It's a funny old thing disappointment isn't it? One argument is that we should lower expectations and then we can't be disappointed but is that anyway to live?
I had some disappointing business news last week as I was let down on a property I was looking to lease. It meant I lost close to five thousands pounds, I had to let lots of other people down and also my vision and efforts got (for want of a better word) crushed. It got me thinking...life has disappointments and sometimes they're big or small or huge. Sometimes we could have done more and sometimes it's just 'the way it goes'. People will tell you "it's not meant to be" or in my very funny cousins case "I heard there was sewage there anyway".
Whatever the reason and whatever the cause, we can't change that, we can only change our reaction to it. We can be sad, angry, or we might cry. We can hit things, we can shout or we can close off when we get disappointment. Any reaction also has an impact on your body.
When you feel stressed your body releases cortisol (the stress hormone) and guess what? That makes you FAT! When you're body receives the message of stress it assumes the position of 'serious bad times'. Yes it may have been designed for being in the jungle and chased by a sabre tooth tiger but actually we get stressed for far less reason but far more frequently. If we were running from a tiger it would need to be fast and we'd hope it wouldn't happen often. As a result of this extreme stress your body would fire up the stress hormone and all sorts would kick in. Adrenaline rushes and your feed speed away from you as the blood is pumped to your limps. Your digestive system shuts down to allow the blood to go to your vital organs for survival with any surplus going to those speedy legs. Body fat is stored to protect you and keep stocks in case your run takes you to a cave with no food. Your body temperature increases and you start to sweat...I could go on.
What's the impact if we do this a lot? Hair loss, body fat storage around the middle, insomnia, head aches, lack of appetite or huge appetite...again I could go on.
So, whatever the stress, whatever the disappointment, it's important to remember, it's just not worth getting fat over! So take some deep breaths, drink lots of water and do whatever you need to do to calm down. I for one will not let the landlord who just let me down make me fat!
Wishing you a day of positive vibes and no disappointment and remember, if you see a stressed person, remind them it's making them fat (in the nicest possible way of course!)
Hannah Johnson
Chief Catalyst at Lean Body Vision
