Non-Food Ways To Lose Weight and Feel Great: Play More

Happy September!!

As fall begins and you leave that summer vacation feeling behind, remember that you can still keep your attitude light. Although the weather is cooling down and the days are getting shorter, that doesn't mean you shouldn't continue making time in your routine to enjoy yourself.  

Pleasure is a key factor in your overall well-being that truly benefits your body as you are trying to look and feel your best. 

So far, we've covered a lot of ground in this seven part series. You've learned the benefits of:

1. Sleeping More (Click here if you missed it.)
2. Moving More (For that one, click here.)
3. Breathing More (Get that one here.)
4. Chewing More (Click here if you missed it.)
5. Connecting More (Here you go.)
6. Appreciating More (This one is here.)
   

Which brings us to post #7 (and the last one in this series). My final recommendation to help you feel great in your body and lose weight, regardless of the eating plan you are on, is to...

#7: PLAY MORE

For the purpose of this post, I am using the word 'play' to mean your participation in activities that bring you joy. Whether these are quiet activities (such as reading, crafting or relaxing outdoors) or more active ones (such as running, playing a sport or going out dancing), the positive benefits from experiencing the joy of play are REAL. After reading the other posts in this series, perhaps you've already tried out some of the ways that I've discussed that get your body into a more relaxed state, all of which have enormous physical benefits to your digestion. They help you more fully digest what you've eaten, and properly distribute energy and nutrients to the parts of your body where they are needed most. Does it surprise you that feeling joy does the same thing for your digestion? The joy that comes from playing more also relaxes the body in ways that allow it to function its best, whether it's to digest your food, sleep more soundly or enhance your concentration.

How 'Play' Affects Your Body

Regardless of the type of activity you engage in for your 'play time', your body relaxes and derives happiness whenever you take the time to do something pleasurable. Playing boosts your immune system, decreases stress in your body and supports longevity.

According to Dr. Diana Samuel of Columbia University Medical Center, you feel joy in your body because of the release of two types of neurotransmitters in your brain, dopamine and serotonin, which are both associated with happiness. When something makes you feel happy, these chemicals are released, and cause a physical reaction in both your circulatory system (the body's transportation system to the organs) and your autonomic nervous system (which controls digestion, breathing and the body's 'fight or flight' reaction when stressed). These 'feel good' chemicals calm your body by helping it turn off it's 'fight or flight' reaction to stress, and affect organ muscles to more effectively move food through the digestive tract.  In addition, other chemical reactions are activated in your body based on the specific type of activity you do. So playing tennis will produce reactions that stem from active movement, while reading a book causes less muscle activation, but activates different parts of your brain. In either case, the very act of taking time to do something you truly enjoy greatly benefits your mind and body in important ways.

How 'Playing More' Affects Weight Loss and Well-Being

• You'll be a better problem solver. Changing activities stimulates the brain. By taking a break in your day to do a pleasurable activity, you are using different parts of your brain. And when you return to your original task, the answer you were looking for prior to your break often magically becomes apparent!
• You'll improve your mood. Doing something that brings you joy is often smile inducing, which has been proven to have a positive effect on mood in general. Laughter also reduces anxiety and boosts your mood.

• You'll digest your food better. Enjoyable activities increase relaxation in your body. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows digestion and allows your body to more fully digest your food.
• You'll increase your activity level, which increases weight loss. The more active you are, the higher your metabolic rate, and the more calories you will burn. As I discussed in post #2 on movement (you can get it here), getting up and moving after sitting for a while increases metabolic rate and is extremely beneficial to both your body and your brain. 
• You'll feel more socially connected, which increases feelings of well-being and will also affect weight loss.  Participating in social activities has numerous benefits to your body, physically and emotionally. It creates a sense of connection to others that helps prevent feelings of loneliness and social isolation, calms the body, and benefits digestion. For the full details on these benefits, please read post #5 on 'connecting more' by clicking here.

A Few Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this seven part series on non-food ways to feel great and lose weight. The point was to show you that there are many (often surprising, but always effective) things you can do to support your body in feeling and looking great. When working with me, my clients often begin with the belief that weight loss is only about diet and exercise, with a generous sprinkling of struggle and deprivation throughout the process. As we work together, they begin to see that feeling and looking good is about much more than just diet and exercise decisions, and that how they live their lives every day greatly affects their overall well-being and weight loss. They also see that losing weight does not require the suffering that they previously imagined. By making small adjustments that keep them feeling great along the way, they begin to experience ease in the process, and actually want to continue to do right by their bodies. This of course, includes eating well, moving their bodies, as well as lifestyle and mindset adjustments like the ones I've outlined in this series. They begin to look at:

• How they are sleeping
• How they are moving
• If they are feeling connected to others 
• Who are they spending most of their time with?
• What are they doing to release tension and address the stress in their lives?
• Are they relaxing?
• Are they making time for fun?

I believe these are just some of the things that create a healthy person, and a person who feels good on the inside is capable of creating ANYTHING else that they want in their life.

Do you feel like it's time to figure out the things you really want from life? As a coach, I will support you in reaching your health goals, so you can cross the finish line on reaching whatever else it is you desire. To do so, it all begins by taking care of YOU: body, mind and soul.

Interested in learning more about how I can help you feel great in your body in every way? I invite you to click on the link here and schedule a consultation with me to talk about what's eating you and how I can help!

As always, if you want to learn more about food and non-food ways to create healthy habits, and how you can feel great in your body (without losing your mind), send me an email, or call me at (201) 803-3257.

I'm also offering a free Discovery Call to discuss your health needs and how I can help you. Click here to schedule your free half-hour phone session with no obligation.

Let's Talk!

In Good Health,