It is not often that I am surprised in the world of Health and Wellbeing. I have read loads and have met and learnt or tried many therapies, diets and fitness programmes. So I kind of thought I knew a lot. I have therefore been pleasantly surprised and interested about how much I have already learnt on the Back to Life Programme.
I don’t want to bore you with all the details, there is so much to tell, so I will get to the nub of the main insights - what I call the gold - which may help you if you are considering changing your lifestyle and are stuck or have tried and failed in the past and so have given up trying. If this describes you then read on:
1) Inability to lose weight is not necessarily about lack of knowledge about diet, exercise and health.
So most people know what is good or bad for them but continue anyway. I believe they carry on because they simply don’t know how to exit the cycle they are in and the underlying causes and, having failed before, not surprisingly, they give up.
For me it was not until I sat down and wrote about the key "Why" reasons that I was wanting to lose weight that the pennies began to drop. As I set out a list of the reasons I may struggle and focused on me (a rare occasion) that I realised that the underlying issues were something completely different. The Back to Life project has taught me to be more “mindful”
and self aware about my wellbeing. Let me explain:
As a Back to Life Babe you make a commitment to the programme. You sign a pledge to commit to the programme and you have to write out your "Why" reasons for doing it and the potential things that may put "Brakes" on your progress. This may seem like unnecessary paperwork but it is not, it is crucial.
· It actively brings to the front of the conscious mind why you are embarking on this process and what it means to you and what may stop you.
· Also by signing it and formally agreeing it, you set your commitment in stone. You make it a firm reality. Rather than a limp commitment which you can wriggle out of at the first opportunity (anyone recognise this?).
· In addition when writing your "Brakes" you actually admit all the possible pitfalls and even as you write them you find yourself thinking of how you can avoid these. So it is an upfront way of preparing yourself to avoid them.
Very simple, but really effective.
So back to me I discovered by writing and recording on this programme that my real issues were 1) lack of sleep and 2) stress.
It was these two issues that were the primary culprits sabotaging my inability to lose weight and in fact were making me gain weight. I was trapped in a vicious cycle. I was exhausted but too stressed and tired to find the motivation to change my behaviours.
The irony was that the tiredness made my body think I needed energy fast and was promoting cravings for the wrong type of foods (sugar and carbs and caffeine) which then held me in the cycle of weight gain and tiredness and highs and lows.
I had an opportunity change.In addition to doing a diet and exercise plan ( I will write more about this next time) I have also begun to address the things that were sabotaging me. I am using simple steps that anyone could do - but the impact has been significant:
Improving your sleep:
· Going to bed earlier and reading a book to get you off to sleep in relaxed way.
· Making the bedroom a comfortable and soothing haven - no TV or computer.
· Consider having a hot bath or herbal tea before bed.
· No computer after 9.30pm at night as it does not promote sleep.
· No caffeine after mid day ( virtually no caffeine at all if you can). I have replaced tea, coffee and diet coke with Water and herbal teas - which I am beginning to love.
Avoiding or reducing stress in your life:
· Actively avoiding occasions and incidents, when it is possible, that you know cause you stress. Also if you cannot avoid these incidents or occasions have a think about what you can do to reduce the stress they cause you.
· Asking for help when you need it.
· Getting support from Friends and Family that you know will help you willingly.
· Organising yourself better so events and situations don’t become unnecessarily stressful. (time management)
· Giving up being a people pleaser all the time. So for example - I am taking time to think "is this right for me" before I agree to do things. I am not advocating becoming selfish but simply being willing to do things for yourself and not to do things that actually actively harm your wellbeing just to please others.
· Giving time and gifts to yourself without feeling guilty. So - for me this means I can go to the gym, have a massage, play a game of tennis and I make it happen and organise childcare without feeling like I am letting people down.
By following these simple steps I can honestly say that I have slept better in the past two weeks than I have in years. I am feeling a whole lot less stressed already. OK - it is early days and I need to make these changes permanent new habits but the results so far have certainly incentivised me!.
Next time I am going to talk about the diet - it is delicious and I have hardly felt hungry and my family are enjoying it too. Even the children. My son got his own spoon and sat next to me to eat my soup as he loves it so much - he is six and a fussy eater. I have been amazed.....
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