Do you know
that weight loss is directly affected by your bodies nervous system? Sounds
crazy, but it’s true and I’ll explain how…
The nervous
system is made up of two major divisions:
1. Voluntary System
a.
Controls
movement and sensation
2. Autonomic System
a.
Controls
basically the involuntary functions such as:
i.
Food
digestion
ii.
Blood
pressure
iii.
Heart
rate
The Autonomic
System has two branches which are the ones that have a direct link to whether
you lose weight or not:
1. Sympathetic
a.
Stress
Response
i.
Fight
or Flight - Run for your life
2. Parasympathetic
a.
Relaxation
Response
i.
Life
is good
First let’s
look at the Sympathetic Response and
how it causes the digestion to shut down, triggering weight gain or the inability
to lose weight.
Stress, fear,
anger, anxiety, negative judgment, negative thoughts and the like are what
cause the Sympathetic Response to become active and dominant.
We experience
subtle life challenges on a daily basis that keep us under continual stress and
keep our bodies from properly digesting our food, assimilating nutrients, and typical
calorie burning.
Examples:
External Triggers to the Sympathetic
Response
Finances
Worried about
a loved one
Unfulfilled Career
Deprived
Relationships
Internal Triggers to the Sympathetic
Response
I’m no good
I’m too fat
I’m not good
enough
I’m lonely
When the
Sympathetic Response is triggered, the body produces an increase in the
hormones Cortisol and Insulin. In response to the threat it senses, the body automatically begins to store fat and weight, and will not build muscles.
(Only 5-10% of
the population will burn calories during a stressed state. Temporary weight
loss can and usually does happen during extreme stress situations, such as a death
of a loved one.)
Appetite
Dysregulation is when the body loses it’s ability to discern when it’s had
enough. This is when overeating and binge eating occur. Negative self-talk, stress, fear, and anger
once again can cause confusion in the digestive system to the point that we
have a difficult time recognizing when to stop eating.
Now let’s
take a look at Parasympathetic Nervous System Dominance. When the
Parasympathetic Response is active, relaxation is on. Life is good. There's nothing to
stress about, the body and mind have no anxiety. Full healthy digestion, nutrient
assimilation, and calorie burning power is full on.
·
The
body and mind are in a natural state of relaxation.
·
Natural
appetite regulation occurs – the body is ready to work and work well, it doesn’t
feel threatened.
·
Pleasure
chemistry is triggered – when we’re relaxed, we sense pleasurable things more
readily and fully. We feel fulfilled, happy, and thankful.
·
Optimized
digestion, assimilation, and calorie burning occur.
·
Fulfillment
and nourishment with food are the outcome.
I totally relate to the fact that it is difficult and discouraging to try and convince yourself that you are not stressed when you really are stressed. We cannot FAKE relaxation when in a stressed state. On the outside we may appear calm but the inside of our mind and body knows the truth. But, don't get discouraged, I was once in this same stuck spot and I can help!
Below are some of the outcomes and solutions to an over-active Sympathetic Nervous System Dominance.
Overeating:
It’s not about willpower – it’s about
embracing your appetite and honoring what your body is really telling you. This was
one
of my biggest Aha! moments. Once I quite thinking I was somehow
defective because I kept craving ice cream when I was stressed, I was able to
focus on what my body really wanting…it wanted to relax, it wanted a warm
relaxing bath or a quiet moment looking at the stars. Learning to give my body
what it really wanted became more satisfying than the ice cream.
It’s about slowing down, relaxing,
getting present with what you really need. It’s about finding something enjoyable
and comforting - not food.
When my older son gets home from a hectic day at work or a
frustrating drive through traffic, he relaxes by lighting incense. The soft
aroma calms his mind and he is able to relax without the need for comfort food.
Binge Eating:
To overcome binge eating use the
same techniques as with overeating – slowing down, becoming present with what
the real need is. Most often people will turn to food for comfort. How often
have you been home alone and finished off a whole bag of chips or cookies when
all you really wanted was a hug or someone to visit with?
FACT:
People cannot binge eat when they are relaxed.
Eating powerful, nutrient rich foods
is another way to win the binge eating battle. Often, our bodies are nutrient
starved and they keep begging for nutritional foods – we keep feeding it
hamburgers and fries and then wonder why we can’t stop eating!
Binge eating can be a powerful
stress reliever. It takes us into a state of relaxation and our mind feels that
everything is now safe and okay. The
negative side to this is that binge eating wreaks havoc on the digestive system
and the safety our mind is feeling is a false sense of safety. The chances of
whatever triggered the binge eating in the first place is likely to reoccur….the
cycle keeps going around and around. Binge eating is caused by emotional
elements in our life that have not been resolved.
Once I learned what my emotional stress
triggers actually were and where they were coming from, I was able to address them one by one in a
positive and healing way. I could never
have done this all on my own though. I had a strong support system and health
coach guidinging me. If you suffer from binge eating, I encourage you to find a
holistic practitioner to help you. You are not broken, and I can help you
achieve your goals and dreams for your health and life.
Chronic Dieting:
If you seem
to always be on a diet you should
consider these facts:
·
Caloric
restrictions triggers survival response
·
Chronic
dieting creates the opposite effect dieters want
·
96-99%
of all people who lose weight on a diet gain it back + more weight within a
year
·
The
stress of dieting and self-attack powerfully impacts metabolism
·
‘Eat
less, exercise more’ is profoundly
outdated science
Losing weight
is NOT about dieting, calorie restrictions, pills, or guilt. All weight loss
strategies that are motivated by self-hate and self-attack (deprivation, extreme
exercises) are destined to fail.
We
have to love the weight off!
Stress is a
code word for so many of our personal challenges. People who have a strong
religious belief can turn everything over to God and thus change the challenges
into opportunities. Once we learn to
welcome our weight issues and celebrate who we really are, we begin to open the
door and we begin to listen to the message our weight is giving us. We are
emotional people and its okay! What are your emotions really telling you?
I appreciate
James Hillman’s Acorn Theory -
"Most of psychology has been teaching
you that you come from a dysfunctional past. That there is something wrong with
us and if I could only fix my dysfunctional past then I’ll be okay, maybe…No,
all the challenges of the past, all of the dysfunction was really the fertile
soil, the fertilizer, the muck that will help my little acorn become a
magnificent oak tree. We’re all acorns with a mighty oak tree inside us. The
challenges crack open the acorn and release the mighty oak." (Paraphrased by Mark David)
Are you tired of being stuck in your little acorn? Are you ready to burst forth and show the world what an awe-inspiring oak tree you really are?
Inspired by what you've read? Want to get a feel for what it's like to work with me as your Wellness & Lifestyle Consultant? Sign up for a FREE initial consultation TODAY!
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