Relaxation and Weight Loss

Original Post Date February 6, 2013 - As I was standing in the checkout lane at my local grocer, I looked over the wide array of magazines that were displayed. I looked at all the types that were there, from cooking to house decor to gossip and newsy types. I had a very good chuckle, there in the lane, as I realized that almost all had a feature article, if not the main cover article, on weight loss. Lose 10 pounds this way! Get tight abs and thighs that way! Get ready for vacations! New fruit helps melt away the weight! You get the idea. 


This obsession with weight and our bodies is amazing to me. I am both part of it and observing it. I, too, think about my body, its shape, weight and fitness level. Over the years I've tried a number of different things with varying levels of success. When I finally shed the main excess weight and kept it more or less where I desired, folks were asking me all sorts of questions about which specific diet I used or which exercise plan. My answer at the time was that I used both an easier and more difficult method. I got into my underlying issues of my body and weight and changed how I looked at food. Do I still need to work on these issues and revisit them? Yes, I do. However, I have found by looking at eating differently, I was more easily able to actually make lasting changes in food and exercise. 

So, how does this tie in to relaxation? One of the main things I considered was the way I ate in response to outside stimulus, also known as stressors. Stressors can be positive or negative, but they still stress the individual in one way or another. By applying what I've learned about activating the relaxation response, I've been able to change how I react to stressors that might encourage me to eat in a particular way.  Now there are some studies that show that those who reduce their stress can actually lose more weight. In a 2011 issue of the International Journal of Obesity, a Kaiser Permanente study showed a direct predictive relationship between stress levels and weight loss. 

In my practice with Inner Peaceworks, I look at excess weight and poor eating habits as symptoms of underlying unresolved stressors. Perhaps if we each took some time to understand more of why we eat the way we do, why we move our bodies the way we do, and why we feel the way we do about our bodies, we might find ourselves moving toward a greater degree of physical healthiness. Find a way to explore your feelings and thoughts about this. Perhaps you find journaling a useful tool. Perhaps you might do better with a friend or therapist. Explore this as you move toward health. You might find it easier than you expect.