When you release stress, the weight will follow. It took me a long time to actually believe that this was true. When I used to see the number on the scale start to creep up instead of down, my instinct was to start a new diet.
If someone had told me that I needed to work on reducing my stress instead, I would have politely nodded my headed and then ignored their advice.
However, after ten years of studying health and wellness, I discovered the connection between stress and habits, and I finally figured out why I was never able to stick to a diet and keep the weight off.
The Chronic Stress Loop
I was stuck in The Chronic Stress Loop, and if you struggle to maintain a feel-good weight, you are likely stuck as well. The four phases of The Chronic Stress Loop are stressor, panic, default habit and unwanted manifestation. Let’s take a look at how a stressor throws us into the Chronic Stress Loop.
Getting Stuck in the Chronic Stress Loop
It starts with a stressor like feeling overwhelmed by everything that needs to get done.
You have a million things to do and something else unexpectedly gets added to your already too full plate.
You Panic: I can’t handle this, I am not good enough, I never have enough time. (Typically these thoughts happen in our subconscious and we are not even aware that they are increasing our stress) When this panic arises, you rely on your comfort food to make yourself feel better. Maybe that is pizza, fries, soda or chocolate. (For me it was always candy)
Whatever it is for you, you are eating to soothe stress not because you are hungry and eventually this default habit will manifest as extra weight. Now you have created a new stressor of extra weight and the cycle continues and stress escalates.
Stressful Thoughts
In addition, these panicky thoughts eventually become stressors of their own. We have lots of stressful thoughts about food, weight and dieting that have been stored in our subconscious over the years.
- Carbohydrates will make me fat
- I can’t lose weight because I have a slow metabolism
- I am a sugar addict
- I can’t afford to eat healthy food
These thoughts increase our stress and keep us stuck in the Chronic Stress Loop.
Let’s say one of your subconscious stressful thoughts is that carbohydrates will make you fat. Then when you eat a carb like potatoes, it will be perceived by your subconscious mind as a negative action even if you are not consciously thinking about it. The stress response gets activated and you get thrown into the Chronic Stress Loop. These subconscious stressful thoughts block us from reaching our feel-good weight.
Breaking Out of the Chronic Stress Loop
How do we break out of The Chronic Stress Loop?
The first step is to calm the panic. Although I use numerous strategies to help my clients calm the panic, my favorite tool is the Emotional Freedom Technique or tapping. The Emotional Freedom Technique is based on lightly tapping on meridian points similar to acupuncture. When you tap on these points, a relaxation signal is sent to your brain. This allows you to safely and easily release the stress, which helps you avoid eating junk food and finally reach and maintain your feel-good weight.
Let’s take this same scenario and replace your default habit with the healthier habit of Tapping. The panic still arises, but instead of eating large quantities of junky food: you
- do a round of tapping
- calm the panic
- reduce stress
- feel at ease
- decrease craving for junky food
- stay on track with healthy eating goals
You have successfully broken out of The Chronic Stress Loop.
Learn the Emotional Freedom Technique
Let me walk you through the steps.
Step 1:
Identify your number one stressor. Then on a scale from (low) 1-10 (high), rate the intensity. It is also helpful to identify where you feel the stress. Many of us feel a tightness in our stomach, heart, throat or shoulders.
Step 2:
Create a Set Up Statement.
Even though I am feeling so stressed about _____, I fully and completely accept myself.
Even though I feel disappointed in myself (stressed) for eating an entire bag of candy, I fully and completely accept myself.
Even though I feel like I will never lose weight because of my metabolism, I fully and completely accept myself.
Step 3:
Create a reminder phrase.
I am so stressed about ______.
I am so disappointed (stressed) that I ate the entire bag of candy.
My metabolism is so slow I will never lose weight
Step 4:
While lightly tapping on the karate chop, the side of your hand, repeat your set up statement three times.
Step 5:
Tap through the 8 points using the tips of your index and middle finger. While tapping lightly on each point, say your reminder phrase. You want to tap 7-10 times at each point, but don’t count, just tap at the point until the phrase is complete. You can’t do it wrong. It doesn’t matter if you skip a point, and it doesn’t matter if you tap on your right side, left side or both sides at once. As long as you are tapping, while stating the negative emotion, your body will remain relaxed.
1= Eyebrow
2= Side of the Eye
3= Under the Eye
4=Under the Nose
5=Chin
6=Collarbone
7=Under the Arm (Bra Strap)
8=Top of the Head
Step 6
Take a deep breathe in and exhale the negative emotions. Then rate your emotions again. Hopefully, the intensity of the emotion will have decreased. Continue tapping until the intensity of the emotion is a 5 or below.
Step 7
Now that you have cleared the negative emotion, we don’t want to leave a hole to be filled with whatever thought floats into our heads, We want to plant some positive thoughts to grow.
Create a positive reminder phrase.
I can __________ , and it is safe to relax.
I can make better choices, and it is safe to relax.
I choose to relax and easily release this stressful thought.
Step 8
Tap through the 8 points using the tips of your index and middle finger. While tapping lightly on each point, say your positive reminder phrase. Do at least one round.
Using the Emotional Freedom Technique to reduce stressors and break out of The Chronic Stress Loop is my favorite strategy to help my clients reach and maintain their feel-good weight. I encourage you to go HERE and download an Emotional Freedom Technique Cheat Sheet so that the next time a stressor arises you can tap instead of eat. Believe me. It’s so much more enjoyable than going on another diet.
Hey, before you go, join the Stress-Free Eating Community. It is an awesome ‘private’ Facebook Group for women who struggle to stick to a healthy eating plan and want exclusive tips, trainings and strategies so they can tap into their brainpower versus willpower and easily choose the healthiest options for them.
Each week there is a mini-challenge to help you build smart habits, strategies to make staying on track to reaching your feel-good weight easier, #healthyfoodtastesgood recipes, accountability check-ins, and opportunities to connect and have fun.
We’re a supportive group of women who motivate and encourage each other to stick with a healthy eating plan …. and best of all it’s completely FREE!
