Can Stress Cause Weight Gain?

  Stress causes weight gain.

         That's a bold statement to make when there are so many people saying that it's entirely to do with nutrition and exercise. But, we have found that we get massive results from simply removing stress from our clients lives.

Example.
Lianne lost 74cm from around her waist in only 6 months by reducing the stress that she chose to indulge in. She did it without significant increases in exercise and by eating a balanced meal. Here the thing - her balanced meal was balanced when it arrived on her doorstep, but Lianne didn't like the vegetables, so she fed them to the dog!!! How balanced is that?

Stress causes your 'Fight or Flight' nervous system to go on high alert. When it does so (and you might recognize a few of these symptoms) your eyes pop out, your palms gets sweaty, your heart starts racing, your blood pressure increases and your muscles fill with blood so that you can fight or run away. Also your digestive system shuts down, because your body knows that fighting or running away during these stressed periods is a greater priority than breaking down food.

Q: So what happens to the food in your guts when you're stressed?

A: Nothing. It sits there stagnant in your guts while the parasites and bugs go to town on it.

So if you indulge in regular stress, you may wonder why you're frequently sick and/or overweight.

1. You've got more parasites in your system that cause sickness disease than your body knows what to do with.
2. These same bugs prevent the good bugs from breaking down any food that you eat.
3. Your digestive system is in standby mode anyway, so it couldn't absorb any digested food even if it was there.

IF YOU ARE STRESSED YOU ARE MALNOURISHED

If your body feels hungry, it will ask for "more food please" - you overeat, and your body goes into 'starvation mode' - it scavenges any nutrient it can and sends it straight to the fat cells (that way, there will be plenty in storage for later on).

Eating less doesn't help either, cos your body still ain't getting fed.

Solution: To lose weight, get more energy and get healthier - Lose the Stress

I realise that saying 'lose the stress' is easier said than done. It took me 32 years to figure that out.

Sometimes there is a little more to the stress than meets the eye:

• Is it work or you that is stressing yourself out?
• Is your environment causing you stress? It may be as simple as changing your cleaning products
• Is the 'food' you eat causing your body stress? Make sure to eat so that your body feels best.

The most effective way is to face it is head on - sometimes you might need some help to face those demons. For those of you who are willing to attempt it on your own, read on.

Is your brain still running on high alert?

Have you meditated before? How do you meditate?

Your brain is capable of running at various different frequencies depending on what you are doing.

• Beta - alert/working (15-40 cycles/ second)
• Alpha - relaxed/reflecting (9-14 cycles/ second)
• Theta - drowsy/ daydreaming (5-8 cycles/ second)
• Delta - Sleep/ dreaming (1.5-4 cycles/ second)

Generally, the slower your brain waves, the more relaxed you are.

The goal of meditation is simply to slow your brain waves down so that an otherwise overactive mind can take time to recover

I've heard people say they have never meditated before. For many people it is simply that they haven't been aware that they have been. If you have ever gotten home after a long drive down the freeway and wondered how on earth you got there - then you have experienced a form of meditation. (It's probably not the safest place to meditate). Often simple repetitive tasks where you don't need to consciously think can lead to a meditative state. For example walking, gardening, swimming or even just breathing!

You may also choose to engage in more "traditional" methods of meditation. These are as varied as Elton John's sunglasses - it is entirely up to you to find the meditation to best suit you. I find that different meditations have different effects on the way my body functions. I also find that combining bits and bobs from different meditations can enhance an individual meditation.

I will briefly run through several meditations. I strongly encourage that you experiment with each and find the one(s) that work for you.

Exercise: Meditate

Over the next week, Allocate at least 10 minutes every day, (preferably 30 minutes). Remember that the more relaxed your brain is, the more focus and productivity you can gain.

Play with each of the following parts of meditations, some may work better/differently than others for you. Remember that the end goal is simply to take your mind off the stresses of daily life.

Most of these can be done lying down (not sleeping), sitting comfortably or standing.

Breathing - simply breathe into your belly. If your mind is over active, focus on counting your breath (backwards from 100 if you like).

Imagery - imagine a place where you are completely relaxed. It may be a beach, on a cloud, or in the bush somewhere - whatever it is for you. See the image, hear the sounds, and feel the feelings from where you are.

Relax - make sure the following areas are relaxed: your eyes, eyebrows, forehead, temples, ears, cheeks, jaw, lips, mouth, scalp, neck, shoulders, chest, fronts of arms, backs of arms, forearms, hands, fingers, upper back, lower back, abdominals, bum, fronts of legs, back of legs, calves, feet and toes.

Feel - there is a natural flow of chi (warmth, tingling, energy - however you feel it) through your body. Simply feel the flow of energy through your body.

If you really want to "feel it"...

Add this to your meditation - Standing Meditation

Stand with your feet roughly shoulder width apart and knees bent slightly. Hold your hands in front of you like you're holding a basketball. Some people find that 5 minutes of this is enough. Others prefer up to 2 hours (but work up to this long). I recommend about 30 minutes. Expect your legs to shake, and your body temperature to rise.

*** take care if you have any knee problems ***

Keri Norley is an international coach who has helped hundreds of people to reach their ideal body.

With her husband, Hugh, their business http://www.targetedfatloss.com.au can help you with individualized plans and coaching to help you get rid of fat in those hard to lose areas that don't budge with common weight loss practices.

If you want to get rid of flabby arms, thunder thighs, love handles, fat belly, man boobs or a double chin, contact them today at info@targetedfatloss.com.au.

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