaging in the behaviours required to meet our goals. This philosophy is the cornerstone of The Light Switch Myth, which encourages readers to move from self-criticism to self-support by taking a closer look within.
“Creating a kinder, more compassionate relationship to self in tandem with aligning our goals to our values and the things that are important to us deep down, while adjusting day to day based on the information and feedback our internal world embodies and gives us, is in my opinion the true recipe for realistic and sustainable change.” excerpt from The Light Switch Myth Chapter 9
The Trauma-Informed Approach
Kerisma understands the impact of unacknowledged trauma and the frustration of generic self-help plans that didn’t fit her needs. For years, she struggled with self-blame and tried to force herself into methods that didn’t align with her experience. In her late 40s, she began working with a trauma-informed counselor, which deeply influenced her approach to coaching.
Now, Kerisma advocates for trauma-informed practices in wellness, addiction, recovery, and mental health services, believing they are essential for meaningful change. She recognizes that simply telling someone with a trauma history what to do can lead to further struggles. People must be met where they are, embracing their full histories and wounds.
Her coaching creates a safe space for clients to set personalized goals and address the emotional scars of past experiences. In The Light Switch Myth, Kerisma integrates trauma-informed practices, offering tools and insights for self-compassion, healing, and sustainable transformation.
A Commitment to Integrity and Accessibility
Kerisma’s approach to coaching stands out because of her commitment to integrity and compassion. She doesn’t promise quick fixes or guarantees. Instead, she empowers individuals to uncover their own answers and create change on their own terms. Her work is rooted in the belief that true wellness is about building a positive relationship with oneself, and this relationship requires respect, patience, and self-compassion. When we learn how to support and respond to ourselves with the same kind of compassion, encouragement, and unconditional love, many of us have always naturally offered others, we become our own best resource for navigating the ups and downs and twists and turns that lasting change involves.
Kerisma also believes in making her services accessible to vulnerable populations, ensuring that her approach is inclusive. She has created an integrity and accessibility policy to support individuals who may not have the resources to access traditional wellness services. This commitment to accessibility is part of what makes her approach unique and effective.
The Power of Vulnerability
Kerisma’s authenticity is one of her greatest strengths. She doesn’t present herself as someone who has all the answers, but rather as someone who has walked the difficult path of healing and transformation, a journey that continues even now. She shares her struggles and triumphs openly while encouraging others to learn to acknowledge them within themselves. Her writing and coaching are grounded in this authenticity, reminding others that healing is a personal, non-linear journey. She has long believed that when people have the courage to share openly and honestly we move to transform the stereotypes and harmful misinformation that has left many of us feeling alone and misunderstood. We begin to reshape the conversation to be more inclusive, compassionate, and helpful. But she also knows the importance of discerning with whom and to what extent as a means of ensuring continued safety in a world that is not always as receptive as we may want it to be.
The Core Message of The Light Switch Myth
In her book, The Light Switch Myth, Kerisma shows readers that meaningful change isn’t about perfection, not even about progress. It’s about learning to love ourselves for who we are in this moment and thus change becomes a hope for ourselves and not a condition of self worth. It’s about learning to accept and support ourselves unconditionally, even in moments of difficulty. Particularly in moments of difficulty. This is the core message she hopes to impart to anyone who feels stuck or overwhelmed or just plain tired of being mean to themselves. Her message, one that comes from personal experience, it is possible to create a softer place to land within.
September 25, 2025
The Hundred Acre Wood Mood Index
🌲💫💛The Hundred Acre Mood Index
(A playful way to name the feels)
🐯 Tigger
Bouncy, full of energy (sometimes too much), impulsive, high-spirited, maybe a bit scattered or overwhelming to yourself or others.
🐴 Eeyore
Low mood, sadness, exhaustion, feeling forgotten or “meh.” Everything feels a little grey. Still quietly loyal and deeply feeling.
🐷 Piglet
Anxious, tender, needing reassurance. Sensitive to others’ moods. Brave in small ways. Wants to feel safe and loved.
🦘 Roo
Playful, curious, emotionally open. May need extra structure or grounding, but brings lightness and heart to the day.
