Lighten UP--overcoming Stress&Anger success stories

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Mental Flab&Fat Exercise for me today: focusing on (verses ignoring) and Working out stress & anger!

Stress is a fat collector, especially around my GUT--for ME it is anyway, it super is. I can literally FEEL my stomach growing flabby/flabbier & yuckier when I get stressed and angry. I don't know what the "scientific reasons are or whatever, nor what the "experts" say is true or not, but for me--stress and anger makes getting rid of my gut harder. So, what I'm practicing/exercising (making a conscientious effort to do, to reduce stress and anger in my life is to....LOOK at things from other people's perspective--this isn't an option--I'm going to make myself listen more, be more interested in other people's perspective with a more humble (I don't have all the answers, and I could possibly be wrong attitude even more so than I *think* I already do:wink: ). I MUST do this with the same determination I'm working out daily with bodily exercise--I want to do this as a way of life, no matter what--to help lighten myself up, literally!

Also, another mental flab/fat exercise I'll be working on today (and everyday) is to Smile MORE. Purposely, not waiting to have a reason, nor caring if it makes me look and feel like an idiot or fool. Smiling more, to exercise my face muscles and also to help make my mental fat cry some more too, as I do my body fat when I exercise (sweat). I'll smile more and remember what my father used to tell me all the time when I was young--he used to tell me: "When you smile, the whole world smiles with you...when you frown/cry--you frown/cry ALONE. Remember that anger and stress are enemies to my total mental and physical weight-loss regime and will keep my gut and butt BIG and ugly and make me big and ugly, not just on the outside...but on the inside too. So today I shall purposely Lighten up--literally!!!!!

Do you have any stress * anger success stories that works for you or that you are working and is helping you win this battle of the bulge? If so, please share, okay?

Replies

  • Jellytotss
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    I dont have any success stories but just wanted to say scientifically it is very possible for stress to cause you to put on weight. Stress hormones such as cortisol lead to a build of fat which predominantly forms in the stomach area! So reducing your stress levels may well help you achieve fitness goals and significantly reduce the size of the stomach area.
  • wonderlilly
    wonderlilly Posts: 27 Member
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    You have such a great attitude. I love that you're prescribing smiles to yourself! So true. I went through rough parts this year and just watched my belly grow and grow- my waistline is the one tiny thing about me! It was infuriating and it's just self-cycling.

    The point is, I think making a conscious decision to fake it til you make it, to smile (until suddenly you FEEL smily) and to at least try and battle stress is such a great one, and so so empowering. Adore you!
  • sr_maggie
    sr_maggie Posts: 19 Member
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    Smiles really do help!! Yesterday, I went for a run (albeit a very slow one), but as I was running, I smiled at the people that were walking around the path. On the second lap, one of the people I smiled at before gave me a grin before I could slap mine on my face! It actually made me smile more, and I found myself smiling through the next half mile! It was quite amazing! :)

    Smiles are good, mmmm kay? :)
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    Great job with your post about overcoming stress & anger OP!! I wish you nothing but success in all your fitness and health goals. :flowerforyou:
  • ShreddedTweet
    ShreddedTweet Posts: 1,326 Member
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    Great job with your post about overcoming stress & anger OP!! I wish you nothing but success in all your fitness and health goals. :flowerforyou:

    Bwahaha! I'm seeing a pattern here....
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Two teenage daughters taught me how to manage stress. And I'm not joking.

    Learning how to stop trying to control that which is beyond your control is a hard but very useful lesson.

    A primal scream into a pillow (to keep the neighbors from calling the police) often helps while learning. Sometimes it's necessary to do this repeatedly until the futility of it becomes funnier than stressor was angering. (again, not joking)
  • ByrdBarajas
    ByrdBarajas Posts: 26 Member
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    Two teenage daughters taught me how to manage stress. And I'm not joking.

    Learning how to stop trying to control that which is beyond your control is a hard but very useful lesson.

