Diet and exercise top the list of ways to slim down, but your other habits play a role in your ability to lose weight. Sleep and stress both affect the body and complicate weight loss efforts. Busy lifestyles often lead to stress and lack of sleep, which affect many people trying to lose weight. Understanding the significance of sleep and stress levels on weight loss helps you deal with these factors.
Stress Effects
Healthy eating and exercise become more difficult to maintain when you have a stressful situation in your life. When you neglect these healthy habits, your weight stays the same or even increases. Eating excessively to deal with stress is a factor for those trying to lose weight. Those extra calories make it difficult to create a calorie deficit that you need to lose weight.
Sleep Effects
A severe lack of sleep affects the body in various ways, including weight loss. Hormones that control appetite change with lack of sleep, according to an article published in "Harvard Women's Health Watch" in 2006. The body's use of carbohydrates also changes when the body is deprived of sleep. People who are overly tired may be tempted to reach for soda, coffee and sugary foods to give them an energy boost. This adds to the caloric intake for the day. Exercise also seems less appealing when you are exhausted.
Stress Reduction Tips
Stressful situations occur at work, home and social situations, making them difficult to avoid completely. Limiting your exposure to particularly stressful situations helps keep your stress levels under control. Pay attention to the signs that stress is affecting you negatively, such as tension or frustration. Implement relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation and visualization to reduce the effects of the stress. Distractions when you feel like stress-eating help reduce your calorie intake. When you notice yourself reaching for something unhealthy, take a short walk or call a friend as a distraction. Exercise also helps you deal with stress while burning calories to support weight loss.
Sleep Tips
Getting enough sleep helps you better deal with situations, including stress and healthy choices. Look at how you spend your time throughout the day to find ways to adjust your schedule. In some cases, cutting out things like TV time or reducing your workload allows you to go to bed earlier so you can get a full night's sleep. If you have difficulty falling asleep, start a nightly routine that relaxes you. Remove distractions from your bedroom that keep you up such as electronic devices that stimulate your brain.
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