Stress can be a good thing. We feel energetic and powerful when stress hormones flood our bodies. Short time stress is good- but being stressed out all the time can make you sick: Heart attacks, diabetes, high blood pressure are related with stress.
Even worse: Stress makes you heavy and keeps you from losing weight permanently. Constant stress promotes fat deposits on your abdomen and your hips- stress fat. Stress fat is the body's energy pool to respond physically in stressful situations. This was very useful for our ancestors, facing natural challenges.
Unfortunately, nowadays our responses to stressful situations do not need to be physical any more- we do not have to run away from or fight wild animals. Today, our responses need to be mental. So the stress fat sits on our bodies and doesn't get burned. Especially for women stress fat increases the danger for heart diseases, high blood pressure, higher cholesterol, strokes, diabetes and cancer.
In stressful situations the adrenal gland releases adrenalin. Your metabolism slows down to make more energy accessible and the blood sugar level rises. Under permanent stress you burn less calories, preventing you from losing weight permanently. The changing blood sugar levels will lead to feeling hungry- so you'll eat more while burning fewer calories.
When you are under stress, the hormone cortisol is released. It affects your muscles, bones and the immune system. It's much riskier to get an contagious disease. The bone density is getting less, making osteoporosis more probable. And the muscle mass is reduced, so you'll burn less fat.
Cortisol has another risky effect lowering your ability to lose weight permanently. When your stress level scales down, the body's energy storage system needs to be filled up. Cortisol will give you a voracious appetite then. That's why you like high-calorie food in stress-reduced, relaxing phases- sweets, chocolate, cookies, ice-cream etc.
The longer fat cells are exposed to high cortisol levels, the sensitive they get. This process leads to a growing number of fat cells- not a positive outlook if you need to lose weight permanently.
Never-ending stress means continuous hunger at a decreased metabolism. When we get older we commonly accumulate more responsibilities- and consequently more stress. You need to decrease your stress level if you want to lose weight permanently over 40.
If the stress level is high losing weight permanently is peculiarly hard for women over 40. Women over 40 often have periods of eating not enough, followed by periods of time of eating too much if they are continously stressed. The constantly shifting weight makes it challenging to lose weight permanently for women over 40.
Are you a woman over 40? I've created a free, personalized program for women over 40 who want to lose weight permanently. How would you like to get excellent, lasting weight loss results- be attractive, healthy, energetic, youthful? This program adjusts to your specific situation and keeps you motivated while you enjoy healthy eating and exercise.
Sign up for your free, personalized "Lose Weight Permanently" program at http://www.loseweightpermanently.com/ForWomenOver40
Perry Permann
Related articles:
- Stressed? Relax Into Losing Weight Permanently
- Women Over 40: Hormones And Weight Loss
- Long Term Thinking And Permanent Weight Loss
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You can read more of Perry's articles at
- Woman Over 40? Lose Belly Fat Now - The Health and Beauty Hazard
- Weight Control the Easy Way - Expert Tips For Women Over 40
- Women Over 40 - Exercise to Get That Beach Body Before Summer, Feel Better and Be More Attractive
- Women at 40 - A Dirty Secret the Diet Industry Doesn't Want You to Know
Perry with Women Over 40: Lose Weight Permanently
It is really nice to have that controlled weight. It seems that you don;t find yourself too heavy to move and grasping for air beacause your are already too heavy.
ReplyDeletejennylyn from gazinière électrique
It is really a useful tip. I remembered my mom while reading this. She's really trying her best to lose some weight. Now I can give her some advice. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteMary from jupe longue noire