Feel like you’ve done almost everything right and can’t lose those last 10 pounds? As a fit mom, below are three secrets you can start using today.
Tame the Cortisol Beast
Weight gain, or lack of weight loss, can be often caused by our stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol is a really important hormone that is released in your body during stressful events and thoughts… and a fit mom likely experiences this often.
When Cortisol is released into your bloodstream and stays longer than necessary, it has a negative effect on your weight loss or maintenance goals. Normally, cortisol is high in the morning and lower in the evening. When you are super stressed your cortisol is elevated ALL OF THE TIME. It effects your mood regulation, energy stores, stores fat and causes cravings for carbohydrates or other unhealthy choices. The longer cortisol is at work on your body, the more your cravings will get the best of you.
You might think that working out harder will combat the cravings and lack of weight loss. In reality though, high levels of cortisol coupled with high intensity or exercise that allows for little recovery time is a recipe for a health disaster.
Tip #1: Take charge of your stress before it takes charge of your physique. Get your cortisol checked. This is no joke and can cause real health complications. Consider a mindful first 10 minutes of being awake; institute personal boundaries for electronics, practice calming breathing techniques, make choices about your time management that is reasonable and achievable, learn yoga.
Get quality sleep
How can your sleep affect your weight loss or lack thereof. When we don’t get our QUALITY sleep, our bodies go into “starvation” mode. Similar to when your stress is elevated too much, or when someone is truly starving for food, your body holds onto fat in the belly and butt and makes it really tough to shed when you are QUALITY sleep deprived.
Why QUALITY sleep? Our bodies are made with a built in “chip” – or sleep cycle. The cycle (Circadian Rhythm) has 5 stages and you need to progress through all 5. When we “cheat” our sleep from going through the necessary stages, our bodies don’t get what they need to support our normal body functions (like say breathing, walking, listening, etc.). When “cheated”, it stores fat because our hormones – yep that same pesky Cortisol I talked about above – aren’t firing right and are “starved.”
Take your sleep as seriously as you do your work, relationships and lists
Tip #2: Start your nighttime routine 60 minutes before bed. Make it a non-negotiable routine with which your body will know you’re sending the signal “it’s bed time”. Your brain will recognize the routine and YOU will get to that ever-so-comfy- space of time when you hit the pillow and actually sleep. Also, get your stress in check. See Tip #1.
Exercise 20 minutes every day
Exercising every day will help your body, your brain and sets a nice model for your kids. Your body reacts better – burns more fat and builds more muscle – with every day movement instead of the of 3 or 4 times per week. Exercise produces more of the “happy hormone” serotonin. Serotonin is boosted through exercise, eating the right foods and sunlight. . If exercising for 20 minutes or more seems daunting try breaking it up in to 5 or 10 minute intervals throughout the day. The important part is that you get your body moving.
Fit Mom at FOR starting their day with some crawling
Your body needs exercise every day
Tip #3: Make your daily exercise non-
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