Craig Nickell Holistic Wellness, LLC

02/09/2023

In honor of Valentine's Month, I'd like to address one of the least-discussed aspects of self-love.

Self- Trust.

We lose self trust when...

1. We let ourselves down on a goal
2. We drop the ball on following through with big plans and passions
3. We fail to follow through with daily habits and rituals
Such as healthy eating, exercise, time-management
--We spend way too much time on digital media (social media, email, podcasts, netflix, etc.)
--We forget to plan out meals for the week or go to the grocery store, so we end up eating snacks all day, and failing to truly nourish ourselves

While this sounds like a big list, it’s important to note that you do not have to follow through with all of the aforementioned things in order to re-build trust with yourself.

How can self trust be repaired?
---> Through mindfulness, awareness, intention, baby steps

Practical actions:
1. Following a semi-structured schedule has given me a lot of freedom
2. Deleting apps that eat away your time (ex: podcast app, IG, FB, etc.)
3. Picking something small to do every day just b/c you know it is good for you and you feel like you’ve honored a commitment to yourself
4. Following through on commitments; which means you can’t commit to too much or you’ll start to let things fall through and won’t trust yourself as much
5. Scan back across the memories of your life, think about the things you’ve accomplished, challenges you’ve endured or survived, and situations you’ve wisely avoided.

As with so many qualities we want to project outwardly, trust starts within.

Click link in BIO for support in building trust within yourself!

02/02/2023

What do you subconsciously believe is possible for others, but not for you?

(Last week we talked about enduring discomfort in order to grow and progress. This can apply to physical or emotional things.)

While last week I encouraged you to build up your muscle for discomfort through enduring it over and over again... SOMETIMES, you just have to take action and DO IT!

In other words, JUMP :)

This photo was taken right after I bungee jumped 500+ feet into the Amazon Rainforest, suspended by a cable car, and only attached by velcro on my ankles.....
it was one of those moments where you have to numb your mind/thoughts and just take ACTION, otherwise you will convince yourself 100x NOT to do it.

I had adrenaline pumping through my entire body for hours, but I believe when we take action towards the things we want (even if scared out of our freaking minds), it will pay off.

Take the leap, even if you're scared :)
https://craignickell.newzenler.com/courses/your-confident-body

01/26/2023

How much can you tolerate “not feeling ok?”

Progress is not the absence of bad feelings, rather it is the ability to feel them... to practice allowing them, letting them exist for an uncertain amount of time, and then moving on with your life.

Each time you allow the feeling, that muscle gets stronger and you build up a tolerance.

If you are new to strength training, for example, maybe you start off with 10 push-ups (on your knees), then you move to 20... then perhaps you can move to doing them on your toes (which is much harder), and then once you get the hang of that, maybe you can do more, and then maybe eventually you can add a weight to make it even harder. At FIRST, your tolerance/strength, was much lower... but allowing the discomfort helped you progress to doing pushups on your toes with a weight on your back.

I'm guessing at the beginning you never would've imagined being able to do that, but you focused on allowing the discomfort little-by-little, and eventually your strength surprised you.

This is the same with emotional strength.

You have to practice ALLOWING the uncomfortable emotions in order to grow and progress.

Tell me about a time you allowed discomfort to exist in your life... How did it go?
Want more? Join us https://craignickell.newzenler.com/courses/your-confident-body

01/19/2023

People often think eating disorders are about food and wanting to be thin - and sure, a part of it could be, but the bigger part is that it helps you not have to deal with challenging parts of life.

Each person chooses to do this in a different way - but, essentially, starving yourself, or stuffing your face, or having something to drink, or exercising like crazy, or doing a certain drug - what it really does is gives you an out and numbs you a little bit.

This way, you can avoid dealing with the challenge, or if you DO have to deal with it, it feels less intense. You end up using it as a crutch to get you through a challenging time.

AND... crutches aren't always bad. (They actually can help us heal :)) It's just that we eventually have to learn how to walk without them.

Have you utilized disordered eating or fixating on your body to help you avoid things? How did it work?
Want more? Join us here: https://craignickell.newzenler.com/courses/your-confident-body

01/12/2023

Have you noticed how each time you look at an image of yourself (whether it is in front of a mirror or a photo), your reaction to the image changes? Even if it is slight, you can look at yourself 2 hours apart and have a totally different reaction.

