Mind & Body Connection???

FletcherChic

does anybody know if your mind can interfere with weight loss?...what i mean is...if you see yourself as fat, then do you think it makes any difference how much you work out and no matter how well you eat? i workout out 6 days a week and am happy to do it - i love to work out so it's not that i am unmotivated or lazy...and i eat exactly as i am supposed to, log my foods down to the very last gram....and yet i still stay exactly where i am...i see myself as fat (in comparison to my much thinner days about 20 pounds ago) and i have developed such a poor self esteem that i just can't seem to get excited about anything as it concerns my weight...my whole world revolves around getting exercise, eating the right foods, and wondering what in the heck is going wrong??? is it possible to become so obsessed or to become so down on yourself that your mind actually prevents the body from shedding weight??? i have heard trainers say that when clients are trying to "muscle up" it helps if you think about the specific muscle being worked - imagining it, if you may - grwoing bigger and stronger....so i wonder if the same is true for losing the fat? if i envision it going away instead of focusing on the fact that it is STILL there, do you think it would help??? i know this may sound crazy but i am at a loss...don't know what else to do...????

FletcherChic

does anybody know if your mind can interfere with weight loss?...what i mean is...if you see yourself as fat, then do you think it makes any difference how much you work out and no matter how well you eat? i workout out 6 days a week and am happy to do it - i love to work out so it's not that i am unmotivated or lazy...and i eat exactly as i am supposed to, log my foods down to the very last gram....and yet i still stay exactly where i am...i see myself as fat (in comparison to my much thinner days about 20 pounds ago) and i have developed such a poor self esteem that i just can't seem to get excited about anything as it concerns my weight...my whole world revolves around getting exercise, eating the right foods, and wondering what in the heck is going wrong??? is it possible to become so obsessed or to become so down on yourself that your mind actually prevents the body from shedding weight??? i have heard trainers say that when clients are trying to "muscle up" it helps if you think about the specific muscle being worked - imagining it, if you may - grwoing bigger and stronger....so i wonder if the same is true for losing the fat? if i envision it going away instead of focusing on the fact that it is STILL there, do you think it would help??? i know this may sound crazy but i am at a loss...don't know what else to do...????

healthy_me

I do believe in the power of positive thinking. The mind is incredibly powerful and if you are constantly 'down' on yourself I think the body reacts to that negative energy and may remain static. Do you have a gratitude journal? I find that works for me. Just try it - write down 3-5 things you are grateful for each day. I write down things that I'm grateful my body can do. Example: I'm grateful that I'm strong enough to run 7 miles.

I think you should try focusing on the positive aspects of your eating and exercising. It can't hurt!

msujdak

I know if you're stressing about it you could be stimulating the adrenal glands which produce cortesone, which cause inflammation and stimulates the belly to produce fat. So relax...:glasses:

Junisahn

Hi - your post made me think of 2 things I've heard recently.

First, I read in a health magazine (so not exactly science here) that people who visualized lifting weights gained almost as much strength as people who actually did the lifting. Hmm... I believe that visualization can add to strength, because when you visualize doing something - and I mean REALLY meditate on it - you activate the connection and blood flow to the muscles you are thinking of.

The second thing your post made me think is that stress causes your body to release cortisol, which causes your body to go into a sort of survival mode - part of which means that you hold onto more fat and body weight - especially the weight that hangs out around the waist.

I've recently picked up yoga, and of all the changes I've made in diet and exercise, I think yoga is the thing that is making the whole diet/life change work for me. It truly is a destressor, and I always feel like I've given myself a little treat by taking time out to do it - maybe it would help you to get through some of the hurdles...

I know what you mean about your whole day revolving around the food and exercise. I like this site because it eases those thoughts off me. If I want a 1/2 oz of chocolate tonight with 1 oz of peanuts and 1/3 oz of marshmallows (my FAVORITE treat), I know exactly what I need to do to get it - walk nearly 60 minutes. The math of it keeps me from the guilty feelings, you know?

Best,
Wendy

weesel80

I have a vision board that I made...It is a big cork board filled with cut-outs from magazines...pictures, words, phrases of how I see myself and I have it posted in my bedroom in a place I can see it everyday when I wake up. It has gotten me through some difficult plateaus...But yes, your thoughts can definitely influence your life...

FletcherChic

thank you for the great ideas and for your opinions! i am loving the gratitude journal and the little board with positive images! i should be grateful for my health and my amazing family instead of worrying about my thighs...i need to channel all my energy into other things - i am sure of it and hopefully that will help! i am also going to try the yoga - i love yoga but it's so relaxing that i can hardly function for the rest of the day :yawn:
i really do appreciate all of you on here and all of your thoughts - you're all a big help!!! :flowerforyou:

Mangoaddict

I have said again and again that we need to stay positive. I believe in the mind and body connection. You can make better choices and the outcome is always going to be better. Read the book A NEW EARTH. It is great for lifting you up, especially on days that seem low and depressing. We are on a journey and the more positive we remain the faster we see results. Connect with all positive energy and channel it through in your exercise. It will definitely help and make you feel better.