🐰 Rabbit
Controlling, overthinking, managing everything but a bit wound-up. Often productive, but easily overwhelmed and rigid.
🦉 Owl
Verbose, reflective, wise on the outside — but possibly disconnected from emotion. Processing mentally more than somatically.
🧺 Kanga
Grounded, nurturing, motherly. Calm presence, gentle protector. Focused on care — for self or others.
🐻 Pooh
Seeking comfort, craving sweetness (literal or emotional). Maybe a bit foggy or distracted. Heart-centered. Often gets stuck. Still lovable.
🌳 Stuck in the Honey Tree
Overdid it. Got in too deep. Feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or in need of help getting back to balance. May have ignored signs until too late.
🧒 Christopher Robin
Wise, centered, compassionate leader of the inner world. Brings reassurance, insight, and integration to the others.
⸻
Use it however you like — daily check-in, group share, fridge magnet, or sticky note on your mirror. Even just saying, “I’m in a bit of an Eeyore/Piglet spiral, but Roo is trying to peek out,” is a way to meet yourself with honesty and gentleness.
For me, I rotate through on a daily and moment to moment basis.... Today I think I am firmly planted in my Christopher Robin self-holding space and compassion for all the others!
Do you have any fun ways of working with your parts/feelings/moods? Would love to hear what they are or how this index resonates with you.
Come on peeps....tell me how you felt today or right now! 💜
Kerisma Vere
(A playful way to name the feels)
🐯 Tigger
Bouncy, full of energy (sometimes too much), impulsive, high-spirited, maybe a bit scattered or overwhelming to yourself or others.
🐴 Eeyore
Low mood, sadness, exhaustion, feeling forgotten or “meh.” Everything feels a little grey. Still quietly loyal and deeply feeling.
🐷 Piglet
Anxious, tender, needing reassurance. Sensitive to others’ moods. Brave in small ways. Wants to feel safe and loved.
🦘 Roo
Playful, curious, emotionally open. May need extra structure or grounding, but brings lightness and heart to the day.
🐰 Rabbit
Controlling, overthinking, managing everything but a bit wound-up. Often productive, but easily overwhelmed and rigid.
🦉 Owl
Verbose, reflective, wise on the outside — but possibly disconnected from emotion. Processing mentally more than somatically.
🧺 Kanga
Grounded, nurturing, motherly. Calm presence, gentle protector. Focused on care — for self or others.
🐻 Pooh
Seeking comfort, craving sweetness (literal or emotional). Maybe a bit foggy or distracted. Heart-centered. Often gets stuck. Still lovable.
🌳 Stuck in the Honey Tree
Overdid it. Got in too deep. Feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or in need of help getting back to balance. May have ignored signs until too late.
🧒 Christopher Robin
Wise, centered, compassionate leader of the inner world. Brings reassurance, insight, and integration to the others.
⸻
Use it however you like — daily check-in, group share, fridge magnet, or sticky note on your mirror. Even just saying, “I’m in a bit of an Eeyore/Piglet spiral, but Roo is trying to peek out,” is a way to meet yourself with honesty and gentleness.
For me, I rotate through on a daily and moment to moment basis.... Today I think I am firmly planted in my Christopher Robin self-holding space and compassion for all the others!
Do you have any fun ways of working with your parts/feelings/moods? Would love to hear what they are or how this index resonates with you.
Come on peeps....tell me how you felt today or right now! 💜
Kerisma Vere
Nutrition: Practical Strategies to eat better
“Finding Your Fit: A Balanced Approach to Nutrition”
Nutrition isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey. True wellness comes from finding a sustainable balance between quality of nutrition, price, taste, emotional connection, and ease of use — all tailored to your real-life needs. Here’s what a balanced approach to each of these categories can look like:
⸻
🧪 Quality of Nutrition:
Choose products that offer high-quality protein, fiber, vitamins, or whole ingredients — but don’t stress if every item isn’t perfectly “clean.” Balance comes from nutrient density over time, not from obsessing over a single label. A 7/10 quality product you use consistently often serves you better than a 10/10 option you can’t stick with.
