Try a Dose of "Vitamin L"

by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

Never heard of vitamin L? It’s not a nutrition term. Vitamin L stands for “love” – as in “learn to love yourself”. Sometimes all you need is a little vitamin L to help stay on track.

When it comes to losing weight, we put too much pressure on ourselves to be perfect. We can be VERY hard on ourselves and that can lead to stress and falling off the lifestyle wagon. It’s hard to lose weight! You need to learn to treat yourself right by having realistic expectations of what you’re both willing and able to do. This sets you up for success and avoids disappointment.

It’s hard to make the mental adjustment of being kind to yourself and we are often out own worst enemy and harshest critic. Try these ideas for a boost of Vitamin L:

• Make a list of 10 qualities you admire in yourself. And no, that’s not too many! Think about how some of those same qualities can help your weight loss effort.
• Identify one healthy activity you can do each day. It might be eating five fruits and vegetables one day, or walking for 30 minutes another day.
• Don’t beat yourself up when you make a mistake. Whether it’s a less than perfect food choice, or falling off the exercise wagon, don’t get down on yourself. Evaluate why you had some trouble and learn from it.
• Don’t make your weight part of your self-love evaluation. You are the same person no matter what size package you’re in. This takes a lot of mental energy, but once achieved you are liberated.

What ar some other sources of Vitamin L? Please share your thoughts!