Coping with hidden saboteurs of weight-loss
When you’re on a diet, you may seem bombarded with ‘attacks’ on your efforts. Holiday parties, friends who want you to share their high-calorie meal, or working late can all contribute towards the erosion of any good weight –loss plan. A coping strategy and well-planned ‘defense’ system can help keep your diet on track. Just by being aware of the mechanisms that cause us to fall off track is half the battle.
Alleviating Stress: - Emotional stress can turn physical; when you feel pressure, your body releases adrenaline, a hormone which helps to handle the stress. Adrenaline increases energy and even decreases appetite for a short time. The main stress-fighting hormone is cortisol, which is known as a glucocorticoid. Meant to help the body in times of ‘fight or flight’, the blood levels of cortisol can stay elevated for hours. Studies reveal that Cortisol has been directly linked to increased abdominal fat and can increase your craving for carbohydrates and sugars, leading to weight gain. Ever crave a chocolate bar or slice of cake when you’re stressed out? Your body is going through a stress-response - when dealing with these situations, your body feels as though you need that chocolate bar.
Some ways to avoid the stress-response trap or even to alleviate it healthily are to:
- Plan your time more efficiently; the more you’re prepared, the less stressed you’ll be when situations ‘pop-up’ and throw you off course
- Successful snacking; maintain your intake of high-fiber and grain foods, such as vegetables, oatmeal or rice cakes. By sustaining energy levels and keeping full on the ‘right’ foods, you can stave off stress-related snack attacks
- Stop using addictions to counteract stress; in the long run, they will make stress worse. Alcohol or cigarettes may seem to temporarily reduce stress, but they end up making it worse. What seems like a coping mechanism can actually increase the cortisol levels in your body and leads to a vicious cycle that never helps you lose weight
- Restore your vitamin levels; in stressful times, our vitamins are used up by the body and therefore depleted. Vitamins B and C are particularly important
- Sweating out stress; exercise can help regulate hormones and relieve stress- not to mention the extra calories will boost your weight-loss