Losing weight has become one of the biggest problems of our contemporary life. Just reading this makes you say,
No kidding!
It seems that no matter what diet you try, it is harder and harder to get anywhere. And the harder you try, the less results you seem to get.
One of our recent clients wrote this in an email to me:
“Everything I do, seems to make me only put on more weight. I tried so many diets, I exercise and eat very little, but nothing seems to work! Everything I do or say just seems to be wrong. Every decision I make about losing weight appears to be the wrong decision. I’m not enjoying life, I fell fat and frumpy – I feel like a failure. I would not show that I feel this way in public – in fact most of the time if somebody even talks about weight I become defensive and angry. I know that things could get much worse! Life is not supposed to be like this!”
I received this feedback many times before, from students in the NLPCoaching trainings and also from coaching clients. I even heard it from my own Grandmother who battled with weight all her life.
There are many high protein diets that work,for some people. And there are other diets based on raw food that work, for some people. And there are diets based on “Eat Right for Your Type” that work, for some people. But why is it that none seems to really work for you?
Right?
And then there is a very real issue which is hormonal imbalance. In fact I read today a good article describing the relationship between weigh gain, stress and adrenal fatigue.
Note: Adrenal glands belong to the endocrine system and are located on top of the kidneys. They have a major function in producing hormones in response to stress. The endocrine system itself is composed of different glands which secrete different types of hormones to regulate the body.
This article written by Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP, is a very good beginning if you want to understand the relationship between your hormonal health and your ability to lose weight. Of course there is also the work of Dr. John Lee which is an easy read if you really care to know what’s going on in your body and why you cannot lose weight.
Marcelle Pick makes a good point in her article:
“There are actual physiological changes that happen in the body during times of stress that can predispose us to pack on more pounds than when we aren’t stressed. These changes are rooted in our adrenal glands, which govern the stress response and many other fundamental bodily functions. When the adrenals are out of balance, the body prepares for disaster the best way it knows how ” by storing calories. Yet if we restore the adrenals to their normal, healthy function, cravings disappear, energy returns, and stubborn pounds fall away without too much effort.”
It makes a lot of sense to us.
But life becomes increasingly more demanding. The newest technology available – although it was supposed to make our lives easier, has increased the speed of everything we do. Everything is supposed to happen super-fast, but now we actually do more work, more emails more Facebook, more texting,
Then how to get rid of stress?
One way is to sell your house, quit your job, throw away your laptop computer, your iPhone, close down your email and go back to nature. Build a little house in the forest or in the bush, and live in the natural flow of life. Learn to meditate and do it for 4-5 hours daily. Your life will be transformed.
Unfortunately most people are not in the position to do that, and yet, somehow we need to learn to cope.
One interesting thing to me is that there aren’t many people talking about the importance of your mind in the process of losing weight. And if there are, they are probably our graduates. And when I said the importance of the mind, I don’t mean platitudes, affirmations, beating yourself up when you’re not strong and the like.
No, what I mean, is the “stuff” that you run mostly unconsciously that makes you give in and eat a “good meal”, with ice cream and cheese chocolate mousse or maybe Tiramisu or just a little piece of that Brownie with Coconut Frosting, even if you know that is against your goal of losing weight.
And once we had a student say to us – “but if I want to lose weight does that mean I will never get to eat something really yummy?”
Listen carefully! You can eat whatever you like. It is up to you and what you really want.
She remained adamant that she wanted to lose weight, but at the same time she could not bring herself to be congruent. The moment she would begin talking about losing weight, instantly and simultaneously she would bring to mind the chocolate chip lava cookies, and the strawberry pies, and the watermelon cake, It was amazing what her mind could do to her!
So, What Is Happening Here?
It is against good judgment to blame her for “sabotaging herself”, or “being weak”.
If you are like her, you got to ask yourself what’s going on?!? Are you doomed to have to live like this for the rest of your life? Why is it that the moment you decide to lose weight, there is a parade of forbidden goodies that go through your mind?
You are not Superman. Or Superwoman – as a matter of fact. And you are not required to become Superman or Superwoman to lose weight. What you’re required to do instead is to begin to educate yourself and really comprehend the WHY behind your body responding the way it does.
The internet is supposed to be full of health information, but the field is also loaded with mis-information, deception and outright fraud.
The intention of this article is to bring to your attention some knowledge and information which makes sense, it is reasonable, claims no instant weight loss, and allows you to identify other avenues of approach.
The kicker is that losing weight is not even that difficult. That is, if you really want to!
So, in part two of this article we’ll go together into details.
Until next time, be well.