These days, everyone's stressed. Kids, traffic, gas prices, and work add up to a prescription for headaches and grinding teeth. Another side effect of stress is weight gain.

How Stress Makes You Fat

During ongoing stress, the body's adrenal glands create more of the hormone cortisol than is normally needed. Too much cortisol can make you depressed, which can trigger comfort food binges. Cortisol also stimulates your appetite for fat and sugar and tells your body to store fat around your stomach. All of this combined is a recipe for weight loss disaster.

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How to Reduce Stress

The best weight loss plan includes getting rid of stress. Stress may seem impossible to get rid of, but there are some things that you can do to reduce the stress in your life, making it easier to lose fat fast:

• Exercise releases hormones that can naturally calm you. It is a dual-edged sword that helps you lose weight by burning calories and de-stressing you. Find an exercise that you like and think of it as a treat away from your day.


• Before bed, take five minutes to think about your day. Then, when the five minutes are up, imagine locking the thoughts behind a door and go to sleep.
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