How To Shed The Pounds Without Changing Your Lifestyle At All

Have you tried a number of diets and failed? 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
and in this article I'll explain why it happens, and how to combat
it.
Stress is not just a mental reaction but a physical condition. When
placed under stress your body will not only produce adrenaline but it also
produces a hormone called Cortisol. This hormone is responsible for
pumping energy in the form of sugar into the body to fuel the
adrenalin rush. Stress is therefore a natural bodily function designed
to help keep us alive and reactive to things going on in the world.
Unfortunately there is then a negative by-product if you are not
using this energy. Stress in the modern world often takes the form
of money worries, issues in the office, family problems and much
more. The extra blood sugar that is being released has nowhere to
go, so it is converted into fat reserves to be used later when needed.
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. Stress however needs to be
controlled and fought against such as an unhealthy diet needs to
be. It may be the one thing stopping you from losing the pounds you
so desperately want to.
Stress and anxiety is in fact a double edged sword. 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. 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.
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. Tests on rats have shown that under stress
organisms naturally engage in pleasure seeking behaviour. In
particular high calorie food.
Other tests have shown that men who only manage to get four hours
sleep a night have on average a thirty seven percent higher level
of Cortisol (the hormone that is responsible for energy - sugar)
than those who get a full eight hours? And what is one of the
biggest reasons for lack of sleep? Stress!
On top of that it is imperative you get a good nights sleep when
trying to shed the pounds because a deep sleep leads to higher
secretions of a natural occurring hormone called Human Growth
Hormone. This protects your muscle mass and it is muscle that helps
to maintain a steady burning metabolism. We're not talking
bodybuilder type muscle here either. Just the natural kind we all
have.
Of course if you are already stressed the chances are you are not
getting enough sleep already and so are caught in a vicious circle
that is affecting your weight loss. Going to your doctors to ask
about prescriptive sleeping tablets are one option, but should be
used alongside a healthy lifestyle not in place of one.
Fortunately, despite stress being the silent diet killer, there are
some easy ways to fight it.
Firstly with a little bit of exercise you can help yourself get an easier
爊ights sleep which kills two birds with one stone. Just a
brisk walk every day will be enough for your body to fall to sleep
naturally at the end of the day.
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. You need to eat
breakfast to fuel your energy resources. This will also manage your
Cortisol levels. Cereal is especially good at this
Fish, although not to everyone's liking, is another food that
should be added to your diet to reduce stress and therefore help
weight loss. Oily fish particularly are high in Omega 3. A tin of
boneless sardines costs little and is delicious on toast. This
alone contains a weeks worth of Omega 3 which is great for your
diet plan.
Finally learn to accept stress and use it. In other words make
stress work for you. 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 and ask yourself "Are things really that
bad?" There are sick children and sadness across the world and
often we let every day things stress us out needlessly. Remember,
combating stress with a healthy diet could just be the miracle
weight loss plan you've been looking for.

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