The 3 Things I Did On My Day Off From Work To Lose Weight
It’s Dr. Bernadette, your friendly informative family medicine physician, prescribing health, healing and happiness and guiding you to your passion and purpose. Who would have anticipated the aftereffect of a day off from work would be returning to work thinner? Before you anxiously skip this introduction to find which fad diet I used, I didn’t use one! Instead, I replenished my mind, body and spirit––and loss weight! For full disclosure, although I took one day off, I wasn’t scheduled to work the day before or after my vacation day; so, I was actually out of the office three days.
If you follow me on social media, I am certain you have seen a post or two or three about how stress can keep you battling the bulge––it’s true. Too much stress causes a domino effect: the hormone cortisol increases, leading to higher levels of insulin, resulting in a decrease in blood sugar, leaving you craving donuts, candy, ice cream and other sugary foods; thereby, packing on the pounds. Taking the time to namaste, whoo-sah, breathe, or whatever synonym in your world means to destress, can counteract the negative effects of stress and help to drop weight—it did for me, I loss 2.5 pounds during my extended weekend! You do the addition to figure out the total in a year––of course, that includes healthy nutrition and a regular fitness routine.
3 Things That Helped Me To Shed Weight On My Day Off
- Refocused my attention on myself. It was a good thing my brief hiatus was last minute. I didn’t have the chance to plan a getaway; so, I had a staycation. Accept for a couple of trips to the gym, I was nestled in my home with a sandcastle scented candle, ocean sounds gently whispering through the speaker of the sound machine and interludes of guided meditation. It was the ideal environment to retreat and center on me––self matters. When I escaped from the busyness of my life, I was mindful of my thoughts, feelings and physical being which curbed mindless eating.
- Rebalanced my life. My best friend said I indulged in the “primary foods” while on break. I was satiated by life and the fullness there of and did not need physical food to fill voids. I agree, I nourished my mind, body and spirit––a perfect harmony. The “whole” me was in alignment. There was an instant awareness of anything that disturbed my melodious equilibrium and I quickly addressed it. This consciousness is not always readily accessible because of daily distractions and you, like me, can become disconnected from your true needs and we find ourselves armed with a fork in lieu of life balance.
- Rediscovered me. My short recess gave me the opportunity to do some activities that I sometimes pass on to stay on schedule. I do understand the clock continues to tick and there is much to do, but it was very refreshing to slow down. An acquaintance wrote the book “It All Started When I Stopped Using Lotion – One Woman’s Journey from Chaos to Calm.” The title makes me chuckle because it really does explain our journey to the back of the line in our own lives in the absence of self-care. It was absolutely wonderful to spend time writing affirmations, taking a nap here and there, playing the piano, eating my favorite foods and pampering myself. The smorgasbord of leisurely pleasures was so fulfilling I found myself opting for more fun as my meal replacement––thus the 2.5 pound weight loss!
It is essential to strike a balance in our lives, I am not suggesting it will always be an equal one––although, that would be great. However, we must be cautious not to leave our spiritual and emotional being vulnerable and fill our emptiness with unsatisfying substitutes. It is important to have easy ways to refocus, rebalance and rediscover you such as starting your day by writing a positive affirmation on your mirror, using a diffuser at the office for aromatherapy while you work and stopping to put on lotion––smile. After having such a renewing experience and not to mention slimming down on my day off from work, I have decided to make taking a day from the office a quarterly ritual.
Alright, in medical training, it is said the best way to learn is to see one, do one and teach one. As that idea relates to this blog, I wrote one, you read one and now go on and share one!
In Health, Healing and Happiness,
Dr. Bernadette
Bernadette Anderson, M.D., M.P.H. has devoted the past 20 years to developing, teaching and educating others on the principles of health and lifestyle transformation. Her approach is to provide simple tools to allow people to be champions of their own healing, health and happiness and transition to a life of purpose and passion. These are the same tools that helped her drop over 140 pounds! She is the founder of Faith Family Health, Inc., a speaker, a health expert for media, bestselling and international published author, has appeared on national commercials and featured in highly-recognized online magazines.Visit her at DrBernadetteMD.com.
Tags: fun, happy, meditation, mindfulness, rebalance, refocus, vacation, weight loss