This is a big topic.
But it’s an important one, especially if you’re in perimenopause or menopause.
Not only in relation to belly fat.
Stress, I believe, is the major factor behind many of the issues you may be experiencing at this time of your life.
So, buckle up, here we go!
We have hormones.
All of us.
And we all need them, because hormones take care of all our bodily functions, and even affect our mood.
And when your hormones are in a good balance, life is great!
You feel good physically, and emotionally.
But when they’re imbalanced… Well, it’s probably best to stay out of your way.
So what causes hormones to become imbalanced?
For sure, the fact we’re in perimenopause affects them.
But what really causes the imbalance is the way we live.
It’s our lifestyle.
It comes down to what we do, think, and feel.
And belly fat showing up in perimenopause isn’t a normal sign of aging.
It’s likely a sign that something is imbalanced.
And I believe there’s one factor, above all else that causes this imbalance to happen:
STRESS
Oh yes.
The “S” word.
For me, stress has always seemed like this huge subject, kind of all-encompassing.
Where does it begin and where does it end?
Well, I’ll break it down here as well as I can.
A good definition of stress is: Your body or mind reaction to anything that causes physical, emotional, or mental strain.
And the EFFECTS of stress are varied.
Physically, stress can show up as:
- Muscle tension/achiness
- Stomach/digestive issues
- High blood pressure
- Heart palpitations
- Trouble sleeping/falling asleep
- Getting sick more easily/frequently
- …
And emotionally it can show up as:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Difficulty focusing
- Low libido
- Mood swings
- …
And when you’re in perimenopause, stress becomes more of an issue.
That’s because with the decrease in progesterone, you’re less “protected” from the stress hormone, cortisol.
Hence, some of these things listed above may show up in perimenopause, as well as belly fat, hot flashes, and more.
But, all this said, it’s important to know that a certain amount of stress is normal, and sometimes useful.
And so the goal isn’t to get rid of stress altogether.
The goal is to recognize stress when it shows up, and deal with it in a healthy way.
However, most of us don’t.
Instead, we create habits to make ourselves feel better instead of dealing with the source of the stress.
We over-eat, under-eat, over-drink, smoke, and develop other unhealthy, compulsive behaviors such as gambling, shopping, sex, and drugs.
And then these coping mechanisms can become sources of stress on their own.
We can keep looping in endless cycles of stress…
Unless we stop the cycle.
And we stop the cycle by actually DEALING with the ROOT of your stress.
And here’s where it gets interesting.
The underlying ROOT of your stress is not your job, your relationships, your weight, or even the pandemic.
The actual ROOTS of stress lie in your THOUGHTS about those circumstances.
So, dealing with STRESS means dealing with your THOUGHTS about stuff.
And that can be good news, because it doesn’t necessarily mean you have leave your job or your marriage or lose 20 lbs.
It means you need to deal with what you’re making those things mean about you and your life.
And what once do deal with those thoughts, then you can make changes if you choose to.
Now, before I move into the method I use for dealing with stressful thoughts, I want to mention that there are many healthy ways to deal with stress like:
- Meditation
- Deep breathing
- Affirmations
- EFT (tapping)
- Walking outdoors
- Yoga
- Tai Chi
- …
And you should use whatever is simplest and works for you.
However, here I’m going to explain how to actually work through the stressful thought and get to the other side of it.
What are the steps to working through stressful thoughts?
1. Just notice how you’re feeling
Become aware of how your body feels, and your emotions around the stressful topic.
So, if it’s your weight, when you think about your weight, what physical sensations come up for you?
What emotions show up?
If these sensations or emotions aren’t pleasant, that’s ok.
It just means that there’s a thought you’re thinking that’s not making you feel good.
2. Find the thought or thoughts
What are you thinking about your weight that makes you feel bad?
It’s that thought, or thoughts, that are the ROOTS of your STRESS.
Now, once you uncover the thoughts, write them down.
Really look at what you’re thinking about yourself and your situation.
And recognize that it’s just thinking.
And realize that someone else, in the same situation, may not have the same thought as you.
They may be thinking something completely opposite, and not feel stressed at all.
For example, the thought, “I need to lose weight because I hate my body.” will make you feel bad.
But it’s just a thought, it’s not a fact as I talked about in my previous post.
3. Create a neutral thought
So, what’s another thought that could be an improvement, and would help you feel better?
How about something like “This is my body.”
It’s a neutral statement.
Not positive or negative.
But it’s a step out of the negative.
Towards something that will cause less stress on your body and mind.
4. Rinse and repeat
This process will take practice.
Uncovering your emotions, thoughts, and finding a neutral thought takes practice.
It takes repetition.
And once you’ve got a neutral thought down pat, you can go on and create a believable, and even even thought.
And so on, and so on.
However, you are human.
And negative, stressful thoughts will still show up in your life.
But equipped with the awareness that they’re just thoughts makes things easier.
You’ll get better and better at labelling these thoughts behind your stressful feelings.
You’ll become great at managing your thoughts.
And the effect of that can be kind of magical.
You can breathe.
You’ll feel more control over your stress, and not let circumstances overtake you.
And you’ll feel more calm, confident, and really good a lot more often than you used to.
How are you dealing with stress is your life?
Stress for me became a big issue this past fall.
It showed up as heart palpitations, bloating and heart burn.
And it’s only in retrospect that I recognize these things were physical signs of stress.
But emotionally I knew I was stressed.
So I turned to tools that I know work for me.
Meditation, breathing, getting outside for walks, yoga, and talking to my coach to work through my thoughts.
And once I felt emotionally better, I ended up changing the beliefs around my circumstances.
And felt even better.
I want you to feel better too.
Because you can.
Are you ready?
Debbie
P.S. Need help with your stress? I’d love to help you do that, and feel better. Just book a free session with me, at a time that works for you: www.momentum-fit.ca/book-a-session
P.P.S. Join me for Yoga twice a week. Beginners welcome! All sessions are live, and then recorded so you can do the classes on your own time. Find out more, and sign up here: https://debbie-harbec.lpages.co/belly-fit-yoga-2021