I'll share an example of my own.

Here is a photo I took at 39 weeks pregnant.

My thoughts when taking the photo were…
“Wow… I can’t believe this pregnancy is almost over”
“How in the world has my skin stretched so much without ripping apart?”
"I hope I don't get stretch marks"
“My skin looks so translucent… I can see so many blood vessels in there!”
“The way I’m standing makes my legs look strange”
“I am only going to show this photo to my mom & husband”
"I wonder how I'm going to get her out of here..."

and then a few months after I thought…
“Geez I didn’t realize how swollen my face was”
“My eyes look so tired…”
"My core is so weak right now, but I can have grace for myself"
“I’m glad I decided to take a photo of my daughter’s home”
“It is miraculous how much the body can grow and change”
"I have no desire to do that again anytime soon... LOL"

and today I see the same photo and think...
“This feels like ages ago!”
“Why didn’t I take more photos with my bare belly showing?”
“It is amazing that my daughter grew behind this stretching skin for over 40 weeks!!”
“The human body is so resilient…”
"I can't believe how strong I feel now... I respect my body much more than I used to"
"It's crazy how the tiny piece of skin from my old belly-button piercing managed to stay intact..."

Do you see how many different thoughts could come from the same image? At each point in time, I had at least 5 reactions... AND those reactions changed drastically depending on WHEN I saw the photo, and what was going on in my life at that time.

And, it doesn't take pregnancy or any big change for this to occur. Bodies go through changes all the time, AND small things like feeling bloated or sluggish can cause your brain to SEE your body differently, even if it hasn;t changed at all.

Let me know --how does it feel acknowledge how vastly different your reactions are to your own image? Does it take away some of the power from your reflection and give it back to YOU?

01/05/2023

When it comes to diets, New Year's resolutions, and general “goals” – there is always something much deeper (than the achievement of an outcome) that causes us to pursue these things in the first place.

Usually, it has to do with how we want to FEEL.

For instance, many people think if they lose weight they’ll be happier, more loved, or more confident.

So, in this scenario, the actual GOAL is the FEELING of happiness, love and confidence.

As the New Years shifts come flooding in, I want to encourage you to think deeply about what it is you TRULY want.

If you want to be confident and content, don’t forsake that deeper goal by going on a diet (or other quick fix.)

Diets are a temporary fix for a much deeper issue.

Confidence can only occur by prioritizing that first, above any aesthetic goals.

Then, your body image and physical appearance will change AFTER.

If you want to learn how to respect and care for your body without ever going on a diet again, join me in “Your Confident Body” today (link below).

I want to remind you of this – the time will pass either way.

Are you going to be intentional and choose to prioritize your own growth and development so you can show up more fully in your life?

OR, are you going to let another year pass, wishing you were more intentional with your time?

I want you to end 2023 with radical confidence… and I created a system just for you that will help you jump off the hamster wheel and finally enjoy the body you’re in!

JOIN US TODAY!!!
https://craignickell.newzenler.com/courses/your-confident-body

12/29/2022

Don't set a New Year's Goal!!!

Wait, did I really just say that?

Yes… you heard me right.

If you want 2023 to be the year you enjoy your body FOR GOOD, a goal will not get you there.

Why is this? Well, a goal is just like a good idea or a dream. Goals in and of themselves don’t really change much about your life.

What you really need is a system. A “system” is a series of small actions that can be easily repeated and become a habit. If you’ve read the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, then you know what I am talking about. Very small habits create BIG results when repeated over time.

If you are interested in healing your body image and actually enjoying the eating process, I have a system that will help you get there.

This is your chance to catapult yourself into radical growth, and it would be my honor to serve as your guide.

Check out how I can help you enjoy the body you’re in without changing a thing!

With only 3 days left of 2022, it is time to make a decision.

Will you spend another year just “hoping things will get better” only to stay stuck right where you are for the next 365 days (or worse, wasting time and money on another diet or exercise program that just plain does NOT work!!!)

OR

Will you join me in taking tiny action steps, changing your brain, little by little, until you deeply enjoy your life and the person staring back at you in the mirror?

I know which I would choose.

