I have to admit that after my last post I am just so tired I slacked off everything for a while. I actually allowed myself some down time, because I am always putting this pressure on me to tackle things that need doing ASAP and get everything done on time. This usually keeps me on my toes but also stressed out. And I couldn’t take it any more. I actually had the feeling that even the little daily things that need doing were getting too much for me and made me feel anxious. Maybe I was heading for a depression?
Anyway, you might have noticed that I haven’t updated this blog for a while, and that’s the reason. Even updating this blog seemed like a chore and had to be done on a regular basis, and I couldn’t do it any more.
So I decided to just take it easy in every regard for a while. No more stressing about paperwork, housework, kids, dogs, weight loss and anything else. I just wanted to slow down and relax. I have to tell you it is so good to let go for a little. I took up reading novels again – that was always one of my favorite past times. I also vouched to always enjoy my daily walks with my dogs and not to think about all the work I still had to do at home.
Guess what – it works! Over time I have become less stressed out, and more relaxed. And the funny thing is I still get as much done of my work as before, if not more, and it doesn’t seem as hard any more. I guess that has to do with being more mindful – by slowing down I have become more mindful of what I am doing and that helps to focus better on the things you are actually trying to achieve. You should try it out!
What I have also noticed is a small change in my weight loss pattern. I have tried to be more relaxed about food, too, not taking everything so strict, having a cookie when I want one, but basically just trying not to eat too much of everything. And whilst I have not really lost weight, I have to say I also haven’t gained any even though I have been watching a lot less what I eat. I take that as a plus, because before, when I was stressing out about it, I would sure pack on the pounds!
My new healthy diet weight loss plan now is
- get enough sleep
- go for a walk (min. 30 minutes) with the dogs in the morning if possible
- eat a good breakfast (yes, I do now!), always making sure I have some protein with it
- eat lots of protein and vegetables, some fruit
- try not to eat carbohydrates in the later afternoon and evening
- still have some treats if I feel like it – but limit them
- drink plenty of water and take my supplements
Now of course we have Christmas coming along now, so we will see how I go, but overall I feel good and ready for anything!!!
Hi Petra,
I always appreciate your honesty and sincerity. My yoga teacher has us practicing “not rushing” during class. It reminded me of it, when you said you just decided to take it easy – simple, but brilliant! Why is that so hard to do???
Because the day has only 24 hours and we cram so much into it and don’t want to miss out on anything?
Hi Petra,
thanks for your website. I’ve just come across Jon Gabriel’s book today. I seem to be overweight for much the same reasons as you. I hope that you’re continuing with his method. I think I will buy his book. But in the meantime I’ll be putting into practice his and your suggestions. The water seems a good one, and the supplements as well. I’m already on the way of doing the right things like taking fish oils, flaxseed digestive enzymes and probiotics. And I’ve just bought multivitamins again after not having had them for a while and I started to feel really tired. Now it looks like I have to get some good quality protein as well, funny I’ve been thinking about that as well.
The other thing I’ve started doing is Pilates, I absolutely love it. I’ll keep you posted how I’m going.
Tschuess for now, Liz
Hi Liz, thanks for stopping by! Great that you are on the same track as I! I just slacked off over the festive season and because of it have put on 2 kgs now, but hope to shed them (and some!) soon again. The Gabriel Method is great, the only problem I have is with the visualization, often I am so tired at night that I don’t have time to visualize before I fall asleep!
Your weight loss plan looks good and do-able. Sometimes when we setup too many restrictions, our little “gremlin” inside makes us fail. My husband and I must watch our fat intake, yet we decided to “forget about” counting fat content for two days — Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We enjoyed all the holiday fixings. Now we are back on track and feel the break was good for us.
Hope your tiredness goes away soon! Thanks for the great post.
Weight Loss w/Ellizabeth´s last blog ..Weight Loss Resolutions — Made Yours Yet?
Thanks, Elizabeth! I feel much better, but I had some time off during the festive season, too, and have now put on 2 kgs which will be so hard to get rid off again!
I have to update my weight loss ticker…
Hi Petra,
First of all, I hope you had a great Christmas. And I wish you a Happy New Year!
Stress can really take it’s toll on any weight loss program. Not to mention pretty much every other aspect of your life. Basically, what happens when you’re stressed out is your body releases more of a hormone called cortisol. And increased cortisol production will make your weight plateau, and you could even put more weight on because of it.
Your program looks good. Stick with that and you’ll see really great results I think. It’s a good balance.
I noticed you mentioned that you’re still taking supplements. Are these still the supplements you were using a while ago from the gabriel method program? If so, are they working? I’m really interested to know how you’re getting on with all that…
Linda@Slimming´s last blog ..What Are Appetite Suppressants?
Hi Linda, yes, I am still taking the supplements and feel really good, but haven’t lost any weight. As soon as I think about restricting what I eat, or just eating certain things, I just don’t seem to be able to stick to anything. So I am really cross with myself for being so weak.
Weight Loss can be achieved easily through exercise. You should also consider a healthy and balance diet that is free from saturated fat. Avoid sugary foods too.
I don’t think it can be achieved “easily”, but it can be achieved…
This is a very nice diet plan I think. Especially its better if it does not cause a stress on you. I don’t believe is diet plans which makes you hungry. The main thing is to eat less, to exercise, and drink more water.
I like this article alot, I understand how you got stressed out of all those thinking.. Is that a new plan or just the same thing minus the stressing?
Hello Petra,
I was going to come on and give you support and tell you not to be too hard on yourself. Christmas and Easter are the times when we are most vulnerable. Anyway, you didn’t need my encouragement because you have so many great supporters cheering you on… except for Pretty Girls Gallery. I suspect that a very thin person wrote that comment!
