Using food to cope with emotions comes in degrees of intensity. For some, food is simply a means of distraction from boring activities or a filler for empty times. For others, it can be the only comfort they have to get through a painful life.
― Evelyn Tribole
Well-intentioned trainers and coaches in the fitness industry broadcast that obesity is a leading risk factor for severe coronavirus outcomes. There may be some truth to that, but when it sounds like they're blaming the victim, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
To protect ourselves from succumbing to the virus, the Mayo Clinic advises that if you are overweight or obese, aim to lose weight by eating a healthy diet and getting regular physical activity.
I welcome the acknowledgement that through better lifestyle choices, we can prevent infection. But, as mentioned in previous blogs, sustainable weight release is not just about diet and exercise. Obesity is a common disease condition associated with chronic inflammation and hormonal imbalance.
It’s too easy to judge based on appearance. I have witnessed health care professionals do it.
In a moving TEDMED Talk, Dr Peter Attia shares a story about his regret for the bitter contempt he felt and expressed for an obese diabetic patient whose leg needed to be amputated. He judged her because he believed that obesity was about sloth and gluttony. He now knows better.
Adversity and weight gain
Your body is the physical record of your life story as you’ve lived it until today.
~ Deepak Chopra
In the mid-1980s, an obesity program at Kaiser Permanente revealed an unexpected outcome. A high dropout rate occurred even though the vast majority of dropouts had been successful in losing weight.
Thorough follow up interviews led to the discovery that adverse childhood events (ACE’s) or trauma preceded the onset of the weight gain. Counterintuitively, for many people, it was observed that obesity was not their problem; it was their protective solution to problems that previously had never been discussed with anyone.
Feeling safe and secure is essential to let go of the weight.
Sometimes we make ourselves big, when we feel small
When we have subconscious programs running in the background that drive us to want to be overlooked or imposing to protect ourselves, diet and exercise will not result in sustainable weight release. Trauma and adverse childhood events need to be processed and resolved.
We may not even be aware of these subconscious programs unless we focus on our mental health, venturing beyond the physical aspects of healing. Awareness is key to helping create change.
Once we become aware, there are numerous things we can do.
Five overlooked tips for sustainable weight release
If possible, seek the help of a psychotherapist, especially one trained to do EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Consider hypnosis to reprogram the subconscious mind
Read Visualization for Weight Loss - The Gabriel Method Guide to Using Your Mind to Transform Your Body or try Jon's guided meditation
Tapping or EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) can be used as a healing tool for physical, emotional, and performance issues
Sleep well. Get to bed early. Honour natural light dark cycles to help regulate blood sugar and hunger hormones.
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