Weight reduction road blocks

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Permalink Reply by Tanya Pillay on March 14, 2012 at 6:33am

This is all based on my personal, annecdotal research gleaned through consultation with various professionals:

• Perimenopausal women store spare estrogen in their 'tire'. This is healthy, normal, and some would say necessary. This means some extra abdominal girth may be impossible to lose. 

That said, extra abdominal girth (because this is usually the chief complaint) can often be attributed to 

• intestinal buildup (easily remedied by drinking soaked whole raw flax seeds and consuming green smoothies)
• old/chronic stress that leaves cortisol deposits in the abdominal region among others. This can be remedied with extra sleep, meditation, counselling, enjoyable exercise, etc. 
• gas. Remedy with [biofeedback] assessment of food sensitivities and/or less food combining and elimination of common allergens like raw garlic, raw onion, raw cabbage & family, etc.; addition of probiotics, fermented foods, consult holistic health practitioner
• poor diet. Eliminate bovine dairy, reduce goat dairy, eliminate gluten, sugar, fried foods, starches, empty calories. Replace with whole/natural/vegan versions (small, nondaily consumption of meats and eggs ok though)

I'm sure there's something more to this list but I have to rush off.      

Permalink Reply by Kelley Woods on March 14, 2012 at 6:58am

Tanya gave you some great tips!

Here's the recipe I use to help my clients let go of that unwanted excess weight:

Reduce Stress! If you can motivate these clients to access a "rest and digest" state through out their day, they can step out of chronic stress states and disrupt that whole hormone response that leads to weight gain and retention. Being overweight is stressful, so helping a client put the joy back in life is crucial. Future pacing helps!

Improve Sleep! Poor or too little sleep puts us back into that stress state.

Improve Diet! Dump the sugar, whether it is in recognizable form or comes via simple carbs contained in processed and refined foods. Encourage clients to maintain a balanced blood sugar level throughout the day.

Here's a helpful article from Dr. Hyman about the "blood sugar cascade".

Increase Activity! Walking, stretching, and more vigorous endeavors boost weight loss and mood.

Permalink Reply by Michelle Braun on March 14, 2012 at 8:14am

Check to make sure depression is not a component in some way. Some menopausal women are in sub-clinical depression or just plain ol' depression and have not acknowledged it or know it. Even in 2012, there exists a belief that menopause means loss of femininity. Everyone knows what needs to be done to change their weight. It is the why of the not that needs to be uncovered. Reframe that this is a new wonderful chapter in life. Ensure they understand proper portion sizes. EFT is extremely helpful, which I'm certain you already know. The Choices Method is best. The big requirements are to boost metabolism and burn fat. Increase frequency and quality of meals especially quality of breakfast with high protein.

Permalink Reply by Chris Witherspoon on March 14, 2012 at 12:15pm

Thank you all for the input.  Some of what you suggested I am already doing, like stress reduction.  I know it is not am impossible thing to do because over the last 6 month I have personally dropped almost 10pounds and I am post menopausal.  Motivation has to be high and it takes a bit more exercise than it used to but it can happen.  I have started asking client while in trance if they are giving it their best effort and on two occasions got no answers. 

I have great success rates on other issues but when it comes to weight management and smoking cessation not so much.  I will examine my motivational skills.

Permalink Reply by Tanya Pillay on March 14, 2012 at 4:45pm

oh! I forgot

• repressed emotion stored in the gut (think gut feeling, gut instinct). Remedy with parts therapy, visualization, psychodrama, inner child work, (guided) meditation, etc. OR poor emotional management skills. 
• eating for reasons other than hunger. Look at reasons & fulfill with alternate methods with emphasis on finding healthy ways to experience joy, ecstasy, happiness, satisfaction, comfort, pleasure, and so on. 

Permalink Reply by Angie Hernandez on March 16, 2012 at 7:23am

My number one concept is to control Blood Sugar drops. They can do this by eating every 2 -3 hours a high protein meal or snack. When they eat this way, they are satisfied. When their blood sugar starts to drop, their body sends them signals that it needs nutrition. First, they might yawn then, if the BS drops lower, they might experience brain fog, restlessness, inability to focus, negative thoughts and feelings. If it gets really low, they can feel shakiness, headache, very depressed thoughts.

   It's a hard concept for overweight folks to get because I actually tell them to eat more food, more often. But when they buy into it, they see that eating this way gives them control over those runaway emotions (which are just signals from the body that they need food)and since they aren't so hungry, they can take a mental step back and make better food choices.

  What my clients love about it, is that they get their power back and don't feel out of control when it comes to food. Then a breathing anchor can help them relax and have the mind power needed to change their every day eating.