Lose Weight Reducing Your Stress Level

by aurélien.

Article by Tia Peterson

Although the rise of over-the-counter stress-relieving supplements are supposed to help you lose weight, none of that has been proven yet.

What DOES work is natural stress reduction, because the following activities are dual-purpose: they naturally relieve stress and work the body at the same time.

Emotional eating and over-eating have both been linked to high stress-levels, so it's crucial that you find ways to keep yourself from being stressed out, especially during this weight loss journey.

When you're losing weight, you should be happy! As your body sheds excess weight, start to feel motivated and relieve some of the outside pressures you're facing (and possibly get that monkey off your back once and for all).

Here are some easy, stress-reducing activities that will help you lose weight, also.

(1) Wake up early and take a walk.

It's summertime! Even if you live in a hot climate like Arizona, if you wake up early enough, you can take advantage of the beautiful sunrises and walk yourself awake. Waking up early adds more time to your day, and you can get more done with more time. Walking will provide your body with some early stimulation. Not only that, if you walk alone or take a pet along with you, you will give yourself some time to reflect on the day, and be present in the moment.

(2) Enroll in a beginner yoga class

If your instructor knows what he or she is doing, beginner yoga will be very effective for you. Yoga classes are supposed to allow students to move at their own pace and respond to their own bodies. You should not feel stressed out or pushed to do anything in a certain way. Learn to listen to your body and to breathe. Breathing has been proven to lower your pulse and relax your body. If you enroll in a class that meets after work, this will be a great way to wind down from the day.

(3) Eat lighter

Notice that I did not say eat less. Rather, the point is to eat lighter. After a heavy meal, your body will not respond as we! ll to ac tivity, which is why sometimes you feel sluggish even just cleaning up the kitchen. Try eating very light foods, such as green salads, airy veggies and flaky fish.

(4) Drink water

You hear this a lot because it's true. Drinking water will keep you hydrated - dehydration has been linked to headaches, nausea and moodiness. Staying hydrated will help your body remember to eat only when you are hungry, also.

(5) Play

Learn to play. If you are a workaholic, your chances of losing weight are slim. I have yet to read any studies of people losing tons of weight by working all of the time. Find an activity you enjoy that requires even a small amount of physical activity, such as walking around the park, playing frisbee or flying a kite. Enjoy this activity at least 3 times per week. Nothing is as important right now as your health, so make this a priority.

About the Author

Want more information like this to help you achieve healthy weight loss? Get your FREE guide, The Truth About Weight Loss, and other healthy weight loss information at http://www.your-healthy-weight.org.