    A primal scream into a pillow (to keep the neighbors from calling the police) often helps while learning. Sometimes it's necessary to do this repeatedly until the futility of it becomes funnier than stressor was angering. (again, not joking)

    Being a proud mother of a 14 year old I can agree. Everyday can be a struggle with in our home. I've been reading a book The Resolution based off of the movie and it helps calm me. So do hot showers, long walks alone or with my husband and working out. :) Venting does a body good and makes our issues/ stressors seem smaller. :)
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,721 Member
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    Pick up a book on cognitive behavioural therapy. After getting seriously ill last year, I found that stress at work affected my immune system and resulted in infections. So my insurance paid for some behavioural therapy to manage it. It does help--you can train yourself to recognize and react differently to external stress triggers.
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    I dont have any success stories but just wanted to say scientifically it is very possible for stress to cause you to put on weight. Stress hormones such as cortisol lead to a build of fat which predominantly forms in the stomach area! So reducing your stress levels may well help you achieve fitness goals and significantly reduce the size of the stomach area.

    Thank you so much for posting this info.:flowerforyou: I looked it up and you're right! I've been reading where stress can help one pack on the unhealthy and ugly fat&flab and store ugly ole fat in your abs AND in your face too:noway:

    Here's a couple of links, just in case anyone maybe interested:

    Stress and Weight Gain: Can Stress Make You Fat?

    http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/weightgain.htm


    Is stress making you fat? Adrenal balance and weight loss
    http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalhealth/adrenalglands-stress-weight.aspx
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    You have such a great attitude. I love that you're prescribing smiles to yourself! So true. I went through rough parts this year and just watched my belly grow and grow- my waistline is the one tiny thing about me! It was infuriating and it's just self-cycling.

    The point is, I think making a conscious decision to fake it til you make it, to smile (until suddenly you FEEL smily) and to at least try and battle stress is such a great one, and so so empowering. Adore you!


    You are such a shero to me--so wise and clever WonderLilly. I LOVE the way you think and choose your words "prescribing smiles to yourself" ( I :heart: that). Girl yes...I've been smiling all day and instead of the children or my hubby and even my neighbor, looking at me like I'm crazy...they gave me big smiles back. The kids have told me several times to day how much they love to see me smile and it's just, ummmm--pleasant :smooched: . It's crazy how it seems so hard or difficult (I tell myself and try to talk myself out of) smiling just for the sake of smiling can be/is (just like/almost EXACTLY like my beginning to exercising everyday...the almost exact same kinda "dread" until I just made/make my self do it and like exercising, once I get started--it's ON and feel super terrific and even powerful of all things, during, but especially AFTERWARDS!

    Thank you my friend for posting...you're such doll!!!!!!!! :heart: :flowerforyou: :heart:
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    Options
    Smiles really do help!! Yesterday, I went for a run (albeit a very slow one), but as I was running, I smiled at the people that were walking around the path. On the second lap, one of the people I smiled at before gave me a grin before I could slap mine on my face! It actually made me smile more, and I found myself smiling through the next half mile! It was quite amazing! :)

    Smiles are good, mmmm kay? :)

    How cool and FUN!!!!! Smiling is kinda like listening to music while working out, isn't it? It is for me, is gives me some kinda "boost" or something. Don't know WHY I've talked myself into NOT smiling much more, just because...not for any particular reason. Plus, hopefully over the long haul...it will help tone some of the muscles in my face and give me a kinda free "face lift" of sorts or at least help slim my chin(s) :laugh: :smile: :laugh:
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    Options
    Two teenage daughters taught me how to manage stress. And I'm not joking.

    Learning how to stop trying to control that which is beyond your control is a hard but very useful lesson.

    A primal scream into a pillow (to keep the neighbors from calling the police) often helps while learning. Sometimes it's necessary to do this repeatedly until the futility of it becomes funnier than stressor was angering. (again, not joking)

    :laugh: "a primal scream" :laugh: Girl.....honey you are so on target with children/teens being major league stressors to the max, so glad you've posted this--it's funny and deep at the same time. I also :heart: your wise admonition of " Sometimes it's necessary to do this repeatedly until the futility of it becomes funnier than stressor was angering. (again, not joking)!!!! " I LOVE this!!!
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