Category: Trying to Lose weight

How Lowering Stress Can Positively Affect Your Weight

Lower Stress Positively Affects Weight

 

For most of us, stress is a part of life that we need to deal with.  Unfortunately, research shows us that too much stress can negatively affect our weight.

I personally believe that the stress component in people’s lives is often overlooked by the health and fitness industry.   A client can be eating well and exercising regularly, however if the client is under continual stress it can prevent them from losing weight and in some cases even cause them to gain weight.  Diet and exercise is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to overall health and wellness.

We recently moved to a slower paced community and have simplified our lifestyle.  One of the first things that changed for me was my sleeping patterns.  I’ll be the first to admit that my sleep was not great before we moved.   I’m happy to report that I am sleeping better and experiencing real rest.  What happened after I began sleeping better was interesting.

Over the past few months I’ve noticed that all of my clothes are fitting a bit looser. I stopped weighing myself regularly years ago due to the emotional stress it can cause so I can’t tell you how much weight I have lost.  However, I know for sure that I have naturally dropped a few pounds.

It’s really important for me to share that I WAS NOT trying to loose weight.  I have not made any changes to my diet and I am exercising at a level that is appropriate for me while I recover from  multiple injuries.  My health and fitness goals are rooted in self care and happiness rather than a number on a scale, which is why I believe my recent weight loss is  a result of stress reduction.  Before we moved,  I was eating well and exercising most days of the week.  I believe that my personal experience helps support the research that if you are under constant stress, diet and exercise alone may not be enough to help you lose and/or maintain your weight.

It’s pretty safe to assume that no matter how good we are at limiting the stress in our lives we will still have to manage a certain amount of it.   Here are five ways to limit stress in your life and protect your body from it:

 

FIVE WAYS TO LIMIT STRESS

 

Ditch diets for good.  Research shows that constant dieting can cause cortisol levels to rise as much as 18%.  When your cortisol levels rise, your blood sugar gets out of whack, first rising, then plummeting. This can make you cranky and super hungry even if you don’t need the extra calories.

Deficiencies in B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium are stressful to your body.  Diets that suggest eliminating certain foods and/or food groups from your diet can contribute to a lack of these important nutrients.  These deficiencies can lead to increased cortisol levels and food cravings.  Start the day off strong with a breakfast that includes stress reducing nutrition.  Foods like oranges, grapefruits, or a large handful of strawberries supply  vitamin C and 6 to 8 ounces of yogurt contains calcium and magnesium.  Make sure to include carbs like a whole grain bagel or toast and healthy fats like peanut butter. Whole grains are loaded with B vitamins, while peanut butter has fatty acids that can lower stress hormones in your body.

Instead of dieting, try eating as many whole foods as possible.  Eating whole foods can help contribute to better energy which is part of self care. Do your best to make sure to choose foods you enjoy and avoid being too rigid about everything you eat.

Get enough sleep.  Substantial medical evidence is telling us that a lack of sleep affects hormones which are linked to an increase in appetite. Your body becomes less satisfied and you are tempted to eat more food than you may actually need.

Sleep deprivation can also affect your hormones in such a way that your metabolism will literally slow down.  I believe that is what happened in my case, and why I lost weight when I started to get more sleep.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.  A few nights of solid sleep can bring your body back into balance, and getting enough regular sleep helps keep it there.

 

Do a little strength training.  Moving your muscles is an effective, instant stress reliever. It actually sends a message to your body that you are escaping the source of your stress.  Exercise helps your blood circulate more quickly, transporting the cortisol to your kidneys and flushing it out of your system.  Try doing at least one strength exercise per day like squats, push ups, or ab work.  Even taking a stroll on your lunch break will help. In one study researchers found that 18 minutes of walking 3 times per week can quickly lower stress hormone levels by 15%.
You might want to cut back on caffeine.  Total disclaimer, I am a coffee drinker and have no plans to give it up right now so I’m not asking you to.  A certain amount of coffee is actually good for most people due to the many health benefits it offers.  However, if you find it’s keeping you up at night you may want to cut back.
Create a healthy environment.  It’s important for us to be at peace where we live, work, and play.  Things like nurturing relationships, setting healthy boundaries, removing clutter from your home or life, planning family meals, taking time off to visit places that make you feel happy and restored, or spending time with your pets without your phone in hand are all examples of working  toward creating a healthy environment.

