Disclaimer -- Fact: The author weighed 105lbs in June 2009. Fact: The author now weighs 93lbs in January 2010. What follows is NOT advocating weight loss or unhealthy eating habits, it is merely the author's observations about the life circumstances that have made HER tummy flatter and more toned, and should be read with a pinch of salt (even though salt is, in fact, bloating).
I have spent my life in ballet class, jogging outside and on the treadmill, doing regular bikram yoga, dancing 8 shows a week, and eating a balanced diet. You would think that all that would be enough to maintain a flat tummy. In my case, NOT SO. I have unwillingly lost 12lbs since moving to NYC 7 months ago, and, in my observations, this is due to 3 major factors OTHER than diet and exercise. So step aside, Atkins diet. Move your tush, Jenny Craig. CMR is about to spill the beans on 3 ways to getting a flat tummy.
1. MOVE ACROSS AN OCEAN BY YOURSELF
DO IT. It works. TRUST me -- 12lbs! I am poor, nervously anticipating booking my first NYC show ALL THE TIME, walking everywhere, and out of my comfort zone constantly. When you make a huge life-change, you experience FEAR, ANXIETY, HOPE, JOY, DESPAIR, and moving across an ocean by yourself means that the support network you usually have to help you face all of life's challenges is...well...across an ocean! Not right there in times of need. (I cannot let this moment go by without thanking my family and friends in London for indeed "being there" so unconditionally during my time of change). But, you know what I mean -- no one is THERE. To top it off, unless you're moving across an ocean to start a new job, you probably, like me, don't have enough money to eat properly. I'm certainly eating better now, but when my family came to NYC in August, they kept telling me I was too skinny, and I kept telling them it was because I didn't have time or money to eat properly. Setting up a life an ocean away from "home" was very scary, and I cried ALOT in the first couple of months, and was desperately lonely...of course I lost weight! I defy anyone to do it and NOT have a flat tummy as a result. Go on, try it! And let me know how it goes! No quitting after a few weeks, though!!
2. GET YOUR HEART BROKEN
This, unfortunately, is something I'm quite familiar with, and I'm always saying, "if you want to lose weight, just have your heart broken!" See, I'm the opposite of a comfort eater -- when I'm upset, stressed, or nervous, I lose all appetite. This is the reason I assumed why I always lose weight when I am heartbroken. However, a friend of mine told me after my most recent break-up that in such situations, the body effectively reacts with Fight or Flight Syndrome -- your organs shut down to enable more blood to flow to your muscles in order to "fight" or take "flight." FASCINATING! So I googled www.thebodysoulconnection, and here is their description of Fight or Flight Syndrome:
When our fight or flight response is activated, sequences of nerve cell firing occur and chemicals like adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol are released into our bloodstream. These patterns of nerve cell firing and chemical release cause our body to undergo a series of very dramatic changes. Our respiratory rate increases. Blood is shunted away from our digestive tract and directed into our muscles and limbs, which require extra energy and fuel for running and fighting. Our pupils dilate. Our awareness intensifies. Our sight sharpens. Our impulses quicken. Our perception of pain diminishes. Our immune system mobilizes with increased activation. We become prepared—physically and psychologically—for fight or flight. We scan and search our environment, "looking for the enemy."
As I read more, it became clear that "The Enemy" used to be the likes of saber-toothed tigers, but today, it can be something like sitting in traffic and being late for an appointment, being reprimanded by your boss, AUDITIONING, relationship issues, and a whole plethora of everyday circumstances that causes stress -- conscious or subconscious. We all know that stress may cause weight loss, but I always thought it was due to lack of eating...now I know that, in stressful situations, the body prepares us for battle to survive! How clever!!!
The question is: to be heartbroken with a fabulous flat tummy, or not to be heartbroken with a fabulous flat tummy?
Just a little aside about coping with heartache -- I picked up a book called "When Everything Changes, Change Everything" by Neale Donald Walsch. It is a WONDERFUL read that reminded me of my (indeed all of ours) amazing, unending capacity to love, ability to choose HOW to respond to change, and therefore be the master of my own peace and happiness, and awakened me even more to my soul and life's pure joy. I remembered WHAT I AM DOING HERE. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who may be dealing with, stress, grief, turmoil, or who just enjoys constantly being in touch with the deepest level of their soul. Spread the word of peace and love, my friends!!!!
3. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EAT
Controversial, VERY controversial, but true. Now, I have always been very active, always stayed away from too much carbs, always ate alot of fruits, veggies, and fiber. None of this ever made a difference. Yes, it helped me MAINTAIN my figure, but there was a time when I was dancing "Guys and Dolls" 8 times a week and running on the treadmill for 45 minutes 3 times a week, and I STILL stayed the same weight. I did a Bikram Yoga 30-day challenge where I practiced 30 days without stopping and sweated so much, I must have been sweating out pee by the end, and I STILL stayed the same weight. The times in my life that I have noticed my tummy change and get flatter are the moments like points 1. and 2. that I mention above, when I lose appetite due to stress and don't eat for a few days -- THAT'S when I see the difference. Please please please note that I am NOT an advocate of not eating (I took a ballet class recently after not eating properly for a week and was so weak that I started getting dizzy and seeing stars, so I took myself to have a big Chinese meal afterwards!), BUT if, in desperate times, like you're due on the red carpet in a week, or you are going to be a bridesmaid soon, or you have to dance semi-naked or nude onstage, the surest, quick-fire way of achieving a flat tummy is to not eat for a week. Maybe a piece of fruit and some cereal so you don't collapse, and always drink water! We are 80% water! While I was on "West Side Story," the cast developed a motto: "Eating's Cheating!" Just remember those words next time you reach for the cake 3 days before you stand in all your glorious nakedness in front of a packed house!
CONCLUSION
I believe all healthy minded people should choose to be happy and bigger than unhappy and smaller. I certainly would. However, I am admitting right now, that after my heart was broken a week ago, I woke up to a flat tummy 2 days later and was filled with a sick pleasure. I am from a world of ballerinas...we are who we are, and I do not judge myself for wanting a such a tummy. I will now attempt to maintain my 93lbs by healthy eating and healthy exercise. Life is good, life is love, life is richer because of good food and watching the seasons change when you jog, and dance classes and happy tummys!
copyright (c) 2010-2011 Celia Mei Rubin
