Exercise and overcoming depression for improved quality of life

Let’s face it, often if you are depressed the last thing you want to do is exercise, but I can assure you that it’s something that will change your mood.  When it comes to partaking in exercise, moving your body will invoke as most already know, endorphins and counteract the impacts of cortisol production while getting you outside, amongst people and life.  I know what this is like after going through life challenges, hormonal changes and my life not turning out the way I thought it would while also in these trying times with Covid circulating the world and other pressures as a woman.   Weight gain often comes with the lack of motivation, and it becomes more difficult to get moving but the thing to remember is that any setback can be treated like a step forward because if you look, you can learn from your depressive thoughts, feelings and emotions and find a gift in it to be able to move powerfully forward and get moving again.  These insights will assist you to overcome depression for improved quality of life:

1. Realise it’s a journey.

   Most people these days are looking for a quick fix to their problems but overcoming depression with exercise isn’t an overnight thing. I of course believe in miracles but know that for most people it’s a journey of re-establishing your routine and embrace the journey because it takes effort, I know to be able to get back out there, get going and get doing what you want to do again.  When you realise it’s a journey, you are more patient and understand you need to take actions toward feeling better and if you start small and build up, you will find over time you begin to feel better, your body functions better and you are able to feel the endorphins you are seeking.

2. Start small and build up.

   You don’t need to thrash yourself to feel endorphins when it comes to exercise. Of course, if a good hard workout is what you respond to and you are ready for it go for it but don’t think that you need to go hard to begin with to feel the healing effects of exercise.  Just starting is the first thing and then build gradually up to a place where you consistently feel the effects of your hard work.  I know it’s so confusing in this day and age about how much exercise to do to gain results so seek professional assistance where needed to guide you and make sure you take it one step at a time being kind to yourself for the impact of exercise to improve your quality of life.

3. Allow yourself to feel pleasure.

   Depression often makes people feel like they aren’t allowed to or able to feel a sense of pleasure. Exercise will bring you pleasure and so will the results it creates in your body so be sure to allow yourself the joy and pleasure you can experience by partaking in it regularly.  Pleasure is something that is not just for the lucky people, all people are able to experience it if you put your mind to it.  I know right!  You may not feel like doing the hard work to get where you want to go but think about the results you will create by getting going and getting into it while making sure you look after yourself and seek professional guidance where required.

Exercise and overcoming depression for improved quality of life was originally published on Anna Maria Lang's fitness blog

Life’s pressures and stopping out running emotional eating

How are you when it comes to life’s pressures and emotional eating?  I know some women reach for food when stressed and others are the opposite.  This is for those who reach for food in times of pressure.  Let’s face it!  Fighting those demons can be a difficult thing and the only thing that can seem to soothe the emotions is food.  You know that feeling of peace that comes over you for a moment that can lead to regret and weight gain if it is a frequent thing.  Life moves in cycles and it’s important to understand that while seeking consistency and sustainable results.  If you can understand your behaviours, you will be able to master your emotional eating and find ways to find peace through other means.  These insights will assist you to overcome life’s pressures that may lead you to emotional eating:

 

1. Know what your triggers are.

   Many women aren’t aware of their triggers so they don’t know when they are in the midst of a cycle where they may be seeking food to find peace. Get to know what happens right before you reach for food and understand that you won’t be perfect all of the time, but you can calm your emotions in other ways when you understand what triggers your emotional eating.  Triggers can be external or internal things so be sure to not surround yourself with triggering people, things or thoughts and allow yourself some grace in life to be able to calm eat and find your balance.

2. Change your environment to reduce life’s pressures.

   The moral of the story here is to not expose yourself to the things that trigger you as much while additionally working on your triggers to be able to do whatever you like in the future. Healing is the key to success when it comes to mastering your emotional eating but don’t put yourself under undue stress if you don’t need to.  Who can you let go of in your life that trigger you and what habits, behaviours and environments can you change to allow yourself some peace?  At least until you are able master your emotional eating and find balance.

3. Know you can do it and place your attention on what you want instead.

   When you know you can overcome emotional eating and place your attention on what you want, you get to find peace over it. I’m not saying that you will never emotionally eat again as perfectionism isn’t what this is about and being a realist will help you love yourself at times when your emotions run the show. As you focus on what you want, you create more of that, and you begin to attract to you situations where you are better able to manage.   You don’t need to heal in an instant, each change is a win so know you are worthy and make small adjustments over time to a place where you are managing your emotional eating, focusing on what you want and living for balance to win the war on weight, body image and fitness.

