There’s an infinite amount of tweaks you can make to your food intake and your movement or workout routines to cause a change in your body — an endless combination of biological, physical, or chemical factors that could be manipulated to yield a shift in your weight or a change in your body composition.
I think the interwebz contain more than enough information on that subject matter for you to sift through.
But have you ever been taught how to create that change by causing brain-change?
Have you ever tried to ‘skin that cat’ by (instead of focusing on the physical) focusing on the metaphysical?
The stuff you can’t see — your thoughts. Your feelings. Your mental focus.
If you haven’t ever approached it from this angle, I wholeheartedly invite you to try.
Because I have a feeling that if you do, it will yield you the easiest, most effortless results you’ve ever gotten.
In fact you might even say: “What a minute? How did that happen?”
Because the shifts I’m talking about are almost…unnoticeable.
The variables are tasteless, weightless, and motionless.
And here’s why:
Some (if not all) of the excess ‘weight’ that you’re carrying around is not food or body related at all.
It’s a brain ‘thing’. It’s a nervous system ‘thing’.
Because when you’re nervous system is nervous….it’s always on high alert.
Your brain is literally FIGHTING your weight loss.
You’ve heard of ‘fight or flight’ right?
That’s another way of saying that (essentially) your brain thinks it’s running from a bear. Your fight or flight nervous system takes over as the ‘pilot’ and it just keeps doing it’s thing to protect you.
It gets those stress hormones (the ones the weight loss industry calls the “fat storage hormones”) pumping to you, preps itself to either run, fight, or play dead.
But here’s the thing: You’re not REALLY in danger. Your brain just thinks you are.
What causes your brain to sense it’s in fight or flight?
Any type of STRESS or negative emotions.
There’s 4 main kinds to be aware of:
I call it ‘the weight of the weight’.
★ The weight of the shame, blame, guilt, comparison, and perfectionism that usually comes alongside typical weight loss methods (aka the Bitches)
★ The weight of the plans and programs that cause you to restrict yourself, punish yourself, or persuade yourself to do the things you don’t really want to do.
★ The weight of stress, threat, or overwhelm that (if not released) weighs down your mind, heart, body, and brain.
★ The weight of ‘waiting for the weight’ to live the life you want to live – to wear what you want to wear, do what you want to do, have what you want to have, and be who you want to be..
And it LITERALLY and figuratively weighs us down.
As in, it KEEPS our brains in the ‘fight or flight’ state. It keeps our nervous system NERVOUS.
Even if you’re doing ‘all the right things’ to lose weight (like eating ‘right’ and working out regularly), it doesn’t matter.
It (in a way) cancels all of that out.
Because what most women don’t know is that fat loss, weight loss, or whatever you refer to it as…
Happens in the OPPOSITE branch of your nervous system. It takes place in the ‘relaxed’ branch of your nervous system (NOT the ‘fight or flight’ branch).
So what’s the antidote?
Well I can tell you what it’s NOT.
★ It’s not the time to just “get back on the wagon”.
★ It’s not the time to “bump things up” or “kick it up a notch”
★ It’s not the time to add more, speed things up, or ‘crack the whip’.
Nope. All of those things are simply MORE stress to an already over-stressed nervous system.
What you need is for your trusty ‘relaxation brain’ to kick into gear, take over as pilot, and do the steering from there on out.
The SIMPLEST solution is to ‘trick’ your brain back into your ‘rest and digest’ nervous system (the opposite of your ‘fight or flight’ system) by creating an experience of RELAXATION.
Sounds too good (or too simple) to be true?
It’s not. It’s actually just science. Because anything that causes you to relax, chill out, or simply feel happy or positive emotions causes you to produce the most potent ‘drug’ that the brain deals us:
OXYTOCIN
If I could bottle that bad boy Oxytocin up and drink it on command, I would do it. Because it’s one potent chemical.
It’s the safety hormone — the love and relaxation hormone.
It also ‘dampens’ sympathetic nervous system activity. In other words, it helps YOU get back into that relaxed part of your brain where all the weight loss, digestion, metabolism, and fat mobilization happen.
Yup! Oxytocin is like a ‘miracle in a bottle’ for women (like I said, if I could bottle that stuff up, I would!).
I can’t…but you CAN create it on demand whenever you choose.
I’ll stop talking about it… and just prove it to you.
