The risk of heart disease, diabetes, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, depression and many other ailments rise when we become overweight yet as we slip further and further into weight gain it becomes more and more challenging to reverse the process.
If you feel like you are currently going down this path don’t fret. You are not stuck, this is not a lifelong sentence, keep your stress about your situation low. It will not benefit you.
Instead discern what your cause of weight gain is. It is time to be clear. It is time to dig deep. It is time to look inside.
This article is about more than cravings, fatigue and lack of time or resources. This article is about your deeper blocks. It is about your true weight and how to release it.
It is time to lift and step away from your energetic weight loss restrictions.
The Energetics of Weight Loss Struggle
There are many reasons losing weight can be difficult and possibly one’s greatest personal challenge.
Superficial reasons are commonly blamed but may not be where we should look first in situations of weight gain, weight loss plateau or failure. Aside from examining metabolism disorders, low thyroid function and hormone dysregulation we should look even deeper. We should evaluate our core self and highlight our personal blocks so we can achieve the lifechanging “weight loss breakthrough” success stories often talk about.
Note: I call these the ‘energetics’ of weight loss struggle because they tie together our mind, body, spirit or mental, emotional, physical selves on a level where we agree they are one, the energetic level.
Here are a few core phenomenon that can happen as life changes/difficulties arise and how to move past them:
4 Weight Loss Blocks and How to Release Them
1) Inability to let go of something deeper
Losing weight takes time, dedication, a desire to be healthy and wisdom about self. Preoccupation with mental distractions can cause people to avoid weight loss or even deny the need. Carrying mental turmoil has many other negative side effects, most commonly insomnia and fatigue.
This mental turmoil can often be caused by unaddressed relationship issues with family members, partners and friends. They are usually released with forgiveness (not acceptance).
Here is where you start, in contemplation – what are you carrying that is not serving you? Who have you wronged? Who has wronged you? What have people put on you? What are you putting on yourself? What affect does your relationship issue have on you (be open to any answers)? And finally, how can you release your angst?
Forgiveness is what normally comes up and that is normally a good place to start. Forgiveness releases you to a higher being.
It allows you to move on with your life. Forgiveness isn’t acceptance or claiming the situation to be okay. You are not saying what has gone on is right. You are saying that you forgive yourself or the action-er for the occasion and you move on with your own life not burdened by guilt, resentment or denial.
This can be very challenging but understand it is 100% possible to do. A great tool many use with success is from a book titled “The practical neuroscience of Budda’s Brain: happiness, love and wisdom” by Rick Hanson. It is called the ‘Ten Thousand Things’ exercise and it is designed to help you understand why someone may have wronged you or why you have acted this way towards yourself.
This is not about placing blame. I cannot stress that enough. This exercise is about discovering why this act has nothing to do with your core, true self, who you really are. It can give your cognitive self some clues to why it is time to release resentment.
Here are the basics of the exercise: in a meditative state focus on the event that caused you stress. Sit with it and breathe into the story you have in your mind. Run through it once or twice for a fresh reminder. Now, begin to examine your reaction to the story. Be mindful of your emotions and identify the ill will you have. Now, reflect on the various causes “The Ten Thousand Things” that has led you or this person to act this way.
The first things to consider are biological based factors like pain, age, innate temper or intelligence. Secondly, think of the realities of his or her like like race, gender, class, job or daily stresses. Next, his or her childhood upbringing, maybe even compare it to yours. How about adult life events? Look at personality, values, fears, hopes and dreams of this person. Consider anything and everything that could have caused him or her (or yourself) to act this way towards you.
Be creative. Be understanding. Be reasonable. Be loving.
Now look inside yourself again and notice how you feel about this person and then reflect again on your situation with them. Have things changed? Concentrate on your forgiveness. This doesn’t mean you are now going to be best friends with them. It simply means you have shed on layer or burden from yourself that could have been holding you back from your greatness.
Move forth with confidence. Because you have lifted your deeper burdens with forgiveness you can now use your new found energy towards weight loss.
2) Craving for more stimulation
Do you have a big appetite? An addictive personality? Always need to be entertained? Do you struggle to sit with yourself for 20 minutes and be content? If this sounds like you we may have identified your block.
To be happy, healthy and content we need certain things in our life. We need love, peace and security. These can come from within or from those around us. The best possible situation is when they come from both.
Without these three things there is an emptiness, a sense of lack, a missing piece. We may not identify with the missing piece until we have thrown our lifestyle out of the window. All of the sudden our cravings are all we can talk about, we neglect the present moment and the planning of future events becomes our way of life.
When fun, enjoyable times come around we overdo it, forget about our purpose, lose control of situations and neglect our health.
