I recently went on a 2 week diet and lost a few kilos. 3 Weeks later, I almost threw away my scale cause I thought it wasn’t working properly. I was eating more and just couldn’t control my appetite. So what did I do? Go on a diet again. After all it worked the first time.
Unfortunately, the same thing happened. Until I discovered the one reason why my diet was actually expanding my waistline
Stress levels skyrocket when you diet
In the weight-loss puzzle, cortisol (your stress hormone) is very important. This is because it can also throw off your blood sugar levels. Thus, resulting in sugar cravings and overeating. So, if you’ve ever wondered why you eat more when you’re stressed, this is the reason.
Recent research shows that chronic stress will not only increase your cortisol levels, but will disrupt the natural cortisol rhythm. And it’s this broken cortisol rhythm that wreaks so much havoc on your body. Also, it;
- makes you hungry and crave sugar
- reduces your ability to burn fat
- raises your blood sugar
- makes it harder for glucose to get into your cells
- increases your belly fat and makes your liver fatty
- increases the rate at which you store fat
- raises the level of fatty acids and triglycerides in your blood
Each one of these consequences alone could make you fat. But when added together they’re almost a perfect recipe for obesity. So what can you do about it?
3 Day Skinny Juice Cleanse
Include meditation in your diet
Meditation can be done lying down, walking, sitting or really any position. The key is to be comfortable so that discomfort does not distract you. Here are a few tips to help you.
1. Schedule a set time to practice each day. If possible, set aside one or two periods each day. You may it easier to practice first thing in the morning, before other tasks and responsibilities get in the way.
2. If you exercise adopt mindfulness. Instead of staring at a TV as you exercise, try focusing your attention on your body. Try to focus on coordinating your breathing with your movements and pay attention to how your body feels as you raise and lower the weights.
Avoid meditating when you’re sleepy. You will get the most benefit if you practice when you’re fully awake and alert. Do not practice after eating a heavy meal or consuming alcohol.
Don’t be discouraged if you skip a few days or even a few weeks. There will be ups and downs. Just get started again and slowly build up to your old momentum.
Or you can try group Yoga
You perform a series of postures and controlled breathing exercises to promote a more flexible body and a calm mind. As you move through poses that require balance and concentration, you’re encouraged to focus less on your busy day and more on the moment. Join us for open air yoga in the winelands. Click here for details.
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