⸻
💰 Price:
Wellness doesn’t need to break the bank. Look for items that give good value per serving, and don’t be afraid to mix premium products with more affordable ones. Shopping sales, buying in bulk, or rotating products helps keep nutrition sustainable and accessible — because the best choice is one you can keep making.
⸻
😋 Taste:
If it doesn’t taste good, it won’t last. Flavor matters — especially in staples like protein shakes or snacks you consume daily. Choose options you look forward to, and feel free to add spices, cocoa, fruit, or coffee to make them your own. Enjoyment is part of nourishment.
⸻
💛 Emotional Connection:
Sometimes a food soothes your nervous system, reminds you of safety, or simply helps you feel cared for. That matters too. A single slice of comfort sourdough or a bedtime yogurt bowl may serve you emotionally in ways that support long-term consistency and healing. Food isn’t just fuel — it’s connection, memory, and grounding.
⸻
🧩 Ease of Use:
The best food is the one you’ll actually prepare and eat. Prioritize convenience when needed — pre-washed greens, frozen berries, ready-to-drink protein, or simple recipes that don’t overwhelm. Especially during stressful periods, simplicity can make or break consistency.
⸻
In the end, it’s not about perfection. It’s about creating a system that supports your goals while honoring your life, body, and capacity. Flexibility is the foundation of sustainable nutrition.
My new book does not directly tackle any one specific lifestyle goal but instead provides strategies and approaches you can apply to any area you are seeking to create positive change . My work around nutrition, fitness, and weight loss lend themselves into my beliefs, personal practices, and coaching. I continue to experience personal change in ways that are sustainable, progressive, and both rewarding and enjoyable. The Light Switch Myth lays the foundation for creating this type of relationship towards growth and change .
Read more
of my insights and experiences with wellness and change in my Facebook Support group, (a no-sales, safe community) Towards Wellness. You can find it here or message me for an invite.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/46833...
Nutrition isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey. True wellness comes from finding a sustainable balance between quality of nutrition, price, taste, emotional connection, and ease of use — all tailored to your real-life needs. Here’s what a balanced approach to each of these categories can look like:
⸻
🧪 Quality of Nutrition:
Choose products that offer high-quality protein, fiber, vitamins, or whole ingredients — but don’t stress if every item isn’t perfectly “clean.” Balance comes from nutrient density over time, not from obsessing over a single label. A 7/10 quality product you use consistently often serves you better than a 10/10 option you can’t stick with.
⸻
💰 Price:
Wellness doesn’t need to break the bank. Look for items that give good value per serving, and don’t be afraid to mix premium products with more affordable ones. Shopping sales, buying in bulk, or rotating products helps keep nutrition sustainable and accessible — because the best choice is one you can keep making.
⸻
😋 Taste:
If it doesn’t taste good, it won’t last. Flavor matters — especially in staples like protein shakes or snacks you consume daily. Choose options you look forward to, and feel free to add spices, cocoa, fruit, or coffee to make them your own. Enjoyment is part of nourishment.
⸻
💛 Emotional Connection:
Sometimes a food soothes your nervous system, reminds you of safety, or simply helps you feel cared for. That matters too. A single slice of comfort sourdough or a bedtime yogurt bowl may serve you emotionally in ways that support long-term consistency and healing. Food isn’t just fuel — it’s connection, memory, and grounding.
⸻
🧩 Ease of Use:
The best food is the one you’ll actually prepare and eat. Prioritize convenience when needed — pre-washed greens, frozen berries, ready-to-drink protein, or simple recipes that don’t overwhelm. Especially during stressful periods, simplicity can make or break consistency.
⸻
In the end, it’s not about perfection. It’s about creating a system that supports your goals while honoring your life, body, and capacity. Flexibility is the foundation of sustainable nutrition.
My new book does not directly tackle any one specific lifestyle goal but instead provides strategies and approaches you can apply to any area you are seeking to create positive change . My work around nutrition, fitness, and weight loss lend themselves into my beliefs, personal practices, and coaching. I continue to experience personal change in ways that are sustainable, progressive, and both rewarding and enjoyable. The Light Switch Myth lays the foundation for creating this type of relationship towards growth and change .