I’ve compiled a list of 20 simple, easy, and immediately-doable ways you can elicit YOUR Oxytocin response, force your brain into its relaxed state, and leave your ‘rest and digest’ system at the steering wheel.
No B.S. and no exaggeration. If you simply pick ONE of these and try it out in your everyday life — even just a few minutes per day — just watch how your BODY reacts.
Track how you feel. Track how you move, how your clothes fit. Track your hunger levels or eating tendencies. And I would bet money on the fact that things will start shifting.
Because Bottom Line: Anything that removes stress, causes relaxation, or causes you to operate from the parasympathetic branch of your nervous system could be THE thing that pushes you over the weight loss ‘tipping point’.
What you ARE currently doing will become more potent and impactful.
Here’s 20 Ways You Can Lose 5 Pounds This Week
★ Breathe
Take a deep breath in and let your belly expand. Exhale it out and let your belly contract. Wash, rinse, repeat. A few deep breaths in and out is all it takes to trigger that relaxation response in your brain, body, and mind.
★ Walk
It’s amazing what a little walk can do to get your blood flowing, get your body moving, and relax you.
★ Dance/Play
You’re never too old, busy, or ‘cool’ to have a mini dance party in your living room. Try it…and see how you feel afterwards. The rhythm is gonna get you 🙂
★ Ditch the Guilt Around Food (Before, During, and After You Eat)
Become mindful of when you’re experiencing negative emotions or thinking while you eat. Things like guilt, shame, blame, or comparison are actually FATTENING! Anytime you feel frustrated or annoyed, your brain just sees it as STRESS, and takes you out of that relaxed state we are trying to create.
And it lays down a cocktail of those infamous “fat-storage hormones” that we hear about all the time in the weight loss industry — specifically cortisol, adrenaline, and epinephrine.
★ Get More Photo-nutrients and Micro-nutrients
Most women are walking around overfed but undernourished. Most women are counting calories or fat grams, but fail to notice if they aren’t getting enough ‘brain food’. Depriving your body and brain of enough nutrients sends off a stress signal to your brain and nervous system.
★ Meditate
I never resonated with ‘typical’ definitions of meditation that were introduced to me. So what did I do? I created my own! And I invite you to do the same thing. Use music, movement, essential oils, or anything you can to calm your nervous system, come back to your breath, tune into the present moment, and just be. THAT is all you need to do.
★ Instill A Morning Ritual That Grounds You
Most women I talk to check their smart phone first thing in the AM or jump straight into their ‘to do’s’ for the the day. This is the OPPOSITE of relaxation to your brain. What can you do to ensure you start your day off relaxed and grounded? It doesn’t have to be some huge undertaking either. As little as 60 seconds first thing in the morning is enough to activate that relaxation response in your brain and get that Oxytocin a’flowing.
★ Instill An Evening Ritual That Calms You
The same is true at night. Don’t go to sleep with all your worries or stresses on your mind. Perhaps do a ‘mind dump’ on paper before bed? Perhaps you can create a musical playlist that relaxes you and chills you out. The sky is the limit. But whatever you do, you have the power to influence your sleep and your middle-of-the-night vibes.
★ Create a ‘Positive Distraction’ List For Your Comfort Habits
One episode of “Orange is the New Black” on Netflix is entertaining, relaxing, and helps me turn my brain off. An all-out binge on the other hand? That’s a recipe for me feeling guilty and full of cognitive dissonance (Think: “I should be doing THAT, yet I’m here doing THIS”). But if you’re stuck ‘in the thick’ of your habits and don’t have any alternatives that appeal to you, the cycle might be hard to break. So I recommend making a list of ‘positive rituals’ to have on hand for you to use instead. That way you can still “turn your brain off”, but you don’t have to feel guilty in the meantime. And it’s a surefire way to get that relaxation you truly desire.
★ Find Human Connection
Connect, cuddle, hug, laugh, experience joy, make love, have orgasms, or do anything that produces that love and ‘safety’ hormone Oxytocin. Nuff said.
★ Carve Out Some YOU-Time
Most of us are GREAT at taking care of others, but lousy at putting ourselves first. Well now that you know that (YES!) relaxation time could definitely yield you some weight loss and a smaller belly, is that a double-dose of inspiration to carve out some time for YOU? You’re worth it sister. You’re worth it!
