Stress can make us put on fat. But we can fix it.

My parasympathetic mode fell out of the boat, too.

Some of you may remember that I recently interviewed Dr. Kelli Ritter about ways to send “safety signals” to our body in order to switch our nervous system from Sympathetic Mode (“Fight, Flight, Freeze”) to Parasympathetic Mode (“Rest and Digest”).  I loved what Dr. Ritter had to say and gladly talked through some of her strategies.  However, I did that while feeling completely safe and calm without any distress in my life at all. 

But about two weeks ago, I had a kayaking accident and suddenly found myself unable to “rest” OR “digest.”

When our body is stuck in the Sympathetic side of our nervous system for long periods of time, our appetite doesn’t regulate as well.  Cortisol is often high (or sometimes can even be far BELOW what is considered normal), and weight loss becomes nearly impossible.  Being stuck in this “Fight, Flight, Freeze” side of the nervous system often keeps us from getting deep sleep, making regular bowel movements, growing hair, having a strong libido, or keeping our immune system strong.  Our body is literally just trying to survive. 

So I wanted to share about my recent rafting experience, how it effected my body, and how I put everything I know into practice in order to feel better and send my body those very important “safety signals.”  I hope something here is helpful.  

If you believe you’re doing everything right when it comes to your diet, and you’re still struggling to heal  or lose weight, it is definitely worth looking into stress management as a possible solution. If you’ve struggled with stress-induced weight gain or if you’ve found some stress-management strategies that are helpful, please comment on the video.  Your experiences may help someone else to heal, as well. 

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