The post Life’s pressures and stopping out running emotional eating is courtesy of Battle babes fitness

Your weight and looks don’t determine your worth

When it comes to your weight, how do you feel about what it means? Do you make it mean you are worthy if you are thin and unworthy if you gained weight?  In this mission, it’s important to understand that your weight doesn’t reflect anything about you when it comes to worth.  Yes, you may be wearing your emotions and trauma on your body, or you may simply eat more than your body needs for no reason except you like food.  Whichever it is for you, just know that you are a perfect human being regardless and your worth is determined by your inner self and not the way you look. Who ever decided in history that women’s physical appearance would be something that is important when it comes to attracting opportunities, a partner, worth and what you want out of life?  It really makes no sense if you think about where it all started – with human constructs of the mind.  Meaning it’s all made up.  These insights will assist you to know your worth that is more than your body and understand that weight is an ever-changing thing and if you place your worth on it, you may find yourself in states of perpetual unworthiness:

1. Your body is not your business card.

   Opportunity seems to often knock on the doors of those are thin right? That’s what society has created as something women believe because the ideal life often involves an image of a thin woman with it all. Well, it’s not really about these women’s body, it’s about how they often think about themselves while it is a fact of society that there is an image that is projected through the media and other means that says that when you are skinny you have made it.  Well, that’s not true.  If you are being discriminated against for your body and made to feel unworthy by others when it comes to opportunity, make sure you stand up for yourself because your body is not your business card.  It is simply a vehicle that holds your beautiful soul for which you can look after and do your best to be well.

2. Stay away from people who are only looks oriented.

   One sure way to destroy your worth is to be with or around people who are only looks oriented who place their connection with you on the way you look. I know, I have been there and at times you don’t look what they deem to be attractive and thin they disappear or they are embarrassed by you which seems like it’s a bad thing at the time but know it’s the best thing that can happen to you.  You know where you stand, and you get to find people who adore you for you.  Relationships based on looks place undue pressure on you and etch away at your worth because I know deep inside you want to be accepted for who you are in entirety.  I’m not saying don’t look stunning, what I am saying is don’t base relationships on physical aspects or be around those who do because your worth depends on it. Of course, hang out with healthy people, but make it from a place of worthiness and belonging.

3. Life phases happen so accept them.

   If you are placing your worth on your body, you may find you struggle as you age or things happen where your body may change.  I know this well and was thin most of my life and when things happened to me and my body changed, I had to accept that unless I wanted to starve myself, my body just wouldn’t morph into my former 20-year-old body.  These phases can pass, and the moral of this story is that it’s imperative you place your worth on your internal self and not the way you look because bodies can change and looks can change.  Don’t get out of the game if you go through a phase, do what you can with your exercise and eating and ride out the phase while loving your body and knowing you are worthy no matter what.

The following article Your weight and looks don’t determine your worth was first published on Battle Babes Fitness by Anna Maria Lang

Understanding the pitfalls of rapid weight loss

So many women are seeking a quick fix and trying to lose weight through extreme measures for rapid weight loss.  Let’s face it… there are many promises of an ideal life once you lose the weight really fast and thoughts that you will be happy when you reach the magic number on the scales.  I’m here to tell you that there are no quick fixes and immediate gratification will most likely get you into metabolic trouble. Rapid weight loss often leads to rapid weight gain and often more than you started because it’s impossible to maintain the extreme measures you go through to achieve the rapid result while additionally this causes your metabolism often to slow down.  Rapid weight loss is glorified and celebrated when slow weight loss should be the method by which you lose the weight if that is what you want to do. These insights will assist you to understand the pitfalls of rapid weight loss and find balance so you can lose weight if that is what you want to do:

1. Starvation causes a stress response in your body causing weight gain.

   Your nervous system, food intake and stress over food can be directly related and when you choose to go on a fad diet seeking rapid weight loss, you place undue stress on your body and your mind.Starvation causes the activation of your sympathetic nervous system which is the centre for stress in your body that can cause weight loss resistance or weight gain.  You might find you rapidly lose weight to begin with while in time you may find yourself not being able to lose weight because stress on your body and in your mind can cause weight loss resistance or weight gain.

2. Cycles of weight loss and gain are usually the biproduct of rapid weight loss.

   If you are on a cycle of weight loss and gain it could be because you are losing weight in the wrong way. You may be losing it too quickly and although you may feel somewhat better there can be some damage done to your metabolism as a result of the constant diet cycle.  It is important to find a balanced eating plan that is conducive to your results and lifestyle.  Of course, weight can fluctuate and what I am talking about here is the rapid weight loss that leads to rapid weight gain that has you struggle physically and mentally.

3. Rapid weight loss and cyclic dieting can cause metabolic damage.

   As you lose weight in cycles of weight loss and gain through rapid weight loss and quick fixes, you damage your metabolism leaving it sluggish and struggling. It may seem difficult to believe, but food is your friend when it comes to weight loss and sustaining your weight.  When I say sustaining your weight, I don’t mean to stay the exact number on the scale at all times, what I mean is to train your metabolism to keep you within your own healthy and desired weight range that has you feel energetic, healthy and living life. Rapid methods just don’t work long term and seeking quick fixes can cause you to suffer so make sure you seek professional guidance to be able to balance your life and achieve long term health regardless of the number on the scale causing your metabolism to flourish.

The post Understanding the pitfalls of rapid weight loss is republished from Battle Babes Fitness by Anna Maria Lang