lose-weight

The National Institutes of Health, in monitoring obesity and overall public health, has announced the impact of “holiday weight-gain” on the long-term issue of obesity. Are the 5 to 7 extra pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas really an issue? No, not really. Most people will take the initiative after the new year and get most of it off. But it’s the most of it that’s the problem. There seems to be about 1 extra pound that lingers each year, and that yearly pound is beginning to look like a possible cause of the slow, age-related (upward) movement of the scale.

By The FIRM Master Instructor Kelsie Daniels

The holiday season is once again upon us. And because I am one of those people who fully enjoys holiday dining, I have to prepare myself for the usual question that comes as I am stuffing my face: “How do you stay in shape?” One of the people who always asks me this question is my dear Aunt Jo. She asks it every year and then follows with how she wants to start working out and eating right.

So how can reducing stress help you lose weight?

It starts with the hormone cortisol, which has become synonymous with stress. You may have heard or seen an advertisement for yet another magic weight loss pill or potion that reduces cortisol in your body to help lose weight. But how does cortisol really affect our body’s ability to store fat? And how can we reduce the amount of cortisol in our bodies without resorting to weight loss pills?

There are many ways to intensify your workout.  Adding an element that you don’t usually add can bring up the calorie expenditure.  Here are three of my favorites:

1) Add an empowering affirmation when you’re doing your cardio workout. I love this technique because it engages you on a physical, mental, and emotional level.  The biggest challenge we have when training is to stay engaged at a level that will increase our strength and endurance. 

I had a client who was struggling with his weight but, unfortunately, felt about as excited about exercising as he did about doing laundry. We looked into his athletic past, and found that he had been discouraged with his physical abilities, which turned into almost like a fear of moving his body. We both knew that he would have to exercise to achieve his weight goals. Together we implemented a short walking program. He started with walks around his block, listening to his favorite music. I encouraged him to think about what that one thing was, which he felt strongly about when he was a child, before the fears started building. After all, all children like to play.