Weight Loss, Yoga and a Health Coach
I have been heavy most of my life. I went on my first diet at the age of 12. I was always active. I played sports and chose to pick up running on my own at the age of 15. I loved to run, ride a bike, hit the gym, all of it. It was an incredible stress reliever for me. And, I was heavy. In my mid-20’s, I realized that being active felt better than any diet. And so, my focus was always on running one more mile, getting into the gym more. I ran to have my best arguments and work out life’s toughest decisions. I didn’t know it at the time, running was my meditation of choice. I did feel good. And, I was heavy. Then, in my mid 40’s I discovered two things: yoga and eating better.
Before I began practicing yoga, I would workout to eat. The more miles I ran, the more justification I had for the poor food choices I made that day. It was quite common for me to run 10+ miles and then reward myself with a poppyseed muffin at the coffee shop. Let’s be honest, muffins are just little cakes! I didn’t replenish with protein or good carbs. It didn’t even occur to me that I should! I wanted the muffin with absolutely empty calories that provided my body with nothing in return. I realize now the possible positive effects my running times might have enjoyed if I had eaten better before and after. Yoga had the opposite effect for me. The mindfulness I mentioned above drew me to make more nutritious choices. My body began to change.
Yoga contributed to me making healthier food choices because it brought mindfulness to my life where it did not exist before. My yoga journey began in a traditional Bikram studio. 105 degrees and a challenging practice ensured that I was mindful of what I ate and drank prior to class, as well as after. As I ventured to Vinyasa yoga, I realized the practice was similar for me in that I preferred a pattern of mindful eating choices before and after classes. I remember quite distinctly a particular vinyasa practice that by this time I was quite familiar with. On this particular morning, I felt like I had been run over by a truck. Every joint hurt, I found it difficult to keep up with the pace of the class. I didn’t feel ill, so what was it? Then it hit me! I had made a batch of sugar cookies the night before and indulged heavily in the dough. I suddenly visualized all of that sugar running to my joints and then sitting there to start the fire, causing the inflammation that manifested as a heavy, heavy ache. After the sugar cookie episode, I decided my yoga practice and how I feel was more important to me than the quick hit of a cookie. Sure, there have been times I have let this happen to me since. I also notice that whatever the indulgence was, for me, it never feels worth it the next day. The heat, the focus, the rigor of the practice for my mind and spirit, in addition to my body, presses me to look at everything to do with my well-being.
What came next for my yoga practice was a realization that for 60-90 minutes, my brain was allowed to stop and relax. The effects of freeing my mind from work, my Mom dying, family, friends, finances, and the overall pressures of life were profound. It was like an energizing “nap” for my brain and my stress. What does this have to do with making healthy eating choices? Science shows that stress, and especially chronic stress, can have detrimental effects to our weight. In fact, according to Dr. Chika Anekwe and Dr. Niyoti Reddy, contributing editors for Harvard Health Publishing, “stress leads to an increase in the hormone cortisol. Cortisol increases abdominal fat, decreases muscle mass, causes cravings for fat and sugar-rich food, and thus can lead to obesity.” As I typed this, I paused. It has been my habit since I was old enough to bake on my own to whip up a batch of cookies when I was feeling stress, or faced with doing something I didn’t want to do. I looked to the dough for comfort.
We all go through stressful periods of life. Whether we are dealing with grief, struggles at home with a spouse or child, a difficult work situation, a chronic health condition, or years of stress related to trauma(s), the effects can be the same. Stress wears on our physical body, our emotional body, and our spirit. Stress can send us towards foods that we think will make us feel better (“fat and sugar-rich food”) and may do exactly the opposite. I am not declaring Yoga as the end all/be all for weight loss or weight maintenance or stress management. For me, healthy food choices were and are crucial. Also, an open mind and willingness to make mindful lifestyle changes were and are crucial. Yoga helps me to reduce my stress, think more clearly and make more mindful choices. Let’s be clear about all of this, we have choices. The lifestyle choices we make for nutrition, for movement, for stress management have a direct impact on us and our health. This is true. What we decide to do with that information will affect the course of our life.
Most of us recognize at least one thing in our life that is not serving us well. What is one lifestyle choice you would like to make today? Contact me for a consultation and let’s talk.
p.s. Coming next week: I don’t know about you, I find my habits have changed since Covid. Some for the better, some could be better. I used to wake every morning at 4:30 to workout from 5-6 and then get my day started. Snacking was not a big thing. My choices felt on-point. Covid rolled in and I discovered sleep (which is a “better”), however, my day starts later and ends at the same time. I often feel frustrated that I haven’t accomplished what I had hoped. Additionally, I seemed to lose my direction with food a bit and some old choices have crept in. “How long will we allow ourselves to say, “Well, before Covid I ……”