It’s good to see a real person being open about going through the daily grind of trying to keep the weight under control. It’s not an easy thing. When I was setting up my website, my mum suggested that I have photos of myself as I lost the weight. Well… you won’t find any photos of me in my knickers on the internet – no fat photos, no thin photos. One of the Pretty Girls might do that but not me.
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Hi Sue, thanks for your support! It’s great to know that there are people out there like you. Well, I had in mind to possibly post a before and after photo of me here AFTER I have achieved my weight loss. Simply because it gives what I say a lot more credibility. But of course, I have to get there first, and we will see how that goes! But essentially I do not like posting photos in knickers either, but I think a little “proof” goes a long way.
No, it’s definitely not easy to lose weight. But it absolutely can be acheived.
You know for some people (most people, actually) restricting what they eat, or just eating certain things, is not the best way to go. It usually ends in binge eating.
Linda@Slimming´s last blog ..Can You Really Think Yourself Thin?
I like the post and might have to incorporate it into my blog. People need to know how to eat right and it is not all that hard, but education is key. Thanks for the link!
According to my experience daily exercise and yoga is essential to lose weight. Though we may lose our weight,I think dieting is not good for health because it will lacks proper amount of protein and vitamin that we need to keep us healthy. Healthy diet weight loss plan you have explain is simply awesome,i will suggest all who are suffering from their fat belly and huge weight.Thanks a lot for sharing such a nice post,keep it up.
The most effective way for Losing Weight is exercise. You just do some cardio workout everyday like jogging and running for miles. That would effectively burn the fats in your body.
When you give a Patient Information On Diabetes, they realize that it’s time to begin to take their weight seriously. Losing weight is hard, but well worth the effort!
New plans are horrible. A real necessity, but horrible. We all just started our New Years diet at the office. You can see where people are getting frustrated but we have to keep up with it because the end product will be well worth it. Keep your blog and your plan up. Cheers!
It’s a life time battle. Take your time and dont give up. Once when I struggled with weight problem, my prayer came true in other form. I got a bad flu and throat infection during the festive season, followed by a 3 months cough. That did manage to make me slim down.
scheng1´s last blog ..Simple Weight Loss Tips
Thanks so much for the honest post. I struggled with weight loss for a long time and blog about it too! I found that the only thing that really works for me is diet and exercise together. When I’ve tried to lose the weight with dieting alone, I’ve been successful but for a limited time.
When I combine diet and exercise the weight loss is slower but seems to last longer. Keep up the fight and best of luck!
This sounds alot like my exercise/weightloss routine. I always start off the morning by drinking a big glass of water. This seems to wake me up and fill my belly. I’ll then take my two dogs for a walk, usually lasting about 30 minutes or so, and about 1.5 miles. I always try to eat some fruit and whole grain bagel/toast for breakfast.
This is my perfect way to start the morning. Through out the rest of the day, I try to drink alot of water, sometimes juice. Protein is important or I’ll start to get headaches and become fatigued. Plus, anything with fiber, because it keeps me full.
Good luck in your weightloss endeavours. It’s not easy, but with a good diet and regular exercise routine, you’ll start to notice positive changes.
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Eddie, thanks for the thumbs up!
Great Article. Most people have this problem. Stressful lives cause everyone to be tired, and this urges people to stop working out or trying to keep fit. The key is to not make staying fit a chore. You have to enjoy it. If you enjoy it the longer you will stick with it and the greater the results will be.
Exercise helps me a lot.
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@ Womens bodybuilding – I’m not convinced that Yoga is essential to a weight loss program. But I think it could definitely help. I actually went to a Yoga class last week and found it to be very enjoyable.
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is about teaching everyone easy and efficient techniques to restore,improve and maintain our body health and tips on living in a healthy environement. We will be diving in the universe of alternative medicine,folk medicine and ancient cures using home made ingredients.
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My weight loss plan is psychological. I say, “I only need to lose 5 pounds”. When I lose them, I give myself a treat day. Then I decide if I want to go back on the diet or not.
It’s working for me!
Debbie Lattuga´s last blog ..Heart Rate Monitor Training | Calculate Maximum Resting Heart Rates
This is quite a good strategie! Thanks for sharing.
If you can, only drink water. A lot of calories can be saved by not drinking juices and carbonated drinks. I’ve been doing it a month now and it’s going well.
This is a great website. It give me perspective on my own weight struggles. I am not fat, but I see myself gaining weight. And as you said in your blog, slowing life down could really make a difference. I haven’t tried it, but I do notice when I am a bit more relax, I tend to eat less. I also stop drinking sodas because of what it can do to my stomach and I’m watching the ingredients in the food that I buy. I think you’re doing a good job here and hopefully, you’ll make a big difference in many lives around the world. Good luck!
TimM
TimM @ fast weight loss diets´s last blog ..The Best 10 Weight Loss Pills To Help You Slim Down
Tim, thanks for your kind words! I wish you lots of success in your weight loss, and in slowing down. Life will be much more enjoyable!
There are a lot of lifestyle stresses that will cause weight gain. I know myself , Ill eat food to comfort myself. Exercise is a big key for losing weight and controlling stress. Its tough but I force myself to do it.
Exercise really does make a difference. I can tell right now, I have given myself a few months off from the gym (not enough time), and I feel as though I am getting weaker and flabbier all the time. Yuk! It definitely helps to feel fitter and healthier, and to keep the weight down (mine has crept up again to 79…)
Weight loss is a buzz word today. Every medical experts , each health websites are providing thousands of instructions and methodologies on it. But finding out the best option quite often depends on your ability to choose the optimum combination.
I feel that at the end of the article the new weight loss food plan is ideal and easy to apply. There can be different ways but for a long term continuation we need simple but step by step plan which is easy to afford.