Maybe you've tried a number of diets and failed and maybe even tried some exercise only to find you lose a little weight but it comes straight back again. Well don't worry. There's a reason for that - it's called stress.
Not many people realise that stress is not just a mental reaction but it is also a physical condition. So, you may ask, what has this got to do with weight loss?
Well, stress is a natural bodily function designed to help keep us alive and reactive to things going on in the world.
However, when your body is placed under stress it produces adrenaline and a hormone called cortisol. It is this hormone that's responsible for pumping energy in the form of sugar into the body to fuel the adrenaline rush.
But if you are not using this energy then the extra blood sugar that is being released has nowhere to go except settle around your stomach to be used later. As fat.
Because of this many people are keeping or gaining weight without even realising it. Of course, there are other factors, but stress is one that very few people talk about and many don't realise. Stress in the modern world often takes the form of money worries, family problems, issues at work and much more.
Stress and anxiety is in fact a double edged sword and may be the one thing stopping you from losing the pounds you so desperately want to. Not only does it produce the excess blood sugars that turn to fat but it also encourages you to use food as a comfort tool and so needs to be controlled and fought against. For instance you may tuck into chocolate or fast food for that instant hit that is the culinary equivalent of a warm hug from a loved one.
Tests on rats have shown that under stress organisms naturally engage in pleasure-seeking behaviour, in particular high calorie food. So eating these foods that are bad for you when you are stressed does not mean you are weak minded. You are just following your biological programming.
Stress is also one of the biggest reasons for lack of sleep and tests have shown that men who only manage to get four hours of sleep a night have on average a thirty seven percent higher level of cortisol than those who get a full eight hours. (Remember cortisol is the hormone that is responsible for energy in the form of sugar.)
Getting a good nights sleep when trying to shed the pounds is also critical because a deep sleep leads to higher secretions of a natural occurring hormone called Human Growth Hormone. This protects your muscle mass, not bodybuilder-type muscle just the natural kind we all have, and it is muscle that helps to maintain a steady burning metabolism.
Now if you are already stressed then the chances are you are not getting enough sleep already and so you are caught in a vicious circle that is affecting your weight loss. Fortunately, despite stress being the silent diet killer, there are some easy ways to fight it.
One option is going to your doctor to ask about prescriptive sleeping tablets but these should be used alongside a healthy lifestyle not in place of one.
Instead you can do a little bit of exercise which can help you get an easier night's sleep and kills two birds with one stone. For instance, just a brisk walk each day will be enough for your body to fall to sleep naturally at the end of the day.
You need to eat breakfast to fuel your energy resources. This will also manage your Cortisol levels. Cereal is especially good at this. A good breakfast is also associated with reduced stress levels. Skipping breakfast is just asking for trouble and will actually have a negative effect on your weight loss.
Fish, particularly oily fish which are high in Omega 3, is another food that should be added to your diet as it helps to reduce stress and therefore help weight loss. A tin of boneless sardines contains a week's worth of Omega 3, is great for your diet plan and is delicious on toast.
One thing to bear in mind is we all need a little stress to keep us on our toes and in this day and age it is everywhere. The trick is to put things into perspective, learn to accept stress and make it work for you. Just ask yourself, "Are things really that bad?" because quite often we let everyday things stress us out needlessly.
Combating stress with a healthy lifestyle could just be the miracle weight loss plan you've been looking for.
No comments:
Post a Comment