Read more
of my insights and experiences with wellness and change in my Facebook Support group, (a no-sales, safe community) Towards Wellness. You can find it here or message me for an invite. https://www.facebook.com/groups/46833...
The muffin tin as a lesson in change
The Light Switch Myth: A begginer's guide to creating realistic and sustainable change
Cleaning my muffin tin and how it became a metaphor for the way change often works 😎😮😝
I ran this muffin tin through the dishwasher three times… and it still wasn’t clean!
Every time I pulled it out, I felt frustrated. Why wasn’t it working? Why couldn’t this just be done already?
Finally tonight I came to a place of acceptance that I would have to do it by hand. So I started scrubbing. But it was caked on of course and my efforts were not making any progress.
Then it hit me! The answer was patience and a new strategy. I stopped scrubbing. I filled it with hot, soapy water and just let it soak.
And when I came back a couple of hours later, the baked-on mess wiped away easily. What felt impossible before was suddenly simple.
In my experience, Change works like that too. Sometimes it’s not about pushing harder or doing more — its about acceptance, adapting the plan and sometimes it’s about giving things time to soak, Letting the process do its work.
So if you feel stuck, maybe it’s not a sign you’re failing. Maybe it’s just time to let things soak. ✨
Read more realistic strategies towards creating sustainable change in The Light Switch Myth.
https://thelightswitchmyth.me/
Cleaning my muffin tin and how it became a metaphor for the way change often works 😎😮😝
I ran this muffin tin through the dishwasher three times… and it still wasn’t clean!
Every time I pulled it out, I felt frustrated. Why wasn’t it working? Why couldn’t this just be done already?
Finally tonight I came to a place of acceptance that I would have to do it by hand. So I started scrubbing. But it was caked on of course and my efforts were not making any progress.
Then it hit me! The answer was patience and a new strategy. I stopped scrubbing. I filled it with hot, soapy water and just let it soak.
And when I came back a couple of hours later, the baked-on mess wiped away easily. What felt impossible before was suddenly simple.
In my experience, Change works like that too. Sometimes it’s not about pushing harder or doing more — its about acceptance, adapting the plan and sometimes it’s about giving things time to soak, Letting the process do its work.
So if you feel stuck, maybe it’s not a sign you’re failing. Maybe it’s just time to let things soak. ✨
Read more realistic strategies towards creating sustainable change in The Light Switch Myth.
https://thelightswitchmyth.me/
Tracking for Weight Loss
Well apparently I need to share about this because it has woken me up at 5am!!
My experience with weight loss and tracking:<Kerisma Vereb>
For me tracking my food has been the most effective tool for losing weight. I am aware that many are able to do it by other means but for me tracking has been a big part of my success.
Most of my clients struggle with this. It can seem laborious and it can be a challenge to develop yet another routine especially when already trying to make changes to the types of food we eat, the amount of physical activity we do, the quality of rest we get, and how we deal with stress. All important factors in wellness and in weight loss.
The key highlights for me of tracking are:
Develops awareness of our caloric intake. Crucial to understanding whether we are over or under fueling ourselves.
Helps develop a new relationship to food that deters from demonizing certain foods as it promotes understanding that its all just energy and as much as specific nutrients are more beneficial than others in regards to the impact on our overall health , it can teach is there is room for some ice cream or pizza now and again as long as we are being mindful of our calorie range.
Promotes accountability. When tracking consistently I tend to be more mindful of my choices. Its not that I don't have days that are over or under but by tracking I have a more realistic understanding of how often I am hitting my goals which goes a long ways towards my own brain playing games on me with exaggerating or minimizing each day, the week , or even the month. It allows me to keep a firm grip on what the truth is which takes away from beating myself up or kidding myself and helps me make the needed adjustments as I go.
But here is the thing. You do not have to do it forever. After a few months, perhaps a little longer , you have learned enough to track it mentally and to build patterns and meals that just naturally hit your targets. Its a bit like learning a new language. After awhile you fond yourself fluent.
I can skip a day or even a week and still stay very close to my targets. Sometimes I track again just to refresh but overall I have a pretty good internal database of the breakdown of calories, macros and nutrients are for all of my regular foods and I can just look up the stuff I have occasionally.
