The Power of the Mind/Body Connection: Clari's Story

Clari is one of my “rock star” clients. She has been training with me for several months, and she puts her all into every single session, as well as her independent workouts. She has made incredible strides both physically, and, as you are about to learn, mentally and emotionally. I am honored to share her story and words of wisdom with you here:

“The biggest obstacle to any kind of transformation is the voice that tells you it’s impossible.” ~Geneen Roth, Women Food and God

I am a spirit on the journey to my guided mission on earth! I did not know that until recently; well it was not fully in my conscious, anyway. What I did know was I was in a battle field where my self- sabotaging mind was telling me that this was the body I was meant to have. Worn down and on a road to Diabetes. This was it! So I would lose weight and gain it back on a binge of self-hating thoughts that would turn into Cheesecake Factory apple pie at 9:30pm. “What is wrong with me?” I thought. “How could I do this to myself?” So began the cycle (again) of getting back on the band wagon of doing the best I could with the food available around me. How did I change this? How can we all change this?

America is sick to its core with the poison pumped into our brains through constant media coverage. But what they don’t tell you on those quick fix commercials is how to change and level up your mind to be ready for the evolution we want our bodies to step into. They don’t tell you about the hard work, the self-love development, the spiritual journey, or the blood, sweat, and tears one must “suffer” to gain the rewards we seek. Our minds, hearts and bodies must be in total alignment with the goal we want to reach. It’s not easy, and whomever tells you differently is lying.

There is a choice: The road you choose to total body wellness or the default life of sticking anything you want in your mouth and paying the price. That price was getting too high for me. So I chose to change everything. Starting with the voice in my head that said, “Relax, we’ll go to the gym later,” or “Just ask for fries. What does it matter?” or “Your doctor doesn’t know how you would suffer sacrificing so much.” Change the voice that you let guide you and you will change your life. The body and the mind are intimately connected; anything you are doing is a result of a thought and with practice you can override the system that tells you (like it told me) “you will be fat forever.”

Some steps you can take to level up your inner voice are:

Meditate: I find since I have started to create a quiet space for my thoughts, through meditation, I can notice when my thoughts are working against the body I am seeking to create.

Hunger Awareness: Sometimes we eat from the place of our emotions. When I am seeking love or approval, naturally I want ice cream, I am conscience of that.  Asking yourself, “What am I really ‘hungry’ for?” brings awareness and connection to your consciousness about what experiences we are longing for in that moment. This makes us acknowledge and be aware of our emotional needs and can help stop you from the setback of emotional eating.

Finally and most importantly have a powerful goal in mind of your body transformation. The first time I met Nicole, I told her this and I keep it on my mind every day: “I want to sculpt the body of a goddess.” Create and describe an empowering image of the body you seek to create. Write it down for more power and keep it in your mind on your journey.

So far I have lost upwards of 20 pounds since I have started and what I know now is that without my head in the game, I would never have progressed this far. So get your head in the game or you’ll be right back where you started!

Claristela Cuduco is a Certified Dream Builder Coach and author of the popular, Best DreamLife blog, helping her clients design and manifest the life of their soul's purpose. As a sought out life coach and profession speaker, Claristela offers inspiring workshops as well as transformational in-depth coaching programs to help clients achieve new heights of success, fulfillment and spiritual aliveness. Stop by and find out how Claristela can empower you to achieve your dreams.

You Are Not a Number

I shared with you how my fitness journey began. One lesson in particular I learned the hard way: Don't get caught up in the numbers.

When I started my fitness journey, I rarely got on the scale. I just worked at it. I saw progress in my clothing. My jeans got bigger. I got to the point where my dress pants (a size 8) were just too big. So, I go shopping at my favorite store, and I grab the 6, because they are likely the right size. But, just for shits and giggles, grabbed the 4 also.

They fit.

REALLY? 

I take them off to check the tag. Maybe they were mismarked.

Size 4. Taille 4.

Confirmed in TWO languages!  I squeeee’d! I text all my girlfriends, my mother, my sister. I did a little dance. I wanted to wear the pants out of the dressing room, and run up to everyone, saying, “Know what these are? A FOUR!” and then wiggle my behind and flail my arms.

I perceived this as a moment of triumph.

Fast forward 8 or so months. I had, very slowly, put back on somewhere between 10 and 15 lbs. I did battle with these pounds. I grew frustrated that I’d grown out of my fancy 4s. I got on the scale, and found I’d crossed the “never again” number. And I passed it by 3.5 lbs. It enraged me. Threw me into a tailspin. I had an even harder time getting control of my habits after that.

Then I came to an astounding revelation: Prior to the size 4 party in the dressing room, all I knew was that I loved the way I looked. I loved the way I felt. I loved my progress. I was proud. I was strong. I was amazing. I had no idea what size I was, and I didn’t care, because look at me!!!

Once “size 4” was added into the equation, that became the standard. The rule. I wasn’t going to deviate. Now I wanted my jeans and my skirts to have a 4 on them, too. FOURS FOR EVERYONE! The further away I got from that 4, the more I beat myself up. My mindset went from pride to poison. I’m failing. I’m gaining. Stop it. The pants. They’ll fit in two weeks. It's only 5 lbs right now. Work hard. Eat perfect. Run harder. Lift heavier. It's 8 lbs now...Whatever. Forget it. It's never gonna happen again.


Everything I ate that was “bad” made me feel guilty. I spiraled. Size 4. So far away. I’ll never get there again. Whatever, fuck it, I’ll just get fat again. But I refused to buy bigger pants because that was the ultimate failure, the sign that I’d lost. Another friend told me she had everything from 8s to 0s in her jean collection. That idea literally made me panic. NO. I AM A FOUR.

I let someone else’s standards dictate how I perceived myself. I took a 10-lb weight gain and turned it into a crisis because I became obsessed with a number on a pair of pants, which, ridiculously enough, is not even a universal number. Every single women’s clothing store sizes their clothing differently. I’m still a 4 in another store (and probably a 10 in another store), which should have set my mind at ease. But it wasn’t those pants. THOSE pants are a 4.

These are not my standards. They shouldn’t be what set the bar. The goal shouldn’t be to get back to that number, but to that mindset prior to 4’s entrance. I felt spectacular. I looked the best I’d ever looked. That needs to be the goal. The standard. None of the numbers should matter. It has to be ok to have a range of sizes in the closet. As long as it fits well and looks good, who cares? I’d lost 30 and kept it off for a long time. I can lose 10 again. Or maybe not. Maybe I’ll just work on getting to a point where I want to run up to everyone in the store, while I’m buying pants, wiggle my behind, and say “I have no idea how much I weigh, and I look AWESOME in whatever size these are!”

How do you feel about your goals? Do you fall into these traps? Let's talk about it!

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