Our day-to-day lifestyle can take its toll on us in one way or another. Not sure if you saw the post on my story today but I posted a quote about the way we seem to be glamourising being overworked. It can be perceived as a badge of honor but it really isn’t. The impact stress has on us physically and mentally shouldn’t be ignored.
When it comes to weight loss, a lot of us don’t realise our hormones play a big part in some of our weight loss struggles. Cortisol the known stress hormone is one of many hormones that can slow down a woman's weight loss goal. This is because it can slow down our metabolism and if your metabolism is already slow then you don’t want to slow it down even more.
You can lower cortisol levels i.e reduce your stress, by doing some simple things, such as:
Go to bed each night at the same time, wake up at the same time, and get out in the sunshine. This creates a good circadian rhythm, which optimises your hormone balance naturally
Limit alcohol. You might think it relaxes you, but alcohol actually increases cortisol
Exercise. However, be aware that running hard and overtraining without enough rest can increase cortisol. The constant demand for glucose in the muscles can create a form of chronic stress. You may find yoga, Pilates, or walking in nature helps relax your mind while exercising your body