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Stress affects fat storage on a body. Both the person who looses their appetite when experiencing stress and the person who over-eats when stressed, will still store fat around the middle.
The hormone cortisol is responsible for this happening. When cortisol is released by stress, the body responds by protecting vital organs. In times of food scarcity, the body will respond in the same why.
What happens when fat is stored in the middle:
- Energy is stored
- Vital organs are protected
- Fat is readily available to burn
Stress can trigger over-eating and then there is more fat to store. When a person under stress releases adrenaline, which is a strong appetite suppressant, the body becomes deficient and to protect itself will start to store fat around the vital organs.
Exercise is a more valuable component in weight loss for people who lead stressful lives. Exercise will provide the duel benefit of burning calories and reducing stress. During exercise, a hormone is released that relaxes and gives a feeling of wellbeing. Simply having an effective way to deal with stress in a healthy way may be the boost you need on the road to reach optimal weight.
Tags: cortisol, exercise, fat storage, Weight loss
Maintaining optimal weight means more than a balance between exercise and calories. Hormonal balance also is necessary. The influence of testosterone in initial studies, show the effect different in males and females. Obese men (20% or more over maximum optimal weight) tend to have declined testosterone levels. Testosterone levels can be equel to a man 10 years their senior. Low testosterone levels affect sex drive and energy levels. In obese girls (25% or more over maximum optimal weight) going through puberty, they have testosterone levels 2-9 times higher than their thinner peers do. The high testosterone can impair their reproduction health and cause unwanted hair growth.
Tags: hormones, Testosterone, Weight loss
If you have limited time to exercise or you are unable to do vigorous exercise, try walking! Walking is an exercise almost everyone can do and it has health benefits after you stop walking.
During a brisk walk, calories are burned and muscles are toned. The benefits don’t stop when you finish walking and sit down on the couch. For up to twelve hours after walking the physical changes in your body continue. Metabolic changes and increased enzyme activity will continue the calorie use. The increase in metabolism means increased nutrients being absorbed. Elimination of toxins becomes more efficient, also.
Tags: Calories, exercise, Metabolism, Walking
Reducing calories will help you drop some pounds, but it’ll take exercise and stress reduction to get rid of inches around that tummy. The Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s study has shown that combining exercise with diet, that the fat cells are actually reduced in the stomach area, when weight loss is combined with exercise. To get that flatter stomach that most women and men strive for, besides exercising, stress must also be reduced. Cortisol is a brain chemical that is released during stress. It triggers the appetite. The calories consumed during stress tend to be stored as fat in the stomach area.