And ill just say this to close. I firmly believe weight loss is a numbers game. Calories in need to be slightly lower than calories out. Within a 100 to 500 calorie deficit. However, that is when out bodies are operating optimally. And often we have been running on empty or relying on processed foods or have health issues such as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, menopause, trauma (dysregulated nervous system) or other conditions that impact our bodies being able to function normally.
Its been my own personal experience and with working with other that we also need to address these issues with specific strategies to help our metabolism normalize if we want it to start releasing the weight.
For me and others I have worked with that has often started with internal safety and trust that develops through feeding ourselves with consistency and mindful care. Providing regular meals that provide a variety of nutrients and staying away form being too restrictive as well as ensuring we give ourselves enough. People often equate weight gain with eating too much and weigh loss with having to drastically reduce. However its been my xp that for many we have been undereating, in combination with choosing foods that lack the nutrients our bodies need, which puts our bodies into a lock down and hold onto everything mode.
But yes, I believe in tracking, not as a lifetime commitment but as a temporary means to establishing the needed relationship with what we put in our body in tandem with how much energy we need and burn. 🔥
💫💛💫.
Just my two cents.
Read the original post in my support group; Towards Wellness https://www.facebook.com/groups/46833...
My experience with weight loss and tracking:<Kerisma Vereb>
For me tracking my food has been the most effective tool for losing weight. I am aware that many are able to do it by other means but for me tracking has been a big part of my success.
Most of my clients struggle with this. It can seem laborious and it can be a challenge to develop yet another routine especially when already trying to make changes to the types of food we eat, the amount of physical activity we do, the quality of rest we get, and how we deal with stress. All important factors in wellness and in weight loss.
The key highlights for me of tracking are:
Develops awareness of our caloric intake. Crucial to understanding whether we are over or under fueling ourselves.
Helps develop a new relationship to food that deters from demonizing certain foods as it promotes understanding that its all just energy and as much as specific nutrients are more beneficial than others in regards to the impact on our overall health , it can teach is there is room for some ice cream or pizza now and again as long as we are being mindful of our calorie range.
Promotes accountability. When tracking consistently I tend to be more mindful of my choices. Its not that I don't have days that are over or under but by tracking I have a more realistic understanding of how often I am hitting my goals which goes a long ways towards my own brain playing games on me with exaggerating or minimizing each day, the week , or even the month. It allows me to keep a firm grip on what the truth is which takes away from beating myself up or kidding myself and helps me make the needed adjustments as I go.
But here is the thing. You do not have to do it forever. After a few months, perhaps a little longer , you have learned enough to track it mentally and to build patterns and meals that just naturally hit your targets. Its a bit like learning a new language. After awhile you fond yourself fluent.
I can skip a day or even a week and still stay very close to my targets. Sometimes I track again just to refresh but overall I have a pretty good internal database of the breakdown of calories, macros and nutrients are for all of my regular foods and I can just look up the stuff I have occasionally.
And ill just say this to close. I firmly believe weight loss is a numbers game. Calories in need to be slightly lower than calories out. Within a 100 to 500 calorie deficit. However, that is when out bodies are operating optimally. And often we have been running on empty or relying on processed foods or have health issues such as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, menopause, trauma (dysregulated nervous system) or other conditions that impact our bodies being able to function normally.
Its been my own personal experience and with working with other that we also need to address these issues with specific strategies to help our metabolism normalize if we want it to start releasing the weight.
For me and others I have worked with that has often started with internal safety and trust that develops through feeding ourselves with consistency and mindful care. Providing regular meals that provide a variety of nutrients and staying away form being too restrictive as well as ensuring we give ourselves enough. People often equate weight gain with eating too much and weigh loss with having to drastically reduce. However its been my xp that for many we have been undereating, in combination with choosing foods that lack the nutrients our bodies need, which puts our bodies into a lock down and hold onto everything mode.
But yes, I believe in tracking, not as a lifetime commitment but as a temporary means to establishing the needed relationship with what we put in our body in tandem with how much energy we need and burn. 🔥
💫💛💫.
Just my two cents.
Read the original post in my support group; Towards Wellness https://www.facebook.com/groups/46833...
