Following our gut feeling can mean more than one thing, our instinct to choose a healthier option when our skin feels too stuffy and clogged from sweat rich in last week’s banquet feasting cholesterol. It can also refer to survival instincts even in the smallest levels, like suddenly laying your hands and heels out straight when you trip to save you from bigger scratches.
But when it comes to working out it takes a while for us to chime in to our biological clocks and get used to discipline towards a cleaner lifestyle. Getting used to bad habits for a long time can make it more difficult but definitely rewarding in unexpected ways when you lose that excess weight and/or desire to get fitter and stronger.
Now you may think since you started on your workout routine along with some dietary restrictions and additions that you’ll start shedding and showing results in 2-3 weeks. This is not impossible and unrealistic but a lot of times it doesn’t happen so fast and may even take longer, painstakingly frustrating for a lot who decide to give up and tell that box of cream cookies about their hopes and dreams.
See, it’s that kind of defeatist attitude that defeats a lot of overweight, over skinny, overly weak people, even stroke patients that suffer mild to medium-heavy strokes, those with broken bones that can be fixed with therapy, etc. It’s as cliché’ as it is scientifically proven and viscerally felt to be true that it’s all in the mind. The brain is the center for all bodily functions and control except the automatic beat of the heart which runs on electromagnetic waves (which is scientific magic but that is another topic). The brain is also where our true “heart”lies, our emotional and behavioral functions.
Not all workout experts will tell you this, they may be too shy to comment on something touching personal matters or they are not generally comfortable discussing any matter regarding emotional health, or you know they could simply just lack charisma and EQ, I kid I kid. But for trainers that are more unaware of getting in touch with your emotions for overall health, they will be frustrated and think that maybe you are cheating on your diet or skipping work out repetitions. This may be partially true most of the time but before you think you have some sort of shadow syndrome mysteriously robbing you off your energy and exercise efforts, step back and relax your mind just for a wee bit.
Are you happy? Like, generally feeling good about most things despite stress kind of state? Well if you are below that mark on the bar than you really have to prioritize your own happiness because believe it or not stress makes you gain weight in more unflattering places, which are harder to rid of and contain higher amounts of cholesterol than weight gained when in a positive stream.
It may not even be obvious at first, at least to others. You may be wondering why you’re doing everything like drinking lots of water and working out when you feel heavy inside still. Why can’t you shake it? Everything is starting to feel like a room filling up with negative resistance, getting up in the morning becomes such a struggle. If a nice hot pot of coffee is ready and you’re still groggy everyday then it’s time to consider action.
That stone heavy gut feeling is not just from the “mysterious” flab that’s keeping you feeling bad, but what’s causing that flab. It’s your emotions. Your mental state, how you take care and talk to yourself. It all matters and deny it or not will affect your mind and body. Choosing the dark, bitter and nastier side of human nature will not even keep a beautiful body and especially mind for long.
Negative is heavy, dingy, dragging and discomforting while positivity is light, fluid, hopeful and freeing. Energy weight is what they call it and it clings stubbornly when you are always putting yourself through overly stressful episodes, stress hormones obviously can’t take over your body often, especially negative stress. Now, everyone reacts to stress a little differently but it’s all not good for you when you abuse your emotions and self-image, a negative self-perception can lead to worse postures, unflattering weight gain, bad food choices, laziness in daily activities and overall dullness and sulking.
Your less than desirable moods and emotions will take over your mind and body if you let it, when the brain detects that you are down or uncomfortably exhausted your body will go in survival crisis mode and pump in lots of cortisol, the stress hormone. By being in bad pain or going into depressive states of mind makes your body think it is dying.It’s that bad, because when we are in survival mode our metabolism and other functions slowdown in order for our systems to save themselves.
Eating too little, exercising too much, being too hot-tempered or defeatist are all examples of how to produce more cortisol so that your body holds on to every ounce of fat. Grehlin is a hunger-stimulating hormone and this rises when your sleep patterns are often disrupted, tossy-turny and incomplete. Also notice how when you are stressed you tend to crave the fattier, richer and more sugary foods. As if a piece of spinach doesn’t understand your feelings any more, well actually it does. And that slice of cake is a menace and a traitor that dare calls it gooey, glossy and drippy nature your friend.
Perhaps you could now tell that just by being in a negative place and applying unnecessary pressure on yourself can trick your body into thinking that it is under some kind of attack that it needs to cling onto fat, and it clings onto the bad, cholesterol- rich later of fat that touches and coats some of your vital organs- not the cute less harmful belly fat nearer your skin. Control your emotions, temperaments and health choices and you will defeat your cortisol count!
Not to mention what bad self-esteem does to your motivation, working out is half the job. Being grateful for your blessings will do wonders to your weight. Think how blessed you already are that you have such a good problem as losing weight and you have the time to build those muscles, watch your shows and complain some more about your weight. Other people are not as lucky and have to gain weight and work out less because they work laboriously for a living while not getting enough to eat. You on the other hand is probably comfortably that in that case it’s the other way around.
