Being overweight and feeling depressed go hand in hand. In fact, they fuel one another according to a new study involving women ages 40-60 by Gregory Simon, MD (
General Hospital Psychiatry). And don’t think that overweight women are clueless about the health benefits of a balanced meal plan and exercise. They know what to do, but according to Dr. Simon they are fatalistic – hopeless and helpless. At the heart of the matter is the blow to self-esteem as overweight women are stigmatized by others, but even worse, we do it to ourselves. Men don’t fall into the same negative loop. They handle their weight gain better: “More of me to love.” But women, that’s a different story which brings me to the subject of my story – boost your self-esteem to boost your mood to jumpstart weight loss. Gain more spirit and lose your physical weight.
When you are weighed down with a negative self-image, how can you metabolize your experiences and interactions with others? Your shoulders are drooped, your eyes are downcast and you are tired of carrying that heavy burden of perfectionism and unrealistic expectations. When you reach out for junk food, you have no energy left to challenge your irrational thoughts of worthlessness.
How do you boost your self-confidence when you are feeling unattractive, heavier or older? How do men accept themselves physically, heavier or older? It’s about knowing and believing that you have a lot going for you – intelligence, wit, creativity, vitality and choices to make. Take back your power!
To break the vicious cycle, when you feel like eating creamy ice-cream or cookies, do what Eve did and eat a crunchy apple for its amazing nutrients and because most of us are not satisfied when we drink our foods. What could be easier than eating a food to change your mood? The trick is to eat foods to manage your stress – the kind of external stress you face daily and the internal kind you generate on your own, sabotaging yourself. There’s a science to it.
- Omega 3’s found in fatty fish like salmon, walnuts, crushed flaxseeds and flaxseed oil.
- Complex Carbohydrates like oatmeal, multi-grain breads, brown rice
- Eat lean protein
- A rainbow array of fruits and vegetables to supply you with the necessary vitamins and minerals which improve mood
And after you have eaten serotonin boosting foods to help your brain feel and think better, this should be your new mantra:
Activity Alleviates Anxiety. Get up and exercise – sounds ridiculous when you are fatigued, but over fifty years of research urges you to believe in the positive energy exercise generates. While food affects mood, exercise is a miraculous anti-depressant with healthy side-effects. When you sense yourself descending into the abyss, put on the music and move. Dance around your house to restore your natural rhythm. Let that wild woman out and untether your soul. In fact, exercise according to the intensity of your depression or stress, as 10 minutes might not prove sufficient while forty five minutes works, and watch the sadness and disappointment melt away with a “So what?”
When you free yourself from the weight of hopelessness, the real you can emerge enlightened – notice the word, light, in enlightened. Diets rarely work and we all know this. Nourishment does! Nourish yourself with healthy foods and circulate throughout every cell of your body that you love yourself and hold yourself in high esteem. And then walk out the door like the goddess that you are.
Debbie Mandel, MA is the author of
Changing Habits: The Caregivers' Total Workout and
Turn On Your Inner Light: Fitness for Body, Mind and Soul, a stress-reduction specialist, motivational speaker, a personal trainer and mind/body lecturer. She is the host of the weekly Turn On Your Inner Light Show on WGBB AM1240 in New York City , produces a weekly wellness newsletter, and has been featured on radio/ TV and print media. To learn more visit:
www.turnonyourinnerlight.com
