Beating Stress For Weight Loss Success.

When it comes to succeeding in the weight loss game, we encounter a lot of foes that thwart our efforts. One of the biggest saboteurs is stress. We have a million things in our life that produce stress and our failure to get a grip on it causes us countless problems, including difficulty in making healthy lifestyle choices; namely eating a proper diet that promotes and maintains weight loss. A lot of things can stand in our way and it may seem overwhelming having to battle them all, but the good news is, stress is at the core of most of these problems and learning to deal with it more effectively can kill a lot of birds with one stone.

Find Outlets Other Than Food to Combat Stress For many of us, we use food to soothe stress. We eat for a lot of other reasons other than sustaining our bodies. We get pleasure out of it; we eat emotionally to deal with negative feelings. None of us are immune from negative feelings so if we cannot totally get rid of them, it is imperative to find ways to deal with them more effectively that do not involve eating entire boxes of donuts. You will need to make a concerted effort to engage in activities that help you relieve stress so that you do not feel like stuffing your face is the only option. Find something you enjoy, like a certain type of exercise, a hobby, even throwing in a DVD of a show that always makes you laugh; anything to keep you away from the kitchen or that vending machine at work full of junk food.

Practice Relaxation Techniques Relaxation techniques help reduce stress; they get your mind in a calmer place. When your mind is in a calmer place, you have a better perspective. You watch your thoughts and feelings and you can better resist the urge to just react habitually with your usual destructive decisions, such as binge eating to soothe stress. You get more comfortable with feeling uncomfortable and can ride out periods of stress or anxiety better without feeling like you need to immediately make the feelings go away. You get better at watching your thoughts and feelings and in seeing their fleeting nature, you can resist the urge to make choices that you know you will regret later, such as going to the pizza place instead of the gym. Meditation is a particularly powerful tool; other good choices include yoga and deep breathing.

Keep a Journal Having an outlet to express your stress and anxiety is a great way to deal with it more effectively. By taking the time to actually write out what you are thinking and feeling, it gives you an opportunity to reflect and question. You can gain clarity on what is triggering stress in your life and why. You will be able to work out solutions that do not involve destructive habits such as overeating. You can reduce some of the intensity that comes with keeping thoughts and feelings suppressed and bottled up; you will physically feel lighter once you release them to paper. Do not censor or judge:  just write.

Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who specializes in health and wellness content. If you are looking for ways to boost your efforts from diet and exercise, check out acai berry weight loss supplements. Check out this site for acai berry info.


If you are aware of any health problem which may compromise your general health, it is important to seek treatment. A Health and Wellness Counselor may help you, to bring you back in balance and to good health through, detoxing, healthy eating and living, create a proper diet suited for your condition, advise natural remedies, herbs, wholefood supplements and organic cosmetics.

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