Boost Your Metabolism

We briefly noted yoga in the list of Things to Do above, and that brings us to another key influence of your metabolism: stress.

Believe it or not, but experts are now telling us that stress can send unwanted signals to our body; signals that lead to slower metabolism. 

Essentially, what happens is that when the body is under constant stress, it releases stress hormones that flood the system. 

These stress-related hormones actually tell the body to create larger fat cells in the abdomen.  The result can be both increased weight (through increased fat cells), and a slower metabolism.

Obviously, these are two very negative factors in the quest to boost metabolism and lose weight.  The last thing that we want is more and bigger fat cells in our abdomen, coupled with a diminished metabolism!

Yet this is, tragically, what happens to many people who experience constant, continuous stress.  And, alas, this is many people; especially those of us who have to balance so many competing objectives, such as work, family, and other vital tasks.

So the advice here is indeed to “relax and chill out”, and there are some simple techniques that can, and should, be added to your life. 

These include walking more, listening to relaxing music, meditation, yoga, eating non-stimulating foods (e.g. no caffeine, no sugar, and so on), and building a daily regimen that includes periodic time outs where you can re-center yourself and de-stress.

Remember: while relaxing is good advice for anyone, it’s important for you to note that stress negatively influences metabolism.  So there is a link between how much stress you experience and your ability to break down cells and lose weight. 

So if you don’t want to relax because you don’t have the time, then you should realize that your stressed-out life is probably playing a role in your weight gain/your inability to lose weight.