Spiritual Fitness: How Your Emotions Help You Lose Weight

Recent research has found that your emotions play an integral part in the success or failure of your weight loss plan. As an Occupational Therapy Practitioner, this is something I've known for years from being exposed to patients from all walks of life. One unforgettable 60 year old female patient, Jane, (not real name due to privacy laws) was so overweight, her only way to get around was with the use of an extra wide wheelchair. Her 300 pound frame couldn't even fit into the shower. For her to travel anywhere was a major orchestrated event and that is how I came to meet her. She qualified for 'homebound status' and I practice home health. Our first session began by instructing her on a customized home exercise program designed for plus size people. After much prodding, Jane participated in the exercises but not without commentary - In a gloomy voice, Jane retorted, 'why should I do this, exercise is silly." Although Jane's pantry was stocked with diet foods, she later confided that she would eat comfort foods every time she was depressed. When someone becomes overweight, it's often not what they're eating, it's what's eating them inside.

When you're down in the dumps, your body releases hormones that actually influence what you want to eat. Jane unwittingly chose carbohydrates to quench her misery because her brain was sending chemical messengers to eat cake, cookies, mashed potatoes and chips. These foods provide a temporary emotional fix by increasing the 'feel good hormones' in your body. Unfortunately, a few hours later, your body will crash which makes your body crave more carbohydrates. This creates a cycle of stress, eat, crash, gain weight, stress, eat, crash, gain weight.

By the second week of working with Jane, she began to smile and said she not only enjoyed her exercise sessions but looked forward to them. Unfortunately, I met Jane too late. Her heart, irreversibly damaged from diabetes caused from excess weight, died at 60 years old, just 3 weeks after we met.

And so, my dear readers, I write this heartfelt article to teach you about the missing link in your weight loss plan and guide you to a successful outcome. Your emotional system is very complex, but once you learn how to deal with emotional issues that weigh you down, you'll lose weight because you won't feel like you're carrying around the weight of the world on your shoulders.

A group of New Zealand scientists studied 3 groups of dieters. One group was instructed on the proper exercise and nutrition plan, the second received the information via mail, and the third group practiced meditation, breathing, positive visualization and yoga. The only group that lost weight was the third group practicing mind/body exercises.

This study only confirms what I have seen countless times with my patients including, Debra, ( not real name) a single mother who was 50 pounds overweight at the onset of her treatment. Debra's blood pressure and pulse were often very high at the beginning of her sessions and so I would include meditation, breathing with positive visualization. A miracle happened - Debra lost the 50 pounds without going hungry. She also lost something else - the knots in her stomach, the high blood pressure along with her blood pressure medicine, and the countless sleepless nights. It is because of people like Debra, people like you, I continue to teach, to educate and to motivate. If diets have failed you, don't give up because you now have the knowledge to include the missing link to connect your mind to achieve the healthy vibrant body you are intended to have.