Kathleen Layer Coaching

The greatest gift coaching has given me?

Presence.

The ability to be fully engaged in a moment.

To really feel and sense and be aware of everything that’s happening around me.

And not only feel it, but understand the MAGNITUDE of it.

The importance of that specific moment.

Whether it’s big or small.

Like when I see my kid swimming on his own for the first time ever.

And I watch him over and over.

I don’t get bored of it.

I am in AWE of him.

I’m so massively aware of how cool this moment is.

How proud I am of him.

How this is the first of a first that we all get to experience.

I see the smile on his face. I feel him glowing with his own pride and excitement.

AND I am able to access the GRATITUDE of the fact that I am able to be so present to all of this in that moment too.

It is everything.

To not have my thoughts clouded, cluttered, and completely taken over by what I’m eating, what I look like, and what other people might think of me.

To give my brain, heart, soul, and energy fully to the things that matter most to me.

Fully to MY LIFE.

To living in these moments. Soaking them up. Seeing them and FEELING them for what they are.

Magic.

My life—these moments—get to be magical.

Not because they are so unique.

But because I have the mental space and the emotional wherewithal to fully live them, see them, and embrace them for every little (and big) thing that they are.

That IS magic.

And that cannot be accessed when our brains are filled with negative thoughts, worries, and anxieties about ourselves and our bodies.

We had a wonderful spring break this year. Freedom to be in MY body. Freedom from thoughts that don’t serve me—that’s always what makes it possible.

It’s a joy and a privilege to be alive and to exist in the very body you have in this moment.

Don’t let the magic pass you by a second longer than it needs to🤍

There was a time when taking a picture on the beach would send me in a spiral.

A time when I’d spend weeks (or months) thinking about an upcoming trip.

“Preparing” for it by trying to become a smaller version of myself.

Watching what I ate like a hawk.

Praying the scale would go down.

Never taking a day off at the gym.

The enjoyment of myself depending on it.

And then the photo.

Needing to know if my “hard work” paid off.

Wondering if what I looked like in my head matched what I’d see on the screen.

Instantly zooming in at my stomach.

No matter what I looked like, rarely passing the test.

Our world tells us the best way to prepare for big life moments is to lose weight.

Spend your time restricting, weighing, measuring, medicating.

It tells us that we couldn’t possibly enjoy life unless our body looks the way they want us to.

That the answer to having a good moment is to feel pleased with the number on the scale, the tag inside your pants, and how closely you look like whatever version of “wellness” we’re marketing today.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Wanting to take the photo to preserve a memory—to remember a feeling I experienced with my family.

Not caring what I Iook like.

Not needing an angle or a pose.

Not needing to rush to see it.

Not relying on the outcome to dictate whether I got to feel happy or sad.

Freedom to exist in YOUR body.

To live moments in YOUR body.

To LOVE moments in your body.

That does not come from how closely your body fits the current societal ideals.

It’s not magically created when your arms have the “perfect” amount of muscle.

True freedom from the food and body thoughts.

True freedom to exist confidently and comfortably in your body AS she is.

Comes from your brain.

From rewriting the story in your head that says you’re not good enough.

And shifting it into the version of you WHO KNOWS she is.

Join me in releasing your body story. More details coming soon♥️

Today, Kathleen Layer Coaching is officially 7 years old.

I usually take this time to reflect back to that first year in my business.

To think about the moment I shared this new venture with the world.

How I felt. Where I was in my life. How much has changed.

But, today, I’d like to give a shout out to my last year in business.

To how much things have shifted for me in such a short period of time.

Last year, I accomplished more in my business in ONE year than I had the previous 6 combined.

I made it my mission to meet as many people as possible. To connect more to my community. To build positive relationships. And to have people know who I am and what I do.

I have met more people than I can keep track of.

I’ve joined an incredible community of women business owners.

I was nominated for Small Business of the Year in my community.

I was one of two guest speakers at the Women in Business Expo.

I coached more women this year than I ever have before.

I partnered with six different local businesses to offer workshops to our community (with plans to do so much more this year).

I travel to Peru and California to celebrate some amazing friendships and love stories.

I went SKYDIVING.

