Hello My Friends!
I should start this post by discussing that I believe the scale is the worst possible way to measure overall health. The scale can’t accurately measure your external physiology or what is going on internally with your body. I also think a lot of America’s obesity epidemic has to do with unregulated blood sugar and inflammation. However, that is another post for another day! Today I’m going to discuss three key problems that could be keeping you from reaching your weight loss goals.
- Stress– When your body is dealing with chronic stress, it is very difficult to lose weight. Stress immediately puts your body into a defensive mode, which is important because survival is obviously more important than being skinny. Short-term stress is healthy and normal. Stress can occur in response to positive changes like getting married or starting a new job or having a baby. However, it is important to check in and see how you are managing the stress. Pause for a minute and reflect on what you do when you are feeling stressed…
Now if those behaviors aren’t serving you, stop and reflect to see what other things could help you let go of some of that stress.
- Sleep– Sleep is critical for so many function in the body. I don’t know about you, but I struggle with making sleep a priority. I just have so many other things I want to get done during the day. However, if you are not getting at least 7.5 hours of sleep every night you are putting your body into a stressed state. What do you immediately crave after a poor night of sleep? Sugar? Caffeine? Exactly! Your body needs extra sugar because you are functioning in a stressed state. Do yourself a favor and start making sleep a priority!
- Movement– It is so easy to let exercise fall by the wayside. A lot of people think of exercise as boring or stressful. I believe it should be neither. I promise that if you hate something you are going to have a difficult time forcing yourself to do it. So find a way to incorporate movement into your day doing something that you love. My kids always want me to take them to the park or go on a walk. I have also found that group classes are fun and encouraging. If you find a form of movement that you enjoy, then you will stick to it! Exercise is like medicine. It helps your body heal and become more efficient with the tools it has!
What do you find helps you lose weight? How do you measure your health apart from the scale?
~Shelby