During my experience of "dieting" and changing my lifestyle, I have found that you can get a little wrapped up in the whole thing. Stressing about numbers, clothes, inch loss or lack of. It's fair to say that sometimes it can all become a little too much for one person to take. It then becomes a viscous cycle - thinking constantly about why the weight isn't falling off as quickly as it piles on. Well, it has been suggested that all this worry, endless thinking and constant stressing is one of the reason why those thighs aren't shrinking.
Stress. We have all suffered from it in one stage of our life or another. Whether it's university work, paying bills, children; everyone understands and knows the feeling where everything around them is bubbling under the surface and close to exploding. When you feel like you are doing everything right but everything is going wrong, it can be hard. So my advice is to take a step back, and take some you time.
Before you start blaming yourself, ramping up the treadmill a notch higher or cutting out another one of those food groups; relax.
It's no secret that stress isn't healthy for you, or your blood pressure. Now, growing evidence has shown that stress makes you gain pounds and is more often than not partly responsible for that excess muffin top finding its way over the top of your favourite Topshop jeans. Good news is like everything else, there is a way to combat it with the right calming techniques, diet and exercise.
Take some you time
Take yourself out of the situation and focus on something else. By taking some time for you, your mind will be else where. Maybe on what colour nail varnish you want on your toes during the pedicure that you are treating yourself with/to.
Slow your breathing
Can't slow your life down then try your breathing instead? Five deep, long breaths in 30 seconds will calm your down and reduce stress levels fast. As your breathing patterns show how stressed you are, try and remove yourself from the situation or sit quietly and count how many breaths you take in a minute (more than fifteen and you are probably worked up). Practice slowing your breathing a few minutes daily until you can take ten long, slow breaths in one minute. You will feel calm, collected and rebalanced as more oxygen enters your bodily system.
Keep it moving
Studies have shown that just ten minutes acitivity - especially outside - can reduce the levels of cortisol in the body. Exercise is natural anti-depressant. Next time you fancy eating your feelings, try a quick walk or run. It may not solve the problem entirely but for that moment you are else where, feeling happier (post exercise high) and feel like you can cope for the next couple of hours.
Tip:
- Look out for certain foods:
- Celery: Celery contains relaxing compounds that help inhibit the release of stress hormones into the blood stream.
- Walnuts: Walnuts contain a natural anti-depressant called uridine. A small handful could keep your blood sugar stable.
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