If you identify with any of these try contemplate these questions to yourself: How am I not fulfilled? Where am I lacking? Am I at peace (and why not)? Am I loved (do i have self-love)? Am I secure in myself, job, relationships, etc? How am I filling these voids? What self-harming actions am I participating in? It is time to be 100% honest with your true self.
Here is one way to build your missing pieces from the ground up/Here is a starting point for love, peace and security: Be grateful and be generous.
Begin by listing the things in life you are grateful for. List everything you can think of. Keep your list close to your heart and refer to it often during your healing phase. Everything should be listed even if your critical self is telling you something isn’t worth writing. Write it anyway. There is beauty in this list.
This list can have a deeper effect on you the more you add to it and the more you review it. Be into it. Be excited about it. Make it special. Geek out with it. You don’t have to tell your friends about it but you can get excited when you have something new to add to it. Be generous and forgiving with yourself and others (and with plants, animals, etc). Give to yourself and give to others.
Weight loss is a gift when used to heal. Give yourself the gift of health. Having a healthy lifestyle is like telling your cells “hey guys, sorry I was torturing you for a bit but I’m back now and really think you guys are great!” Be kind to yourself. Eat fruits and vegetables, sleep well, walk, laugh and be with those who support you. Then be generous and supportive to them.
It’s a fun cycle.
3) Scattered or misrepresenting importance of health
This may not be you because you have arrived at this blog post. Either you were curious about this topic or you were looking for healthy recipes.
You are on the right path, you are in the right place and this point does not pertain to you. If someone has sent this post to you they may be trying to get you to read this one point. Your health is your key to happiness. Take a step to improve your health and you instantly are making strides towards being happier.
There is nothing better than being free of pain. Not everyone has pain. Their isn’t much better than having too much energy. Some people wake up rested every morning. Never getting a cold is one of the greatest gifts of health. Some people never get sick. If you improve your overall health you will be happier.
Weight loss falls in this same category.
If you do not feel being a healthy weight is important you are missing out on modern medical knowledge. Often times we can giving things value above our personal health and when we do we are holding ourselves back. Often times we don’t think we have time to prep a healthy meal or get to the gym. We are only holding ourselves back. Put value on your health.
The best way to start this process? Go and get a checkup. See where you need to be. See what optimal could look like for you. If you are in pain, tired and sick all the time know that this is not your destiny. You can be healthier and in-turn happier.
Give yourself enough love to begin a weight loss journey. Give yourself the care you deserve and begin eating healthier. Now is the best time to start.
4) Having a lack mentality
Finally, one of the biggest, most common, silliest blocks there is – the “I can’t do it” speech. This sense of lack, low self confidence and personal restriction often translates to “I don’t deserve to look and feel my best.” Personal lies are the most burdening type of lie.
They ring truest for us because we trust the source (us!).
Are you telling lies to yourself? The real question is why do these lies seem so easy to tell and why do we consider ourselves so trustworthy?
Usually we are basing these assumptions one of two things: beliefs we have about our past experiences, interpretations we make about others comments towards us.
To drop this burden we need to do two things: First, we need to release our past experiences. No matter what your past looks like, no matter how you have failed, the negative things you have told yourself or the judgements you have about your experiences release them and step into the now. The now is all we have. The now is what is important.
How we treat ourselves today will determine what our future looks like. Treat yourself well today.
Give yourself the complements you deserve, acknowledge everything you have been through and move forward knowing you have a blank slate. Anything can happen. Keep an open mind about all the potential your future holds. Start by knowing deep down that you are worthy of health and happiness.
Secondly, be in change of your own thoughts. Negative thoughts can cause sickness. Negative thoughts cause mental anguish and stress which causes our cortisol to be chronically elevated setting physical problems in motion (including weight gain).
Be in control of how you react to everything. This can be challenging at first but with practice is attainable. Start today. Start to see the bright side of things in life. Start to look at perceived negatives as opportunities for growth. Be kind to yourself in all situations. Never talk poorly to yourself. Always be aware of the positives in your life and use those experiences to guide your interpretations of everything.
You are infinitely abundant in all aspects of your life. You simply need to guide your thoughts to that reality. Welcome all good things in.
Surround yourself with great, caring people, read inspiring books, laugh everyday, do more of the things you enjoy. Know that you deserve a good life and then let it happen for you. Release any sense of lack (in any area) and start on a path you are excited about.
Which one sounds like your energetic block? Are you holding on to something? Do you have addictive personality and crave stimulation? Are you missing out on perfect health or do you believe you don’t deserve it?
Today is your new beginning. Releasing deep blocks is possible for you. If weight loss is your goal you will find it much easier once you are free. Start now.
Great read!