Stress Weighs….

Want a foolproof method to slow down weight loss?  Stress….   Absolutely stress weighs. Can you tell I have some??  Yikes!!

It’s been a rough couple of weeks.   I teach school during the day.   Middle School….   I am the eighth grade teacher and so there is s lot going on.  And things have been stressful.   Aside from the usual stress that goes with this job, there have been some additional things thrown in on top of the mix.   I try to build in time with my schedule for unexpected things, like the technology you are using suddenly doesn’t function right, or the kids didn’t finish something you need for the end of the year and so now you have to finish it.   But this year it seems like I have a bit more than usual.  How did I keep up last year??  Oh, yeah… I didn’t! This year it’s seems as though a lot is on the mix, I work two jobs, things haven’t gone as planned and we had a death in our family.   My weight loss seems to be awfully slow.  Of course, Dr. Jack is always the voice of reason in my head.   He has explained to me a lot of times that as I get closer to being more normal weight, things are going to go slower.  And although that is true, I just know that the stress has built up and that it is taking its toll as well.  I have tried to combat most of it with some exercise and trying to just get to bed at a decent hour but I find that my head is racing and of course, I wake up dreaming about the jobs I have to get done.

I know lots of people have these times in life, where you feel like you are burning the candle at both ends.  Lately, it feels like I do that but that I am also burning it in the middle, too.   So, have I found the great answer?  Not really, but I am trying to do a few things differently. First, I made a list of the tasks I need to get done in the order they need to happen.   I tried to break that list down into ten minute chunks.  What can I get done if I have ten minutes.  Surprisingly I have gotten a lot done that way.

But in taking care of me, these are the MUST haves, not matter what else goes on.  Food!  Make time to eat and make it good stuff.   The last few weeks, I can’t go a day without a salad.  I have to have crunch.  Loud crunchy.Drink enough water, it’s easy durning stressful times to slack on the Water!  I find sometimes I have to get extra in at night because I got behind during the day. Don’t sweat the slow pounds.  I keep telling myself in two weeks, I can get my focus back on what I am doing here, more exercise, better sleep and it will kick back in.

Find at least a few minutes a day to do something totally relaxing. I know you are rolling your eyes, because there isn’t ten minutes.  But if I have ten minutes to make dvd labels, I need to find ten minutes to sit and just breathe, or read or just sit on the porch.

Be good to you….. It’s soooooo easy to start taking time away from yourself to get things done, but in the end you pay for that. Stress definitely weighs….. Don’t let it be too much.  Now that is great advice!!  I just need to follow it too!!  Okay, ten minute break for all of us! Go!  Hey!!  Don’t click off here until you take the ten minutes.  I won’t feel guilty if we take it together!