Stress, depression, or just being sad over circumstances, can all be tough when you’re dieting. The first instinct is to just throw in the towel and give in to the chaos around you… and spiral downward right along with it.
There are two things I’ve learned in five years of dieting, or eating low carb I should say. I hope these two things prove useful to you, too.
1. When there are things in your life outside your control, or that feel overwhelming, eating healthy and taking care of YOU is the ONE thing you CAN control.
It actually feels good to have a point of strength, a point of control, something you have a good handle on – when everything else feels like it’s spinning completely out of control.
Make your health, and yourself, your focal point. Trust me, it helps. A lot.
2. You’ll do MUCH better at powering through some of life’s chaos if you FEEL strong.
When you’re in control of at least one thing that’s important to you (like your health, or your weight loss goals), you’ll approach stress and circumstances differently. You’ll deal with it as it comes at you, instead of letting it suck you in. You’ll feel strong and in control of the situation, instead of weak and victim to it.
…
Maybe your best friend doesn’t want to be friends with you anymore, and you don’t know why. Maybe the only man showing any real interest in you is leading you on and letting you down over and over. Maybe one of your dogs died, and your heart still aches so hard. Maybe you don’t have as close a relationship with your other dog, so on top of grief you are full of guilt.
Maybe you’re lonesome to the core. Maybe you still can’t understand why the greatest love of your life doesn’t want to be with you anymore. Maybe you canceled the last two places you were supposed to be because you don’t want to be around people right now. Maybe one of those places included people that used to be your friends, and one person that lied to you in a way you can’t get over.
Maybe you owe the IRS so much money it scares you. Maybe you wonder if you’ll EVER reach your goals. Maybe you look in the mirror every day, and feel disgusted with yourself. Maybe your mother hates you so bad she won’t even speak to you, or your children. Maybe you’re so much like your mother that you hate parts of you too.
Maybe your children grew up and left home, and your house feels so empty and quiet that you run fans and play music to fill the empty void that aches in your ears. Maybe you don’t know when you became an emotional overeater, but you really do – and it’s too painful to think about. Maybe your father is dying and you know you should go see him, but you haven’t spoke to him in a decade and don’t even know how to start.
Maybe you don’t even know why you want to lose weight, look better and feel better and you’re losing sight of any real motivation. Or losing hope in anyone ever caring, or wanting to hold you. Maybe you had so much you wanted to accomplish by now, and you haven’t. Maybe you have so much on your plate at work that it feels impossible, and probably is. Maybe you feel exhausted with pushing yourself so hard, when it feels like you’re just standing still.
Maybe you miss love so bad it’s hard to breathe, and you don’t know whether to try to date again… or get a new puppy. So you do neither, and just live in the emptiness. Maybe you totally failed on a HUGE project and you don’t know how to recover.
Maybe you smile anyway, and just push yourself harder. Maybe nobody really knows how much you hurt, or what all you’re going through.
Maybe any one of those things. Or maybe all of them, for some.
We all have our own unique set of circumstances in this crazy ride called Life.
If life has thrown you off track, and you don’t know how to recover… read this: How To Get Your Diet Back On Track
My advice:
Take up a new hobby.
Make new friends.
Get out more.
Pound it out on the pavement.
Work out hard and sweat it out.
Get a pet.
Above all, accept what IS. Realize that the only thing under the sun you can truly control is yourself, your choices, how you respond to life. Choose you. Love yourself. Be strong. Play your favorite music and dance a little – it’s good for the soul. 🙂
There’s no excuse for getting fat, making yourself sick, or being unhealthy. No amount of BS life can throw at you is a good reason not to take care of YOU. It’s a choice.
I’ve made bad choices and let life suck me in and pull me down with it. We all have, I bet. But that was my CHOICE, and I realize and accept that. Now I choose to be in control. When everything else sucks… that feels GOOD.
Yes it’s true that stress and depression can affect your weight loss. So what. Eat healthy anyway. Exercise anyway. A healthy diet and exercise are good for both. Ignore the scales and focus on your health.
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
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