And I am a scholarship recipient to an incredible Leadership program in my community that I’m so glad I took a chance on.

It might not seem like it, but putting myself out there is SCARY. And I made that scary thing my biggest goal last year.

I stretched myself and expanded my capacity beyond what I thought I could.

And I am so proud of the version of me who’s come out of the other side.

And the version of me who decided to do something hard.

The reason we tell ourselves we can’t is often the reason why need to.

Not only was last year a big challenge in stepping out my comfort zone and trying new things, but it has brought up something in me that I am so excited to share soon.

I’m thinking about things differently. I’m making big changes to how I deliver my coaching and I can’t wait to tell you all about it.

Here’s to year 8—we’ve got a lot in store. xo🎉

I feel like I've known Beth my whole life, and we've only known eachother MAYBE a year and a half? She is truly one of the best people I know on this earth, and what she and Hello Sunshine Boutique do for our community is invaluable. It's time for us to give her and her family a little sunshine. Please consider donating as they navigate loss from Cancer♥️

https://gofund.me/d8f65f6ba

Donate to Help the Ivanic Family Through This Tough Time, organized by Karie Weber The Ivanic family needs our love and support. Whether you know them through… Karie Weber needs your support for Help the Ivanic Family Through This Tough Time

2016 was a big year for me.

I created new friendships. I kept strengthening old ones.

I challenged my body and felt confident enough to compete in (friendly) CrossFit competitions.

I went to Cambodia and Thailand.

I got a tattoo.

I spent hours upon hours tracking what I ate.

Counting macros.

Meal prepping.

Countless time and energy thinking about food.

Analyzing my body.

Worrying about what would happen if I stepped out of my routine.

I criticized photos.

Forfeited presence for chasing perfection.

But little did I know, 2016 would also be the last year I did all of that.

The last year I dieted.

Tracked.

Counted.

Obsessed.

Controlled.

I’d start 2017 with my last Whole30. One that would feel different this time. Not as “satisfying.”

I’d find Intuitive Eating and my purpose would click.

I’d start my health and life coaching certification programs.

I’d decide I was becoming an intuitive eating and body image coach and starting my own business.

I’d get engaged to my best friend and start our cross-country small town tour.

2016 was a big year for me.

It was the year before I changed my life.

Maybe this is the year you change yours.

It’s the Monday after New Year’s.

The day you think you have to reinvent the wheel.

Remove all evidence of enjoyment.

Erase all the “bad” things you did.

The cookies you had with your kids.

The meals you shared with family and friends.

The hot chocolate after a cold day.

The choice to rest, relax, and soak in this time of year.

They will tell you this was wrong.

They will tell you that you should have worked out more. Ate differently. Stuck to a perfect routine.

They will tell you to make up for what you did.

As if you’re a toddler in time out.

But you’re an adult human in a body.

A body that’s allowed to enjoy life. To enjoy things that are sweet. To make memories. Sleep in. Slow down.

They will tell you that you should feel guilty.

They will tell you to control. Perfect. Restrict. To prep, plan, and check off the box.

But it’s not a tamed body that you want.

Not one that’s controlled, manipulated, and constantly compared against.

It’s a body you love living in.

One that you care for, connect with, and love genuinely and fiercely.

A life that feels powerful, present, and fully engaged.

This world tells you to shrink yourself in order to be a better version of you.

That “better” version of you knows this is bullsh*t.

It’s the Monday after New Year’s.

Permission to unsubscribe.

The other day I felt blah.

It’s the best word I could think of.

Unmotivated.

Uninspired.

Sitting there racking my brain for answers—why do I feel this way?

Adding in some judgment—I shouldn’t feel this way.

When it hit me.

When I work with a client, what do I tell them?

First, we don’t judge the emotion away.

We don’t avoid. We don’t make ourselves wrong.

We acknowledge—give it attention.

Then, we let it be.

Sometimes there’s an answer right away. Sometimes I notice my brain going in a million different directions, and I can see where to rein it in.

And sometimes, I just need to let it be.

I always tell my clients that whenever they are feeling a negative emotion toward their body, it’s just a sign of disconnection.

A signal letting you know that you need to come back to yourself (not push away).

