The Missing Piece

The missing piece.

When working with Health Coaching clients, very often they’re doing “everything right”. They’re watching what they eat, they’re exercising regularly, but they’re just not losing weight. They’re pushing & pushing & pushing… but not going anywhere.

So, I start helping them evaluate what might be causing this weight loss resistance. We go through diet, exercise & lifestyle. Almost always what I find is they are eating healthy & exercising enough, but they’re overwhelmed, over-booked, and crazy stressed with work, kids, etc… and their sleep is crap or they’re not getting enough.

This is the missing piece.

Stress plays a HUGE factor in how our bodies function. Stress contributes to everything from heart disease, strokes, and even cancer. Stress even leads to weight loss resistance.

When our bodies are stressed (in fight, flight or freeze) it shuts down healing mechanisms & it goes into storage mode. It actually releases hormones that cause you to store fat, because it’s perceiving a threat. It’s a survival mechanism to make sure we have enough energy (i.e. fat) available in case we have to flee a dangerous situation, or we have to go for a prolonged time without food because there’s danger present. It’s what’s kept our ancestors alive through times of famine & prior to agriculture…

But, we don’t live in a society where there isn’t food present at all times. We never go prolonged times without food. So, we never have the opportunity to use the fat stores that our bodies have so lovingly preserved for our survival. (it really is a loving way our body wants to protect & care for us)

So, what we end up doing is stressing about our weight, which is a adding to the stress problem. We exercise harder or longer, which also adds to the stress problem, because even though exercise is good for us… it’s a stress on the body.

What we need to do instead is less.

When I tell people this, they’re terrified. They’ve been in flight, flight or freeze for so long, the idea of slowing down feels like losing control… they’re afraid it’ll backfire & they’ll gain weight. But, the ones who trust me, and start doing less, and start finding ways to incorporate stress-reducing behaviors, and ways to improve/increase sleep… they start losing weight. Not on day 1, but if they stick with it, and allow their bodies to get into rest, digest, and healing mode… they not only look better, they feel better too.

Learning how to work smarter, not harder, is the key to long-term weight loss & maintenance. Focusing on nourishing the body, instead of restricting, is what makes it sustainable… because willpower runs out. Always. But, giving the body what it needs to function optimally allows us to take the willpower out of the equation…

By taking this approach, you not only change your waistline… you change your life.

Suddenly you have time to appreciate your life, instead of constantly running from one thing to another. Suddenly, you can use your energy to do things you enjoy, instead of using that energy to fight your body. Suddenly, you start experiencing more ease in all areas of your life.

If you fight your body, your body will win. Every time. The body wants to heal. It wants to be at a healthy weight. It wants to keep you alive. Learning to work with your body, by giving what it’s asking for, is the path to health & vitality.

Learning to let go of control is hard, but it’s worth it. You deserve health. 💖