Limiting stress in our lives is extremely personal and looks different for each individual.  We are all on our own personal journey.  What’s important to remember is that health and wellness is about self care and enjoying life.  Not a specific number on a scale.

Have a wonderful week!
Shared with love,
Jennifer

How Much Rest Should You Get After A Workout?

How Much Rest Should You Get After A Workout? by Jennifer Ledford

Recently, I was scrolling through my newsfeed on one of my social media pages and came across a friend’s post that asked a question regarding exercise and rest.

While I love, love, loved the enthusiasm the people commenting on the post showed toward exercise, some of the comments or answers were either outdated or tailored to their own personal needs which may or may not have been appropriate or safe for the person asking the question.  Exercise, just like diet, is very personal which is why it’s always a good idea to consult with someone that’s trained to answer your question and has a proven track record in the field.

Seeing this post reminded me that while most people know it’s a good idea to exercise, not everyone understands that rest and recovery is JUST as important as exercise itself.

Rest days allow your muscles, nerves, bones, and connective tissue time to rebuild.  It’s during this rebuilding process that they grow back stronger.  A lack of rest or “overtraining” can leave the body susceptible to injury and even slow the metabolism down.

Resting after exercise does not necessarily mean you are sitting on the couch all day.  Most of the time, active rest is best.  The body is designed to move and “sitting” for too long can negatively affect someone’s health.  There can be solid medical reasons for someone to get off their feet and rest for longer periods of time.  However, if you have been medically cleared for exercise, active rest is usually best.

How much active rest your body needs after exercise is personal.  Your fitness level, the type of exercise you are performing, and what your body needs will all come into play.

RECOMMENDED TYPES OF EXERCISE AND REST

Some examples of types of exercise and recommended rest are:

  1. Interval Training.  High intensity interval training, also known as HIIT, is an effective way to burn calories in a short period of time and can improve cardiovascular health as well as blood pressure.  HIIT formulas consist of short “bouts” or intervals of an exercise that feel hard or very hard to maintain followed by a recovery interval that is easy to maintain.  Interval based cycling classes, interval programs designed for exercise machines, Tabata training, and interval based group exercise or circuit routines are some examples of interval training.

The recovery guidelines for HIIT training are pretty straightforward.  After performing a HIIT workout, you will want to wait a minimum of 48 hours before repeating another.  It’s VERY important to allow your body to recover properly from high interval training to avoid overtraining which can have a negative effect on your body.

Years ago, when spinning or cycling classes entered the fitness scene, people (mostly women) were so thrilled with the physical results they were getting  from their “spin” classes, they began attending them five, sometimes six, days per week.  Many of them began to plateau and others actually saw the scale go up due to their metabolisms slowing down.  When it comes to high intensity training, too much can produce the opposite effect you were looking for.  A moderate cardio workout or strength routine (depending on what you did during your interval workout) are great ways to actively recover during your 48-hour rest period.

2.  Moderate Exercise.  The fitness industry considers anything that gets your heart rate up to 50 to 60 percent higher than its rate when you are at rest moderate intensity exercise.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend 30-45 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week for health purposes.  Doing some sort of moderate exercise daily is optimal which is what makes moderate exercise so popular because you can pretty much do it every day without having to take a rest.

Some examples of moderate activity include:

  • Walking your dog
  • Biking
  • Swimming laps
  • Jogging
  • Moderate Intensity Water Aerobics
  • Gardening for 30 minutes
  • Raking leaves for 30 minutes
  • House cleaning for 30-45 minutes

3.  Strength Training.  One of the simplest ways to know you need to rest a muscle after strength training is if it is sore.  It’s important to note how long your muscle soreness lasts.  Soreness from proper training should not last more than 48 hours after the workout.  If you are sore for longer than 48 hours it usually means that you’ve “overtrained” or worked the muscles too hard and need to scale back just a bit.

