Last week, I started a prescription weight loss medication. I used this same medication last summer and lost almost 20 pounds in four weeks. But, I developed high blood pressure, so I stopped the medication. With that in mind, my doctor and I are proceeding carefully, but the fact of the matter is, I've gained 30 pounds since February and it (and more) needs to come off.
As my doctor and I were talking about going back on the medication, I told her about the stress factors in my life right now. She asked if I thought this was a good time to try to lose weight, which I thought was a strange question. Of course, it is! When I lose weight, that will be a positive factor in my life which I need to help lessen the intensity of the negative. She said that you have to have the right mindset to lose weight.
Now, I'm beginning to see what she meant. I expected the pounds to melt off like last time, but, although I'm consuming less than 1,000 calories a day, the needle on the scale barely moved this week. How can that be?! What mysterious metabolic disease do I have?! Oooh, maybe it's something new and I'll have a disease named after me!
I read this article and it all began to make sense to me. In it, the author says "When your body releases an excess of cortisol, this interferes with your
metabolic processes. The release of stress hormones has been linked
with a slowing down of the metabolism. So when you are dealing with a
lot of stress, you may be eating the same amount of food as before but
not burning off as many calories as you used to." That's me to a tee. Even the "wonder drug" can't help me lose weight if I'm dealing (or not dealing) with stress.
So, that's the key to the weight loss treasure chest. Changing my mindset will change my body.
Next stop...my happy place.
