Weight loss is a topic that never leaves the lime light, which indicates that there is no solution for this recurring challenge. A recent study mentioned about 20% of ex-dieters were able to keep the weight off. People with a tendency to have uncontrolled eating sessions and those who suffered depression were amongst the 80% who regained their weight.
These figures show that weight loss is heavy duty, and not as simple as just taking in less calories, doing a bit more exercise and show some will power.
I know the biggest part of the weight loss has to do with the emotional aspects . As an EX bulimic for over 20 years (and having totally left that behind), I know the biggest challenge is that we enter into a BATTLE. We enter the battle with our fat reserves, we dislike or even hate those, and we gear ourselves up for a war. A war we are going to win, at least that is what we tell ourselves.
From the perspective of stress and stress management, the following happens: whenever we are attacked, we fight back. Sometimes this is an obvious, external action, sometimes this is an internal and mostly subconscious process.
When it comes to weight loss, we can distinguish two internal ‘personalities’, who are engaging in an internal dialogue. One is the person who talks to the outside world, the attacker, one is the person inside who has a different agenda, the defender.
Take a step back and consider……
What happens when someone points an accusing finger towards you? Physically you are tensing up, your brains start producing and releasing adrenaline and cortisol, the famous stress hormones, and the whole of your being is massively into defence, not wanting to give in. Your automatic response to attack is defence.
The battle about weight has a clear attacker, the head, and a sneaky defender, the heart. The head is telling us, as will our partner, friends or our dreams, to lose weight. The heart gives us another message: it is nice to be able to hide behind our extra pounds, or I am still rebelling against my parents and this is my power tool, or I do not want to accommodate to expectations….. and more and more.
This internal battlefield will prevent you to be successful with your weight loss.
The good news is that it is easy, with the right tools and the right guidance, to eliminate the battle. Honouring head and heart, balancing the two harmoniously instead of having them at war, is the key to successful weight loss.
An important tool is meditation.
Meditation helps to distance yourself from the rational argumentation in your head, and will create space for the emotional aspects. As a result of the practice, the need for the fight stops, the stress levels come down and the edge and tension around losing weight will dissipate.
Research has shown that as a result of a regular meditation practice, the part of the brain (the right pre frontal cortex) that is aggressive and negative around challenges reduces, where the part of the brain that is curious, willing to embrace a challenge and more positive (the left) is more active.
If you can face the challenge of weight loss with a relaxed attitude, it will not feel as a battle, the resistance will diminish and success is around the corner.
If you are a dieter, looking for a solution, this might be it! Contact me to discuss what I can do for you to help you to shed the pounds for the rest of your life by phone 07967717131 or email mariette.jansen.coaching@gmail.com
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