A good rule of thumb is to allow the muscles you specifically worked to actively rest for 48 hours before strength-training them again.  A good balance is to train other muscles or perform moderate cardio on off days.  For years, strength training three to four days per week has been a popular formula in the fitness industry because it allows for a good amount of recovery time.

Your body is smart.  It will tell you when it’s time to rest and it’s important to listen to it!  When we balance our exercise and rest properly, the body can get stronger and build more endurance. Or, for some of us, simply help you maintain the strength you already have.  At the end of the day, exercise shouldn’t make you feel run down.  It should leave you feeling good!

Here’s to a lifetime of health and happiness!

Shared with love,
Jennifer

 

The Biggest Loser Controversy – How We All Can Learn From It

THE BIGGEST LOSER -- Season: 17 -- Pictured: (l-r) Whitney Clark, Felicia Buffkin -- (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank) - The Biggest Loser Controversy by Certified Personal Trainer & Healthy Lifestyle Coach Jennifer Ledford

THE BIGGEST LOSER — Season: 17 — Pictured: (l-r) Whitney Clark, Felicia Buffkin — (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank)

The Biggest Loser has been a popular show for several years now.  Many people tune in to watch people transform their lives and find it inspiring.  I’m someone who loves to watch people succeed so I can totally understand why it’s been so popular.  However, the latest controversy regarding the contestants that have regained weight has the public asking some valid questions regarding weight loss and how the metabolism works.  As a trainer I am grateful that people are asking questions.

I have to be honest  I’ve always been a bit curious about the show’s weight loss methods.  I was concerned that the contestants were being overtrained and undernourished.  Please understand, this is not an “attack” on the show or the trainers.  The fitness industry is constantly evolving.  There was a time when it was thought that if you placed an extremely overweight person on a very low calorie diet their body would go into its “fat storage or reserves” to burn the extra fat and it would help them lose weight.  Current research shows us that if you want to lose weight and keep it off for good the opposite is true.  When the body is starved it will eventually go into “protection mode” and slow down the metabolism.  You need to eat food in order for your body to feel good about burning the calories.  This means a large person will need way more than eight hundred calories per day to safely lose weight long-term.  Especially if they are exercising.  A large person expends quite a few calories simply moving their body.

One of the reasons low-calorie and restrictive diets are so popular is the quick results they can deliver in the short-term.  The majority of diet plans are next to impossible to sustain for the long-term which is why it’s not a total surprise to me that some of the previous contestants have gained their weight back.  It does, however, make my heart ache for them.

Creating new habits and developing self control for the long haul are not always easy tasks and sometimes people fall off track.  That’s just a part of life and it can happen to anyone.  However, I also believe that it is important for fitness professionals to help clients develop a plan that will give the person the best chance to succeed for the long-term, not just one event.

Hollywood is a unique place.  People are paid to look a certain way for movies and remain camera-ready most of the time.  They are willing to train hard and sacrifice a lot because they get paid for it.  Some of them must stay on very rigid diets in order to remain a certain weight.  People admire the looks of celebrities for good reason and it’s enticing to want to do what they do to look like them.  However, once you find out what’s involved you may decide it’s not what you want, especially if you are not getting paid for it.  I think that may be what some of the contestants found out the hard way.  Fortunately, with the right information and proper guidance they can lose the weight again and keep it off for good.

Food is very personal.  What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another so I don’t believe in a “canned” approach when it comes to meal planning.  After twenty seven years of working in the fitness industry I’ve learned that the not-so-sexy approach of finding what works for you, eating well, exercising most days of the week, getting good sleep, drinking lots of water, limiting processed food, and cutting back on liquid calories is still one of the best ways to lose weight and keep it off for good.  The biggest challenge for most people is that losing weight without dieting requires consistency combined with patience.  It can take time to figure out what works best for your life.

An Important Lesson From The Biggest Loser

I believe that one of the most important lessons we can learn from The Biggest Loser is that losing weight and keeping it off for good really is about deciding what you want your life to look like and setting a realistic goal weight that you are able to sustain for the long-term.

Here’s to creating a happy and health lifestyle!

Shared with love,
Jennifer