Add Steps Every Day to Manage Stressors

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A recent study at Johns Hopkins suggests that timing your food intake matters. Although people react differently to stress, late afternoon and early evening can be a very high-risk time for overeating. So, avoid the drive thru on your commute home.

Your body is designed to fight back when you try to lose weight. Fat cells produce leptin, which is the hormone that tells your brain to stop eating. When losing weight, fat cells shrink and the end result is that you don’t feel as full.

Although it is true that burn more calories than you consume creates a deficit, burning stored fat without losing important muscle mass is not that easy to do. Your body will pull from both fat stores and existing muscles when it needs fuel.

Healthy Tips for Better Weight Control

Cortisol hormone can cause your metabolism to slow down when you are stressed. Check out the tips below to improve your chances for successful weight management:

1) Focus on Lifestyle Modifications – Creating new habits for where and how you eat can be as important as making better food choices. Eating in the car, at your desk, or in front of the television are all examples of distracted eating.

2) Be Creative in Meal Prep - Simply prepping the ingredients required for specific meals ahead of time is a great way to cut down on the time spent in the kitchen cooking, especially for evening meals. What works best for you will depend on your goals and daily routine.

3) Something Sweet & Something Savory – According to a study published by Johns Hopkins on foods and stress factors, you need to watch snacking habits in the afternoon or evening as these are high-risk periods for food cravings. It is recommended to prepare food ahead with healthy sweet and savory choices.

4) Self Monitor Your Body’s Feedback – Weighing yourself is an important habit to adopt for self-monitoring the impact that new eating and exercise habits are having on your efforts to lose weight.

Mindful living can influence weight loss and weight management. Conscious interventions can be highly effective in managing your eating and exercise habits. But avoiding mindless behaviors does require a little extra effort.

Be Aware of Environmental Influences on Weight Control

Every day your body processes the calories from the food you consume and based on a number of variables will decide what to do with them. Generally speaking, it will burn some for fuel, use some to rebuild muscle, and store excess as fat. Many weight loss regimens have proven to be successful in the short-term, but the long-term effectiveness of many of the recommended routines are controversial with many individuals regaining the lost weight and then some.

Studies suggest that support from a spouse, other family members, and friends actually increases the chances of another member of your inner circle making changes in how and what they eat as well as how often they engage in physical activities. In the long run, environmental restructuring may need to occur in the home, workplace, community, place of worship, restaurants, movies, and anywhere food is served. Science suggests emphasis on low density foods with higher nutritional values.