Have you tried a number of diets and failed? Maybe even tried some
exercise only to find you lose a little weight but it comes straight
back again? Well don't worry. There's a reason for that and in this
article I'll explain why it happens, and how to combat it.

Stress it not just a mental reaction but a physical condition. When
placed under stress your body will produce adrenaline but it also
produces a hormone called Cortisol. This hormone is responsible
for pumping energy in the form of sugar into the body to fuel the
adrenalin rush. Stress is then a natural bodily function designed to
help keep us alive and reactive to things going on in the world.

Unfortunately there is then a negative by-product if you are not
using this energy. Stress in the modern world often takes the form
of money worries, issues in the office, family problems and much
more. The extra blood sugar that is being released has nowhere to
go except settle around your stomach to be used later. As fat.

Because of this many people are keeping or gaining weight without
even realising it. Of course, there are other factors, but stress
is one that very few people talk about. Stress however needs to be
controlled and fought against, just like an unhealthy diet needs to
be. It may be the one thing stopping you from losing the pounds
you so desperately want to.

Stress and anxiety is in fact a double edged sword. Not only does
it produce the excess blood sugars that turn to fat but it also
encourages you to use food as a comfort tool. You may tuck into
chocolate or fast food for that instant hit that is the culinary
equivalent of a warm hug from a loved one.

Eating these foods that are bad for you when you are stressed does
not mean you are weak minded. You are just following your biological programming. Tests on rats have shown that under stress organisms
naturally engage in pleasure seeking behaviour. In particular high
calorie food.

Other tests have shown that men who only manage to get four hours
sleep a night have on average a thirty seven percent higher level of
Cortisol (the hormone that is responsible for energy - sugar) than
those who get a full eight hours. And what is one of the biggest
reasons for lack of sleep? Stress!

On top of that it is imperative you get a good nights sleep when trying
to shed the pounds because a deep sleep leads to higher secretions of
a natural occurring hormone called Human Growth Hormone. This
protects your muscle mass and it is muscle that helps to maintain a
steady burning metabolism. We're not talking 'body-builder' type muscle
here either. Just the natural kind we all have.

Of course if you are already stressed the chances are you are not getting
enough sleep already and so are caught in a vicious circle that is affecting
your weight loss. Going to your doctors to ask about prescriptive sleeping
tablets is one option, but should be used alongside a healthy lifestyle not
in place of one. Fortunately, despite stress being the silent diet killer,
there are some easy ways to fight it.

Firstly with a little bit of exercise you can help yourself get an easier
nights sleep which kills two birds with one stone. Just a brisk walk every
day will be enough for your body to fall to sleep naturally at the end
of the day.

A good breakfast is also associated with reduced stress levels. Skipping
breakfast is just asking for trouble and will actually have a negative effect
on your weight loss. You need to eat breakfast to fuel your energy
resources. This will also manage your Cortisol levels. Cereal is especially
good at this Fish, although not to everyone's liking, is another food that
should be added to your diet to reduce stress and therefore help weight
loss. Oily fish particularly are high in Omega 3. A tin of boneless sardines
costs little and is delicious on toast. This alone contains a weeks worth of
Omega 3 which is great for your diet plan.

Finally learn to accept stress and use it. In other words make stress work
for you. We all need a little stress to keep us on our toes and in this day
and age it is everywhere. The trick is to put things into perspective and
ask yourself "Are things really that bad?". There are sick children and
sadness across the world and often we let every day things stress us
out needlessly. Remember, combating stress with a healthy diet could
just be the miracle weight loss plan you've been looking for.