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How To Relax Into Weight Loss

August 19, 2010 by DanicasDaily 12 Comments

Happy Friday Eve all!  Today’s guest poster is one of my favorite people, Dani Spies.  Before I ever blogged, I used to read and drool over her recipes – her pictures are AMAZING and she has such a great sense of humor (check out her video outakes!).  The best part is that she is always willing to share her health and fitness knowledge with everyone along with her clean eating lifestyle.

After you read her post, be sure to go to her site Dani Spies because I am pretty sure you will find something you want for lunch, and dinner and breakfast and……

Thanks for guest posting for me Dani!!!!

How To Relax Into Weight Loss by Dani Spies

Did you know that it is a scientific fact that our bodies are not able to heal when they are in a stressed state. In order to heal and mend our bodies need to be in a relaxation mode.

Since weight loss is ultimately a form of healing it only makes sense that in order to lose unwanted weight we need to find a way to relax into the process. But the big weight loss paradox is that most diets and weight loss systems STRESS US OUT!

Diets tend to focus on willpower, deprivation, and restriction resulting in feelings of failure, shame and guilt – totally stressful! So how do we begin to shift the stressful paradigm around weight loss and enter into a natural relaxed state that supports effortless weight loss?

I spent 15 years of my life yo-yo dieting and stressing out around food before I finally learned how to relax into my weight loss journey. Here are 5 tips that helped me relax into my weight loss journey:

1. Let go of the need to FIX. Having the need to fix our selves is the single quickest way to halt progress and lock it unwanted behaviors. Why? Because it comes from a place of stress. They key is to create some space to explore the behaviors that we want to fix, once they have permission to come to the surface we can let them go.

2. Feel Your Feelings. When we fight against a negative emotion we only make them stronger. It took me a while to realize that I could feel the depth of my feelings without being destroyed by them. Our feelings are just feelings and we all have the strength to feel their depth and come out on the other side perfectly fine.

3. Trust your instincts. There is no person, book, or diet out there that knows better than you what your body needs. Our bodies are way more intelligent than our brains so we need to trust them. Practice turning off the voices in your head and tuning into the sensations in your body. I promise, your body will not steer you wrong.

4. Shift your definition of extra weight. Excess weight = potential energy, so ask yourself what kind of potential energy might you be storing when you carry extra weight? This could be energy used for creativity, self-expression, withheld emotions, etc. Take the time to explore yourself and remember the excess weight is never the problem it is merely the symptom.

5. Breathe. Taking long, deep breathes is hands down the quickest and most efficient way to get our bodies out of a stressed state and into a relaxation mode. And this doesn’t mean you need to sit and meditate for thirty minutes. Simply commit to ten deep breaths the next time you’re stressing out and see just how quickly you are able to unwind.

And most importantly, give yourself permission to be on the journey! Weight loss is a process, so find the patience and compassion that you would offer to a friend and be sure to slather it all over yourself!

Dani Spies is a Health & Nutrition Counselor, Mom, and Founder & Host of DaniSpies.com. She is passionate about creating realistic nourishing meals for a healthy home and sharing them with others.

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Comments

  1. 1

    Marisa @ Loser for Life says

    August 19, 2010 at 4:44 pm

    Wonderful post, Dani! It is so hard to let go during the journey, but I think when we relax it will all come together for us!

    Reply
  2. 2

    Kristin (Cook, Bake and Nibble) says

    August 20, 2010 at 5:08 am

    GREAT post. It is so true… letting go of stress is SUCH an important aspect of weight loss!!

    xo
    Kris

    Reply
  3. 3

    RunToTheFinish says

    August 20, 2010 at 7:35 am

    truly a really wonderful post!! one of the best I’ve read on taking the journey of weight loss easy rather than fighting it

    Reply
  4. 4

    Cara says

    August 20, 2010 at 8:45 am

    Thanks for the words of wisdom, Dani! I admit I had a hard time relaxing about my diet too. I am an engineer, so given my nature, I firmly held on to the belief that weight loss was a science and my body was an experiment – and of course, that numbers must add up. And believe it or not, I have been this crazy just trying to maintain my weight, after I lost what I needed to! Recently I’ve taken a new path, where I am trying to give up calorie counting and follow more intuitive eating, but continuing to eat basically the same foods I would eat when I was counting religiously. And contrary what I might have thought before… I am feeling good and haven’t gained any weight! Imagine that 😉

    Reply
  5. 5

    janetha g. says

    August 20, 2010 at 12:09 pm

    this is an awesome post, dani! thanks for the tips and reminders.

    Reply
  6. 6

    Dani Spies says

    August 20, 2010 at 12:33 pm

    Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to share with your readers Danica! Hope you are having a great escape:)!

    Reply
  7. 7

    Liz says

    August 20, 2010 at 7:11 pm

    Great tips! I especially like the first one and totally agree with it. I think it’s important to recognize what areas of our lives/ ourselves could be improved upon, but being overly critical is definitely counter-productive.

    Reply
  8. 8

    Jupiter Chiropractor, Palm Beach says

    August 21, 2010 at 10:01 pm

    Great post, I’ll try those tips. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  9. 9

    Kerrie says

    December 1, 2010 at 11:04 pm

    Number 4 really, really hit home for me. That is an excellent point. For me, I would think the majority of it is withheld emotions/feelings or misplaced feelings/emotions. I can’t wait to start this journey using these steps. Thanks for sharing/posting!!! <3

    Reply

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About Danica

Whether she’s enjoying a dish at a local restaurant or whipping up a crowd-pleasing, nutritious meal at home, Danica has a passion for all things food. She believes in and follows the Weight Watchers principle of “all things in moderation” and chronicles her culinary adventures here. Besides sharing her daily eats and tasty, nutritious recipes, Danica connects others seeking a healthier lifestyle on her site and shares her travel adventures around the world.

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