My client Ellie had been eating a beautifully clean diet: a smoothie for breakfast, a salad with lean protein for lunch, fruit and/or vegetables for snack, and lean protein and vegetables for dinner. She watched her alcohol intake and stayed away from dessert. She exercised routinely. But … she couldn’t lose weight.
Between the demands of work, family, and the business of her life in New York City, Ellie was stressed to the max.
Then she went on vacation to a beach resort. Did she eat even healthier? Exercise morning, noon, and night? No – she let go of the obsessive behavior around being “perfect,” and simply became present in her experience.
Ellie enjoyed a glass of wine every day at lunch. She took leisurely walks on the beach and took in her surroundings.,. the blue of the sky, the cloud formations, the warmth of the air enveloping her. She let go of the heaviness of the demands of her life … And as she started to feel lighter, she became lighter. Ellie returned home 5 lbs. lighter.
Sounds improbable? Think about this: What can you let go of so you can relax into a healthier and lighter relationship with food, your body and your life?
By now, you are well aware that stress has been connected to many serious and chronic conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes – and obesity. Stress absolutely affects our relationship with food. We eat when we’re stressed, and we’re stressed over what we’re eating.
Stress also prevents us from losing weight. Like Ellie, you might not even realize it’s happening. Obsessing over the perfect diet creates more stress to the body than any imperfect food you may eat.
Stress affects us in three ways with regard to weight management:
First, our bodies do not receive the sensory stimuli of the food to be digested, and digestion does not occur properly. Instead, we suffer heartburn, cramping, bloating, cravings and prolonged hunger.
Second, chronic, low-level stress causes our bodies to release cortisol and insulin, two hormones that signal our bodies to store fat.
Third, we typically turn to high-sugar, high-fat treats when we’re stressed, which initially causes the body to shut down stress; then the guilt sets in, and the stress cycle starts again.
The bottom line: Worrying about fat increases fat. Worrying about weight loss prevents weight loss. Relax into your relationship with food and you relax into achieving optimal calorie burning.
While you can’t remove the stress from the demands of your daily life, you can control how you react to it.
Here’s how….
Breathe: The simplest exercise you can do is simply breathing deeply and fully. Inhale through your nose and fill your lungs. Exhale through your mouth and empty your lungs. Do this a few times a day.
Dine with people who nourish and comfort you: Focus your conversation on positive, happy topics.
Think positively: While preparing and enjoying your meal, turn off the worries and focus on positive thoughts and affirmations.
Seek out “comfort” activities: Stimulate the same pleasure centers in your brain that “comfort” foods do with relaxation techniques like exercise, dance, meditation, yoga, hot baths, and sex.
Who are you as an eater now? Who do you want to become as an eater, so you, too, can relax into life and food? Who do you want to be when you sit down at the table?
Hungry for more? Contact me for more tips so you can show up to the table as a fully nourished and most brilliant version of yourself.
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