★ Eat Slower, Smoother, and More Mindfully
If you were a fly on the wall of most women’s homes around dinnertime, you’d witness one or more of the following. Food arbitrarily thrown on a plate. Smartphones in hand. TV on in the background. Food gets scarfed down, and it’s on to the next thing. But when it comes to YOUR waistline and health goals, it’s not about WHAT you’re eating, it’s who you’re BEING when you’re eating it. And the ‘recipe’ above is a surefire way to NOT be in the parasympathetic (Rest and Digest) branch of your nervous system. If all you did was simply slow down, breathe, and become present with your food (become more mindful), this in itself might be the ‘magic bullet’ you’ve been looking for.
★ Practice Gratitude
Did you know that your ‘worry brain’ can’t turn on when you are focusing on gratitude? Focusing on what you DON’T like, DON’T appreciate, and DON’T want more of will land you straight in that stressed part of your brain. Gratitude however is a great way to get that oxytocin pumping through your blood.
★ Do A ‘Brain Dump’ In The Morning
Don’t take your worries (or your to-do list) around with you all day in a unorganized or stressful way. Get it all out of your head and on to paper first thing in the morning. Try it. You won’t be sorry.
★ Do A ‘Brain Dump’ In The Evening
Definitely don’t take any of that stress or worry with you to bed either. Dump it before bed.
★ Use Movement as Therapy
Yes movement for the purpose of burning calories or ‘exercising’ can indeed contribute to your weight loss goals. But forget that kind of movement for a moment. Instead I want you to think about this idea that movement can also be like THERAPY (Think: low-impact and no-impact movement). Try it out. Move for the sake of moving. Shake your sillies out. Dance like no one’s watching. Move for the fun and the joy and the experience. PLAY!
★ Float
Amazing things happen when you feel weightless (or at least don’t feel the full pull of gravity on your body) . Whether it’s a swimming pool, the bathtub, a sensory deprivation, paddle board, a canoe, or any other way to immerse yourself in water, it’s an amazingly relaxing experience. Your brain and nervous system will love you for it.
★ Add Magnesium to Your Daily Intake
When your nervous system is on stressed, it sucks up your magnesium stores like a sponge. Magnesium deficiency can lead to a ton of ailments — physical, mental, and emotional. But that’s also why it’s so potent and helpful to supplement. You can get it through a ‘healthy’ diet, but even those of us that do get enough of it, one stressful day can deplete your stores and leave your body deficient. Do a magnesium experiment and see how you feel. Once again, your nervous system will thank you.
★ Make Mealtimes FUN and PLEASURABLE
Play with your food, add music in the background, arrange food beautifully on your plate, enjoy a glass of wine with dinner (if it relaxes you and you can do it guilt-free). The sky is the limit. Relax your mind, your body, and your brain while you eat, and your waistline will thank you.
★ Do Your Own BFF Experiment
Are you your own biggest critic or Judgy McJudgerson? Again any time you spend thinking about what you DISLIKE about yourself or talking to yourself like you’re your own biggest inner-BITCH rather than your own BFF, your brain just sees it as STRESS. And it lays down a cocktail of those infamous “fat-storage hormones”.
So what’s the solution? Well to be honest, there’s many. But here’s one you could easily ‘try on’ and see how it goes. I call it a BFF experiment. What if you became aware of YOUR inner bitch? Then every time you notice it, ask yourself “What would my BFF say?” Obviously if you’ve been treating yourself this way, it doesn’t just magically disappear overnight. But this is just ONE small way you can take steps towards overcoming this. Try it out for a week and see how you feel: Treat yourself the way you pride yourself in treating others.
Bottom Line: You CAN create a relaxation response on demand whenever you choose.
And remember: anything that removes stress, causes relaxation, or causes you to operate from the parasympathetic branch of your nervous system could be THE thing that pushes you over the weight loss ‘tipping point’.
Because this is what your brain and body NEED in order to offer you optimal digestion, metabolism, and weight loss. THIS is what could be missing for you.
If ALL you did was incorporate any one of these 20 simple, easy, and immediately-doable ways you can elicit YOUR Oxytocin response, force your brain into its relaxed state, and leave your ‘rest and digest’ system at the steering wheel.
Everything will change for you.
Seriously! No B.S. and no exaggeration. Pick ONE of these and try it out in your everyday life — even just a few minutes per day — just watch how your BODY reacts.
I would bet money on the fact that things will start shifting.
I double dogg dare you 🙂