You don’t have to completely change overnight, as long as your change is genuine, at your own pace and healthy of course. Let your inner light shine but also reflect back to show you how bright you really are, that’s quite cheesy but I just mean- just be happy. It all stems from that to just be thankful and to work hard with your head down. Some people exercise and exercise and strain their bodies and minds instead, making everything feel so forced upon them. That is no fun, not healthy, not nice, not the way to live life. Bright and happy energy lets everything flow more smoothly, your body’s circulation, your work and home schedule, etc.
Face yourself, face the clogs in your system.
No great result comes from something easy unless we are talking about seared steak recipe. You are your greatest enemy that is true, but you are also your greatest friend. Frenemies shouldn’t exist in any universe, even with yourself. Just be your friend, find what you like about yourself, attach but detach. Don’t get too carried away facing your mistakes and improving yourself, everyone has had a hard life and there are good people willing to help you. But most of all there are people that are in need of your help, and this glimmer of light in life can really take you by surprise, knowing your niche, that you are needed, wanted.
Here are some quick reminders for all you lovely, struggling and some corrupt souls you’re your emotional health for overall health.
Tip 1: Review yourself and life over and tell yourself honestly what bumps and challenges made the cloud of paranoia, fear and ignorance reigning over you right now. Was there a person, place, object, incident or phrase that has bothered you longer and deeper than it should have? Have you been denying any aches, cramps, tightness, flus, throat conditions, shallow breathing and low endurance that may be coming from these ill emotional feelings? Do you think your negative emotions stir up repetitive health problems? What can you do to ease all of this? What is the best way to face your problems and how are you planning to deal with the consequences? How can you control the situation and yourself when these triggers come?
It’s not easy, but certain pains are necessary and have to be as quick, clean and direct as possible- like a surgical knife for your soul.
Tip 2: Will yourself to expel negativity. Normally you are to blame for realistic workout goals you didn’t achieve. The discipline will lead to the true willingness, you must make yourself want it, work for it, do a workout regimen that is right for your body but with push. Challenge yourself, feeling alive and challenged is true youth.
Renewing yourself is all terrifying, necessary and worth it. That is a life truly lived.
Take time to love yourself, give yourself all the time you need to get to know and accept yourself and the things you’ve done and said. Go out a bit less and spend a bit more time with your thoughts at home or your safe place. This can be painful so don’t give yourself a time limit, but remember not to dwell and drag. There has to be improvement, as gradual as it may be just try and try and try and make it a big no-no to revert to old ways. This is the good way to shock your system, by shocking your awareness. This is the most emotional stage, you can feel how it’s so transitional like painful but releasing as well. Don’t go into the last step until you’ve fully immersed your being in self-forgiveness and the promise of self-improvement.
Tip 3: Now act onto your newly found positive outlook!
You should congratulate yourself for making yourself feel good and putting on a whole, new view on yourself, therefore the rest of the world. Because it all starts with us right? You give yourself a treat, cut ourselves a bit of slack right? This next step is not as difficult as the second usually but delaying this step can easily take you back to square one. That’s why we said that we must not move onto step 3 if we didn’t mentally master step 2 which is all about mastering your mental state anyways! Build a strong mind to do solid action.
Ask a break from work even for just a day or two, two days sound good if you’re a diligent worker and also depends on the leniency of your company or employers. This can create such a huge difference, you can catch up on your health, sleep for sure, more wholesome, home-cooked meals and time with your loves ones.
Give yourself some meditative, alone time to train the soothing of your senses with your own mind. Power yourself with positive thoughts, this is what inner light is- hope. 10-15 minutes a day is good enough and you’ll find that seated on soft grass, or a nice yoga mat with your choice of relaxing music will do wonders for your breathing and facial skin health. This is the time to practice breathing exercises and some low impact seated stretching to aid your lungs.
And please don’t suppress your emotions, a lot of us are more aware that being more open about your emotions is not uncool since the old school days of macho men and stereotypical cookie-cutter wives are widely diminished. A lot of cancer bears from suppressed emotions.
Tip #4: You are now a renewed sprout, now maintain your vibrancy by actively nourishing your roots.
Do what truly makes you happy,not forced activities that just make you more tired than fulfilled.Addiction, substance abuse including food and taking advantage of people with your ego are not the ways to go and don’t make a true happy soul out of any good person. Actions that will keep you in the clear, that will free your mind and spirit therefore body.A life filled with your little victories, getting through each and every day yet holding it dear to you like a little gem stone.
Blocks may seem like forever and they are meant to feel that way. We are meant to go through rough bumps and turns because renewal is painful yet necessary. It is always worth it to strive and fight to be your better self.
We are not our mistakes, your jumps are not defined by your falls if you keep jumping until you fly (this is metaphorical of course, but hey if you can do that put it up on YouTube). When we don’t let the petty things and the tragic yet improvable mistakes takeover our lives we become something else, we transform in wonderful ways.What a great life it would be to not hold onto the gloomy things that we’ve been tormenting and repressing ourselves with for years and years.
When we master our mind we master our body too.
