How are you coping with the STRESS of Christmas ? 🎅⛄️

What is stress and why does it make it so difficult to lose weight?

Put simply it is the body’s ability to cope with the demands of daily life.  We all have stress in our lives and this is normal but it is the type of stress and how we deal with it that is important. There are two types of stress, acute and chronic, it is when the stress is chronic that problems start to occur.

If you are “stressed out” you will probably struggle to shift the weight especially in the abdominal region otherwise known as the “belly fat”.  This is due to the chemical reactions and hormones released in our bodies when we view stressful situations, otherwise known as the “flight or fight” response.

Back in our caveman days being viewed as lunch by a hungry lion would set off this reaction and our bodies then release adrenaline to give us that “high”  so that we  either stay and fight or run away.  Another hormone is also released named Cortisol which controls the way our bodies use fuel, increasing levels of fat and sugar into the bloodstream so that our muscles and brains can deal with  the stress.

All well and good when we are being chased by a lion, we burn up energy (through the exercise taken to either fight or run away), hormone levels get back to a steady rhythm, job done.

In today’s modern lifestyle with no life or death threats, all our stresses come from talking on the phone at your desk, driving the car to school/work , bills, worrying ,stressing and drinking coffee and tea or caffeinated drinks. The flight or fight reflex is still there, and sugars are still released into the blood stream but the energy is no longer used.

So there is a combination of cortisol in the system from the stressors and too much sugar in the blood stream.  This means that insulin is required to remove the sugars, but combine insulin and cortisol together and fat is laid down around the middle more readily than in any other area of the body.

This fat around the mid-section of the body is a form of inflammation that releases its own hormones.  The hormones released interfere with the production of leptin, the hormone that tells us we are full.

Sadly the more fat around the middle the bigger the appetite! Plus these hormones can also disrupt insulin levels, leading to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and in some cases heart disease.

Plus as a result of releasing the glycogen from the muscles, the body needs to replenish these stores, so often after stress, we feel hungry and usually take on board more sugar.

It gets worse, though.  High levels of cortisol in the bloodstream not only disrupt our sleep cycle and cause us to crave high carbohydrate, sugary foods, it also eats into our muscle tissue.

This is a complete disaster in the” battle of the bulge” as muscle tissue is very metabolically active , so the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn.

Bear in mind that we all lose muscle tissue as part of the ageing process anyway so if you are not doing some resistance exercise and are stressed out much of the time chances are you may well be struggling to keep in shape.

I’m not going to go into stress management ideas, there’s plenty of books and information available but my top 3 tips for relaxing more and stressing less are :

1.  Make sure that you make time for exercise.  (Not a steady plod around the block as countless studies have shown that long duration, low-intensity aerobic exercise is counterproductive to fat loss). You need a resistance training plan which incidentally you do not need to join a gym for. You can complete a programme at home using minimal equipment and your own body weight.

2. Make sure that your food plan is targeted to help you.  Cut out the refined stuff and sugary treats.  Maybe add a good quality multi-vitamin and mineral supplement to help initially.

3. Stop worrying!  Plan, prepare and relax.  Chill out and do a bit more of what you actually enjoy, read a book, sit in the sun, get a massage, whatever it is that helps you to calm down and switch off those stress hormones!

4. Meditation is a great habit to get into, whether you find 10 minutes to sit/lie quietly or simply enjoy a walk out in the fresh air –  Your waistline will thank you in the long run!

PLEASE NOTE CLASS INFO :
Tuesday evening 13th December  HIIT class:
-the class this week will be held at St Brannocks Rooms (opposite the fire station) due to the nativity play at Kingsacre.  Same time, see you there 🙂

The final class for 2016 will be on Wednesday 14th December  🎅
Back to Class on Wednesday 4th January 2017  💪😀