This is where diet culture convinces you to control.

To restrict your food, go on a diet, start a cleanse, say goodbye to carbs forever, and join that insane workout program.

But we know that doesn’t work. We’ve been here too many times before.

So, instead, we make a powerful choice.

We choose to get back in sync with our bodies.

We choose to pay attention, listen, learn, and care for ourselves.

We choose to move past the discomfort and love ourselves MORE, not less.

This blah-ness you may feel in your body isn’t because you look a certain way. It doesn’t get solved when the scale goes down.

Because that blah-ness is not in your body, it’s in your brain.

When I’m creating connection, I focus on 3 places—understanding (giving compassion and validation for how I’m feeling), listening (to what my body and intuition are telling me), and trusting (taking action on that intuition with confidence).

Not trying to fix anything, but being super intentional with where my energy goes.

My bonus focus?

Having fun.

Paying attention to my desires. Letting go of the little things. Reprioritizing to add more joy into my life and less stress.

It’s almost as if my brain and body are depleted, and I need to recharge.

Focusing on connection and joy will get you there every time.

Happy Sunday🤍

If you are feeling the blah-ness of life right now.

The blah-ness of bodies.

The blah-ness of holiday hustle.

Nothing’s gone wrong.

We don’t need to alert the media.

You’re a human with a human brain having a human experience.

We don’t need to control it; we need to connect.

Everything I teach my clients leads to connection.

That’s the goal every time. That’s the force behind every action. Every concept we learn. Every session.

When we are connected, we see ourselves differently.

We see our bodies differently.

We have more compassion and less judgment.

We have more freedom and less rules.

We feel happier, healthier, more confident.

We spend decades trying to control our bodies.

Control our food.

Control our calories.

Control the scale.

Wondering why it never works.

Blaming ourselves for a failing system.

Your body is not some rabid animal that needs to be contained.

She is your friend, confidant, your right-hand woman here to explore and experience this big, beautiful life of yours.

Patiently waiting for you to look in the mirror and finally say, I’m here. Let’s do this together.

There are 10 days left to schedule a free consultation before the new year.

To choose to walk into this year differently than any other.

Hand-in-hand with YOUR body.

If you sign up for coaching by December 31st, you get an entire month for FREE.

It all starts with a free consult call.

Link in bio to schedule yours.

Rx bars used to be my dessert.

One of the best parts of my day.

Getting to eat something that actually felt substantial.

Satisfying.

I felt the same way about peanut butter toast.

It was my pre-workout treat.

The only way I was permitted to eat carbohydrates.

I want to say the only way I gave myself permission to eat carbohydrates, but that’s the thing.

It didn’t feel like my decision.

It didn’t feel like I was in control at all.

It didn’t feel like I had any say in the matter.

It felt like everything I did that had to do with my body was outsourced to someone or something else.

Some Instagram influencer.

Some article I read.

Something a coworker did.

Without there actually being someone holding me accountable to any of this, that’s what it felt like every day.

Like I didn’t realize I was an adult allowed to make my own rules and live my own life in my own body.

But that’s what happens.

You grow up receiving this quiet message that your body is not to be trusted.

That your main purpose in life is to be as small as possible.

That everyone else’s opinion of you is what matters most.

That how you look to other people and how well you “fit” the current societal ideal is directly indicative of your worth as a human being.

Your value is in your ability to stay “disciplined.”

So, you become an adult and you never question this.

You never challenge these ideas.

Trying to be perfect.

Trying to look like anyone but yourself.

Never being satisfied.

Always thinking about food and your body.

Because that’s what’s normal.

But it doesn’t have to be.

I have two more spots for private coaching that will start in January.

Sign up by December 31st and you’ll get an entire month of coaching FOR FREE.

When we work together, I walk you through your vision, your why, your life, your body, YOUR WAY.

We find what health means TO YOU.

We find empowerment in YOUR body.

Freedom in YOUR body.

Existence. Confidence. Compassion. Self-acceptance.

All of it.

Not by following my rules or anyone else’s.

But by finally creating your own.

Schedule a free consult call today to learn more.

https://schedule-kathleen-layer-coaching.as.me/free-breakthrough-session