Alice comes to consult me because she has gained 6 kilos since the birth of her children. She now weighs 67 kilos for 1.66 m. She feels cramped in her pants and says she has a complex about her husband, who is slender and sporty. Alice controls what she eats, in vain: “I always end up falling for sweets, cheese, my son’s nuggets.” I ask him to tell me about his typical day.
“7 a.m., shower, breakfast for the children in front of the TV, everyone in the car, I quickly drop the children off at school, I arrive at the office, I have a series of meetings, surveys, reports. Lunch in front of my computer, I do the shopping online, I pick them up at the drive-thru, I come home late, I feed the children, I put them to bed quickly, I prepare what I have on hand for dinner and I collapse in front of the TV.”
The day is told in one go. I point out to her that she is like “in apnea”. She said, “That’s exactly it. I can’t catch my breath.” Silence. For the first time since the beginning of the consultation, Alice pauses. Tears in her eyes, she admits to me: “I’m overwhelmed, I take very little care of myself.” New break. “I would like to do a food rebalancing, but I wonder if I will be able to follow your recommendations, there is no more space in my to-do list.”
We start by learning to breathe
Alice has just understood that she arrived with an unrealizable request in the context of hyperactivity which is hers. I point out to her that she is not overweight: her BMI (body mass index) is 24, which is normal. She also has no health problems. Losing weight is therefore not a vital emergency. I would add that I nevertheless understand his request for weight loss, which would allow him to feel better about himself. We will try to answer it. But not now.
I suggest that we start by letting her breathe. Literally as figuratively. We do a “body scan” together, inspired by sophrology, an exercise in relaxation and deep breathing of all parts of the body. “It did me a lot of good,” sighs Alice. I make her aware of the fact that the exercise only lasted 4 minutes, easy to stall before a work meeting or during the children’s dinner. She can even involve them in the exercise!
In video: a breathing exercise to lose weight gently
I take a moment to explain to him the links between stress and diet, and the role of certain hormones. In the event of occasional stress, adrenaline and cortisol are secreted. To function, these hormones need fuel: fat is destocked. But in the event of chronic stress, the body makes reserves to be ready to meet the recurring demand for these hormones. The effect is reversed: the body stores as a precaution. Lowering tension through regular relaxation activity also means acting on weight loss.
At the third consultation, Alice is smiling, she has stopped worrying about what she eats, does breathing exercises, takes the time to read a story to the children and goes for a walk in the park every lunchtime. She finds herself having fewer cravings for snacking. She lost 2 pounds. So. We will be able to start talking, gently, about food rebalancing…
Read also :
- 8 Bad Habits That Are Keeping You From Losing Your Belly
- 12 foods to eat during times of stress
- The top fruits with the lowest calories
