The right mindset

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.

Today's lesson is about--time out!

Being healthy is not a low number on the scale in the morning. That is a result of (hopefully) being healthy in the body, mind and spirit.  If one, two or all three are out of balance, there's trouble.

This week, I've had to unexpectedly deal with all sorts of  imbalance, my own and others.  It's been coming at me from all directions. And it's been tough. It's tough because the daily management of deadlines at work and schedules for the family suddenly go from being a well-laid out plan to being items of which I have to prioritize and choose which ones get accomplished and which don't.  Add a killer migraine, achy body and  very sore throat and compounded by the weight the imbalances bring and, man, I have one heck of a country song on my hands.

We've all been there.  Especially if we're parents. As moms and dads, we strive to maintain balance and harmony in our families to keep them physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy.  When that balance is off, we feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders.  We put forth super-human effort to fix what's broken and restore balance. And it's tough.

One of the hardest things to do during stressful times is to take care of yourself.  Do something that makes you happy and brings a physical, emotional and/or spiritual respite, however brief, from the battle. Take a break from the stress and make some "You" time. In this article about the importance of having quality time, the author validates that "Taking time off for yourself allows you to renew and rejuvenate. You will emerge with more vigor and energy to face every day’s chaos."  For me, my "me time" this week is daily trips to Dunkin Donuts for their Sausage Wake Up Wrap and a small coffee.  The wrap is only 290 calories and it makes me feel like I'm starting out the day doing something special for myself.  I'm also taking a couple of days off of work, even though there is a project on my desk waiting to be finished. And that's okay.

And I've been praying. A lot.

Do for you so you can do for others. Restore your own well-being so you can be the help others need to restore theirs.  It's important to make time for *you*.