Look good, feel good or both?

Which would you prefer?

I personally think that most people want to feel good.

And a lot of those people think that they will feel good when they look good.

And a lot of those people think that they will look good when they are a certain size.

I think about this a lot, especially because I’ve been as lean as I will ever be. I did a bodybuilding show this time five years ago and it taught me a lot about the difference between looking good and feeling good.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that I feel and look so much better now than I did in 2017, but that’s not what this email is about.

I love looking at timehop - it’s an app that shows you “this day last year”, “this day 2 years ago” etc.

2019 was a year of travel, festivals, weddings, nights out, brunches and by the time I finished the holiday or a lifetime in January 2020, I really felt like I needed to lose some weight.

But this wasn’t because of the size of me at the time. (People in smaller bodies might relate to this) I did not feel like I looked good because I didn’t feel good on the inside.

I had spent December in Dublin - eating and drinking every night and then going on a long holiday in January 2020 straight after.

So in February I decided to get back to tracking calories and training consistently. I was still travelling around the world but just making more mindful decisions to feel good.

By the time I left Bali at the end of March 2020 I felt great.

I thought I looked great.

And no matter what other peoples opinions are, or what size you are or what the scales say - if you think you look good, you do.

I look back at the pics from March 2020 and I’m happy and confident because I was making choices to help myself feel good.

I compare that to this week, when I don’t feel good so I don’t think I look good.

Objectively, I am much smaller now than I was in March 2020.

But that’s my point - it’s not about the size of your body.

It’s about feeling like you are making progress or making good choices.

I’ve seen it with my clients too.

They sign up thinking they will be happy when they “weigh X stone” or “fit back into a size X” but it’s never really about the shape and size.

We talk about mindset a lot and I know that those in the best mindset at the end of The Furnace are those that take things day by day, and make the best decisions for their health and happiness each day.

Chasing a static size or weight can actually be detrimental to your progress and happiness, and I’ve spoken about the scales before.

So if you want to think you look good, focus on making progress, rather than an end goal.

It’s that feeling of 'being your best self' that people really want.

If you need help, click here to join The Furnace. Imagine how good you could look and feel 12 weeks from now (July!).

Thanks for reading,

Siobhan “PMS does not make me feel good” O’Hagan

P.S. I'm getting a lot of enquiries about joining The Furnace but worried because they have Easter, or a holiday or lots of weddings, but if you are 'worried' about that - it's a sign you might need us even more. We will change your mindset around fat loss and events :)