The Stress And Weight Loss Connection: Four Ways To Get Rid Of Stress And Drop Pounds

Stress and weight loss don't go together. If you want to drop pounds, you need to get rid of stress. Here's why stress is so bad for you and four ways to reduce your stress so you can become thin.

So what's the deal with stress and fat? Stress makes you fat because of a hormone called cortisol.

Back in the day when your ancestors needed to run from animals that wanted to eat them, their bodies needed a mechanism that would kick in and help them run faster when they were being chased. This is why you have adrenal glands. Their job is to respond to your excited state and create the substances that summon fast energy. One of those substances is cortisol.

The problem these days is that when you get upset about something, when you're stressed out, your body responds as if you're running for your life, and your adrenal glands get to work. They produce the extra cortisol, but you don't use it because you're not actually in a situation that requires extra physical energy. So the cortisol is stored as fat in your belly. This is why obesity and stress are so closely linked.

So what can you do about it? You need to find ways to handle life's challenges calmly. You need to blow off steam and reduce anxiety. You need to chill out.

Here are four ways you can do that:

1. Take mini breaks. One reason you get so tense is you keep pushing and pushing. You barrel through your day at top speed.

Studies have shown that people who step away from their work or intense activities for just a couple minutes every hour to clear their heads have lower stress responses. In these breaks, you can close your eyes for a few minutes and visualize a beautiful place, take deep breaths, watch children or animals playing, watch a funny video, shake our your muscles, or set a timer and take a five minute snooze.

2. Schedule a longer period relaxation time into your day.

Over-stressed people tend to be the ones who never take time for themselves. You need to put self-care on the top of your to-do list. Taking a long hot bath, reading a good book, getting a massage, or sitting outside in the fresh air will actually do more for your efforts to get skinny than more work-outs and starving yourself with restrictive diets.

All the dieting and exercise in the world can't counteract the chemical reactions piling on pounds when you're in a chronic state of tension. You need to give yourself time to de-stress.

3. Laugh.

Make it a point to laugh at least once a day for a couple minutes. Even if nothing's funny, laugh. Your fake laugh will turn into a real one, and even if it stays fake, it can help you. Research has shown that the chemicals released by laughter can relax you and lift your spirits so efficiently, it can feel like you've been drugged. And in a way, you have. The laughter creates feel-good "drugs" in your body.

4. Let it be.

Most of the intense reactions you have to situations in life is caused by wanting to be in control of everything. You can let go of enormous amounts of tension just by making a decision to let it all unfold as it will.

Make the three words, "Let it be," your mantra. You don't have to control it all. Trust in the divine to bring it all together in a way that works out best for everyone. Relax and let go.

When you take these four steps, you'll be surprised how effective they are at helping you get rid of stress. Remember that stress and weight loss don't mix. You need to find some inner peace if you want to drop pounds.