I have been trying to diet all year, but I am under a lot of stress, both in my work and home life - and just can’t seem to stick to a diet properly, yet I so want to do it. I have high blood pressure, have lost 40 lbs but have more to go. I can’t really sleep through the diet as well.

I'm sorry to hear you've been under such stress and struggling with a diet plan as well.

I'm wondering if the diet plan is causing just too much added pressure at a time when you are already stressed at work and home. This may be why it has been hard to stick to?

Here are a few suggestions which I hope might be worth exploring:

 1. When we have multiple stressors it can feel increasingly overwhelming and leave us unsure where to even begin to make a difference. Perhaps it may be helpful to list everything that you are currently finding stressful, think about those things which are causing the most pressure and look for ways to tackle these one at a time (as far as possible). Talking it through with a friend or family member may give some objective input since the overwhelm can often prevent us from seeing solutions clearly for ourselves. If needs be consider consulting with a counsellor, life coach or NLP practitioner to help look for a course of action best suited to you.

 2. At age 60 our metabolism is slowing down so one positive step you could take is to reduce your overall intake of carbohydrates. This may be what you have been trying to do? I am not sure if you have been attempting to diet alone or as part of a group? People often find diet support groups such as weight watchers helpful for accountability and sharing the journey with others trying to achieve similar goals. If not a group then you could try following a diet with a friend for the same reason.

 3. Lack of sleep alone without added life stressors can really disrupt our well-being. Provided you are not taking any sleeping medication you could try taking Dormeasan traditionally used to restore natural sleep.  Passiflora complex taken during the day may help to reduce nervous tension and you could also add a magnesium citrate
supplement in the evening after supper to aid with relaxation.

Without knowing your situation in detail I am not sure whether these suggestions are helpful or practical so please come back to me if you have further queries and I do hope you find the stress relievers that best suit you.

With best wishes

Marianna