Stress can dampen all your efforts to lose weight no matter how vigilantly you follow a health or diet plan. Studies show that stress affects our eating habits, which in turn affects our ability to lose or gain weight. Different people react to stress in different ways—they either lose their sense of appetite or tend to eat more.
Take control of the situation and drive away stress before it can control your own body. Here are some helpful tips on how to stay healthy and lose weight without stress.
It all starts with a positive outlook. Weight loss can start with the mind. As long as you keep yourself motivated, inspired, and determined to reach your weight loss and health goals, you’ll be more likely to succeed in your endeavor. Read blogs, articles, and stories about successful weight loss stories. Share your goals with people who care for you and understand you best. Surround yourself with friends and family who will support you and give you all the encouragement that you need. A positive outlook and environment will contribute greatly to affirming confidence and belief in yourself, and you might find yourself someday basking in your own success story.
Focus on a positive goal or purpose for losing weight. You should commit to losing weight for all the right reasons. For health reasons primarily, and for yourself, not because you were pressured by someone or so that you can fit in. You must love yourself and your own body and strive ways to be healthy and to feel good about yourself. Focus on a specific goal. It can be something like wanting to feel good in the clothes that you wear, eliminating unhealthy eating habits, trimming off excess fats, or preventing health risks.
Introduce health plans and changes one step at a time. Subjecting your body to sudden and drastic changes may cause more harm and damage than you might think. Gradual weight loss is better than a sudden drop in your weight. You don’t have to change your diet or do strenuous exercise overnight. Start with the little things like reducing portions of your normal diet and then when your body gets used to this, swap your normal food selections with healthier alternatives. Start doing simple, practical exercises like stretching, jogging, and walking in the morning. When you’re body gets used to these physical activities, try to mix it up a little by adding crunches, cycling, or even taking up a sport.
Listen to what your body tells you. Don’t push yourself to the limit; you are not in a race. If you’re too tired, stop whatever you are doing; take a break and rest. If you feel hungry, take a snack. Our body is unique in that is gives us signs on what we need to do. If you don’t listen to your body or interpret the signs, you will only end up straining and hurting yourself.
Control your hunger. Eat whenever you feel hungry, and don’t prolong the hunger. Our body constantly needs fuel to burn calories and give us energy to mobilize and think. Food is our fuel. Start with a healthy, satisfying breakfast, prepare a protein-rich lunch, and end with a light, filling dinner. Eat snacks in between meals to keep your metabolism running. Yogurt, wheat bread, or a bowl of cereal with nuts and fruit are all satisfying and healthy treats.
Find the right kind of exercise and physical activity for you. Do exercises and physical activities appropriate for your body type and lifestyle. For someone who’s used to doing little work or has lived a sedentary life for some time, start with something you can do that won’t put too much strain on your body, like a daily 20 minute walk. You can start with that, but don’t jump right away to doing crunches or submitting yourself to an hour-long workout, only to find yourself in pain hours later. But if you are an athletic person and more used to heavy work and physical activities, you can move on to more complicated exercises.
Diet and health plans should never put stress on you. If they do, then something is seriously wrong with your approach. Just follow these tips and remember to lighten up. Don’t think of losing weight as a contest or a race to a deadline. That way, you would never get to your goal. Lose weight without the stress.