Liquid Pounds

I love witnessing contrast in my life. For example, why is it that some days your tight jeans come on super easily and other days your baggy jeans are tight? Before you go into celebration or a panic, observe how you are feeling physically and emotionally.

Many of my clients tend to begin casting blame on what they ate, or didn’t eat, that they weren’t “perfect”, or  they have failed again. You can NOT be harder on yourself to become more healthy. This is the bottom line. These moments are the sweet spot to take in account where to put your attention to.

People joke that they can gain weight just looking at a sweet dessert.  When your stress cortisol hormone levels are high enough, they’ve documented that looking at a doughnut actually changes your metabolism.

“Stress increases fluid retention,” Dr. Northrup states in the movie Hungry for Change. “I call these liquid pounds. If you’re under stress and you sleep for only three to four hours a night, you will gain two pounds just from that. You want to take care of those liquid pounds before they turn into real pounds, which they inevitably will.”

Once we understand that sudden weight gain is often the result of the body’s protection mechanism, we can start to deactivate this mechanism by addressing specific stresses in our lives. So, when you feel those 3 liquid pounds one morning here is your new self-compassion routine:

1. Sigh out stress: Breathe deeply. Get it out. Notice it. Then be grateful for your body giving you the heads up that stress is going on internally. Feel into your body and smile, this can alleviate your mood in a minute.
2. Observe the negative thoughts: You are not your thoughts. They flutter through our brain, do not attach to the. Again, thank them for the heads up, be still with them. Add in heaps of compassion at this moment, praise yourself for being mindful. Take baby steps toward more self love and awareness.
3. Drink lemon water or Organic Apple Cider Vinegar: This will help flush the cells and release water retention.
4. Try Vitamin C and a pinch of Sea Salt: Try taking 1,000- 2,000 mg of Vitamin C in the morning to help regulate the intra and extra cellular water and minerals. Also, try a pinch of sea salt in 2 oz of water later in the day, separate from the Vitamin C. The sea salt can balance out the body’s minerals so you do not rob the bone and organs of them.
5. Sleep: This is so important when you are feeling those 3 pounds linger. Clear your calendar and go to bed early. If you have trouble getting to sleep, add in quality Omega 3’s in the evening. The deeper the sleep the better your body can recalibrate.

Keep nurturing yourself during this time of year, don’t wait until the New Year to find balance. Take a moment every day to connect with yourself and provide your body love, support and nourishment.

Bring on the skinny jeans,

Heather Fleming, C.C.N