Finding ways to deal with stress should be part of your weight-loss plan

1. Are you eating enough? Sounds crazy, doesn't it? After all, you have to eat less to lose weight... right? Well, not necessarily. Portion size is definitely a key ingredient in the weight loss recipe, but all too often, people make the mistake of thinking that starving themselves is the way to go. Going too long without food or not eating enough is one of the worst decisions you can make when you're trying to lose weight because your body will basically shut down your metabolism. It reacts as if you are in danger of starving and slows down your metabolism in order to conserve energy, If you want to lose fat, you have to approach eating strategically, and consider how your body processes food. The smartest approach is to eat breakfast as soon as you wake up and then eat a meal or snack every two to three hours until an hour before bed, so that your metabolism never slows down. 2. Are you getting enough sleep? Sleep plays a larger role than most people realize in the keeping your metabolism functioning well. If you sleep too little (or, to a lesser extent, too much) your metabolism will not burn fat as efficiently. The ideal amount of sleep to ensure your body can burn fat at a high rate is between seven and eight hours a night. If you want to lose weight, make sleep a priority. 3. Are you stressing too much? Your body has a built-in system to gear itself up to respond to stressful situations that dates back to the days when cavemen were hunting mastodons. When stress arises, your adrenal gland floods your body with a hormone called Cortisol, which preps your body to flee or fight by releasing sugar into your bloodstream and slowing down your metabolism. If you've ever noticed that you crave fatty, salty and sugary foods when you're stressed, that's part of the Cortisol effect, too. And even though you're not being chased by saber tooth tigers, your body responds to modern stresses like rush hour traffic and work deadlines the same way. Finding ways to deal with stress should be part of your weight-loss plan. Take time for yourself, away from the rat race. Go for a hike or a bike ride. Lie in a hot bath. Get a message. Meditate. Try yoga. Listen to music. Breathe deeply, count to 10 and... relax. 4. Are you eating the right way? Most diets focus on what you eat and how much you eat, but completely overlook how you eat, and that can make all the difference in how successful you are at losing weight. The problem is that most of us eat in a way that causes blood sugar to spike. When blood sugar levels rise too quickly, your body releases the fat-storing hormone insulin. In most cases, insulin spikes are caused by eating too many simple carbohydrates and not enough protein and complex carbohydrates. At the same time, it's completely unrealistic to expect people to give up simple carbs altogether. I know I wouldn't want to live without potatoes, pasta, bread and wine. What we advise and show people how to do, is to strive for equal portions of fast carbs, slow carbs and protein. 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