Help to stop stress about losing weight

Probiotic yoghurt once a day sorted the constipation thing out for me - weight is now coming off at the rate of around 2-3lbs per month. Not stressing as I know I only have about 6lbs left to go so bound to be hard (scraping the barrel I call it).

Good luck. Don't stress, your body doesn't like that!

TimothyFish wrote: »

I'll tell you what my mother taught me. Eat more prunes.

Or dried apricots. Or even prune juice if you like the taste.

OP, with so little to lose you need to have your logging really tight. If you're not using a food scale for all solids and semi-solids start now.

But also important to reiterate others, with so little to lose it can take some time to see a scale change. When I was losing 2lbs per month last year I only saw that 2lb loss about once a month. But I trusted the process and knew if I had been consistent the results would eventually come.

joannalouise92 wrote: »

I'm sure it's not to do with my diary or excersise I know I'm doing the right thing.. I just need to ha e confidence in it without stressing. As an over anxious person it's difficult not to stress, and I know that's linked to both constipation and inhibition of weight loss.. so just wanted some tips on trying to destress and put it out of my mind! Trying to take a few days off hard cardio and focus on my mental wellbeing instead!

Meditation helps some people with stress. It doesn't have to be some wild woo kind of thing, or religious if that worries you. There are ultra simple things like The Relaxation Response. (relaxationresponse.org/steps/ )

The idea is that this kind of practice, over a period of time, helps you to counter the "fight or flight" physiological response that mental stress can produce. It's important to note that it's consistently making the sincere effort to meditate that counts, you don't have to "succeed" at calming your mind every single second.

Doesn't work for everyone, but works for some.

Exercise also works as a de-stressor for many people, but it sounds like exercise may be part of your weight loss stress patterns.

Gratitude journals, getting out for mindful walks in nature, and watching comedy movies regularly, are things that have helped people I know manage stress. Getting enough sleep, and good nutrition, can also be a help.

I hope that if the situation's severe, the "get counseling help" option is also on your menu.

Are you strength training at all? This could yield faster "in the mirror" results than dieting/fat loss alone.

I stopped having issues with constipation when I started taking powdered Vitamin C to bowel tolerance. Get sick less as well.

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Meditation helps some people with stress. It doesn't have to be some wild woo kind of thing, or religious if that worries you. There are ultra simple things like The Relaxation Response. (relaxationresponse.org/steps/ )

Hate to go off topic, but this intrigues me. Do others use non-spiritual meditation? And is this guys book worth the $10 on Kindle?

Meditation does not have to be religion-based. Although most major religions use meditation in some form (prayer, meditation, hymns, chants, spiritual walks, creating art, poetry, work, etc.) plenty of agnostics and atheists practice mediation.

Here's my $.02:
* Change is difficult for people, and WILL cause some level of stress. Humans tend to like to do what we have done in the past, and doing something different causes us to feel somewhat uncomfortable. But once gotten used to the average sort of change, we get in that groove---we are adaptable. This gets easier as you get on.
* Eating to help your GI is good for losing weight as well: yogurt, fiber, fruits, veggies.
* The scale only tells part of the story. Avoid too much fixation. Yes, you want to lose weight but a number can't tell you how much is fat, muscle, undigested food, and so on. Yes, look for a downward trend but it will likely not be linear.
* 3 KG is a really tiny amount, really. It can be exasperating not to get to that goal, but it's also OK to be "good enough" to that goal. I mean, if I lose 34 pounds but not 35, should I be upset? Or should I be happy? Beware the perfectionism trap -- it is a rigid way of thinking that can lead to unhappiness.