Don’t wait any longer – click the image to finally start ENJOYING your body, for good 🙂

Make peace with your body, feel confident in your wardrobe, and show up as your authentic self... no matter what.

12/27/2022

Honored to be featured in Shoutout Colorado!

Read the full article below if you’d like to learn more about my practice and WHY I decided to start my own business. 🤩

https://shoutoutcolorado.com/meet-craig-nickell-dietitian-eating-psychology-coach/

12/22/2022

With three days until Christmas, and everyone talking all about how you need to take care of YOURSELF during the holidays… I want to challenge you with a different idea.

How can you focus this next week on serving OTHER people?
(without considering what you will get out of it)

I have to admit, this is very hard for me. It is EASY to be selfish and feel overwhelmed by “all the things we have to do” during this time of year.

Generosity takes a lot of work for me (and bargaining with God). I LIKE to receive acts of service from other people and am not the quickest to be generous with my own things. I think we are living in a culture that emphasizes SELF above all else, and THIS is what’s making us feel so lousy. Hard pill to swallow, I know.

I’m sure you’re wondering – but how does this relate to disordered eating and body image, Craig?

Well… when you are thinking about others and how you can serve them, it is impossible to feel badly about your own body/self. It will also take your mind away from obsessing about food, which is EVERYWHERE right now.

And, it’s always good to challenge the most popular things in the media… like “Self Care During the Holidays.”

I’m committing to do this and will share (on IG stories) how I plan to put this into practice over the next few days.

Will you join me?

12/15/2022

I took this photo several months ago while trying on dresses for my upcoming baby shower. At nearly 8 months pregnant, it was a giant mystery what would be flattering on my changing shape… and I REALLY wanted to find something that wasn’t strictly “maternity.” Although I didn’t end up keeping this dress, I remember finally feeling confident and beautiful after a series of frumpy looking “sack dresses.” It helped me see what a miracle my body was performing, rather than chastising it for being too awkward to look good in anything. This is one small example of how our thoughts (and what we choose to wear) can impact how we show up in the world.

You see, what you believe about yourself directly impacts how you will show up in the world and interact with others.

I wanted to address the mirror and your thoughts around it, especially as we enter this holiday season (can’t believe Christmas is NEXT WEEK!!)

Here were the most common responses to how you feel when you look in the mirror:

1. Avoiding certain areas of the body
2. Fear of weight gain and changing body shape
3. Trying to avoid the uncomfortable emotions and “shake it off”
4. Feeling guilty for liking the way you look
5. Insecurity about stomach area – not being “thin” or “flat”
​

I have created a few “response questions” to help you analyze your own relationship with the mirror. 🪞

I would like for you to spend 10-15 minutes and journal/answer the questions below.

1. Why is it so important to me to look a certain way?
2. What would change in my life if I DID reach this aesthetic goal? Would I actually be happier or more fulfilled?
3. What am I missing out on because I am fixated on my body and the mirror?
4. What ELSE do I appreciate about myself, besides my body?
5. Am I wearing clothing that I feel confident and comfortable in? If not, why?

I am hoping that putting these responses on paper will help you take the power back from the mirror.

And… your reflection in the mirror represents only ONE point in time.

Most likely, your interpretation will change day-to-day and hour-by-hour.

Comment below and let me know how this goes for you!!

12/08/2022

Reply and let me know!! I will create a follow-up post to help address the most common concerns :)

12/01/2022

I cannot believe today is the start of DECEMBER. I love the start of new months and years because it can be a great time to set new intentions.

Challenge for this “holiday” month - explore how pleasure and respect can mutually exist.

For example, how can you invite pleasure and indulgences into your life (like enjoying a piece of homemade chocolate cake at your Aunt’s Christmas Party), but also respect your body enough to know its limits (like not having 4 pieces of cake and then going home and eating an entire box of oreos).

Disclaimer: If you do this, do not punish yourself. That will not solve anything. Whenever you make choices that do not align with your end goal, simply forgive yourself and then choose to do something that nourishes you immediately after (i.e. don’t wait until the following day or week).

**Learning how to experience pleasure with food and respect for the body is a long process - it is an exploration where you continually experiment with what does and does not work for your body. Above all, it requires you to be present and conscious, paying attention to the feedback your body continually provides.

What will be your ONE intention for December? Reply and let me know to help keep yourself accountable :)