Unfortunately, there aren't very many, if any, healthy short cuts to losing unwanted pounds. The core principles to shedding pounds still involve calorie control and plenty of exercise. Despite this, there are some things in our daily lives that impact our body weight and weight loss success. Making changes to these factors in addition to eating healthy and getting adequate amounts of exercise are some of the true secrets to losing weight. One of these secrets to losing weight is reducing your daily stress.
Recent studies have reported that stress causes some people to gain weight and can make it harder to lose weight.
One study demonstrated a strong link between weight gain and certain types of stress in overweight/obese individuals [1]. The types of stress linked to weight gain included difficulty paying bills, greater job-related demands, strain in family relationships, and a lack of decision-making authority at work, among others.
A second study showed that animals exposed to chronic stress and fed a high-fat diet gained body fat despite not having a different body weight compared to control animals [2]. This suggests that even if stress does not cause us to gain weight, it might cause us to gain body fat.
Another study reported that higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, were linked to larger waist sizes and higher consumption of fats, carbohydrates, and overall calories in obese women [3].
These and other results suggest that minimizing our daily stress levels might be one of the secrets to losing weight. While there are probably hundreds of ways to combat stress, I've outlined a few ideas below:
Find ways to relax - enjoy nature in a quiet spot, work on a hobby you like, talk and laugh with trusted family members and friends, or listen to your favorite music.
Learn to say no - saying yes to all requests might make you feel that others are taking advantage of you, causing undue stress.
Laugh out loud - laughter can relieve stress and lighten one's mood
Treat yourself - Take a day or half a day and do something for yourself.
Take a nap - naps may help reduce stress and increase alertness and productivity
Stress can come from many sources and can sneak up on us before we realize it. Be proactive and incorporate some stress-relieving activities into your daily routine. You might find that reducing your daily stress level might be one of your great secrets to losing weight. There are many secrets to losing weight and it is up to us to find what works best for ourselves.
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