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Stress and Weight Loss
Stress and Weight Loss have an important relationship. Stress causes an excess production of fat and reduces lean muscle mass. That is why one of the first things I do when a client starts on a weight loss program with me, is I have then start on a "Sleep Diet". Different Way of Looking at Stress and Weight Loss
Stress has a broader definition than what most people connote to stress. It is not just emotional. It also includes any tax placed on the nervous system. Lack of sleep is one primary tax that causes stress. Lack of food is another. When you are physically tired and hungry your body is experiencing stress. Stress and Weight Loss: Cortisol
When this stress occurs, cortisol is released. Cortisol is a hormone of your body. It is also referred to as the stress hormone. It has a destructive and catabolic effect on the body. It degenerates and breaks down muscle cells. I causes belly fat. I also raises blood sugar and raises blood pressure. In the short term, it has fat burning effects. But with consistently high levels of cortisol in the blood your body breaks down and it also causes the storage of fat. When someone cannot lose weight despite exercising harder, I know that there is excess cortisol. Stress and Weight Loss: Intense Exercise
Intense exercise is a stressor on the nervous system and so also causes cortisol to be released. After anaerobic exercise, you can take a sample of blood and find a dramatic increase in cortisol right after the exercise. It is natural since cortisol is used to prepare the body for intense activity. That is why in best exercise to lose weight, I outline a way to do intense anaerobic exercise to reduce cortisol levels for you while getting the same benefit of the intense exercise. The problem is when the body and/or the nervous system is not allowed to recover from the intense exercise. With constant intensity of exercise and restriction of food you have more and more stress placed on the body. Then top that off with lack of sleep and coffee consumption to deal with the lack of sleep and tiredness from the intense exercise, you have a recipe for stubborn weight and inability to lose weight no matter what you try. Stress and Weight Loss: Sleep
Sleep is the first line of defense. Sleep is where the body regenerates cells and rebuilds tissue. It is also when fat is reduced. Please take note of this, deep sleep is when fat is burned. Deep sleep is also where fat burning hormones are released. Getting enough sleep is also solve cravings. You can read about ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is a hormone that signals hunger. Leptin is a hormone that signals to your brain that you are full. Wanna take a wild guess what decreases ghrelin and increases leptin? Yup! Sleep. Specifically deep sleep. Medical scientists from Stanford and other universities found that people who consistently slept five hours or less per night had on average about 15% more Ghrelin and 15% less leptin levels than those who slept 8-hour nights. They also demonstrated that the less you sleep, the more you weigh, the higher your BMI, which means the higher your likelihood of premature death from any cause.[1] Stress and Weight Loss: What to do
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Sleep earlier rather than wake up later. Sleeping before you get mentally exhausted will result in deeper sleep fast and more often during the sleep session. -
Don't drink caffeine after lunch. Better not to drink caffeine at all. But if that is too hard, stop drinking caffeinated coffee. -
Start getting aerobic exercise according to best exercise to lose weight. Getting more oxygen into your blood and cells will allow you to have deeper sleeps. -
Quit all dairy consumption. -
Stop doing things 1 hour before sleeping. Relax the mind. -
Wake up the same time everyday. Condition your body to when you will sleep and wake up. This will result in deeper sleeps. -
Do a "Sleep Diet". This is usually the first thing I do with a client. This is a period of time where you focus only on getting enough sleep consistently for enough days that are needed. The time you know you are done is when you wake up feeling refreshed and well rested. It is not a vague and general feeling. It is very distinct. For those that have been sleep deprived for a long time it will take longer. Maybe a week. But for successful natural weight loss I need this person's body to heal. The fastest way to heal is to get more deep sleep. -
Take a calcium and magnesium supplement such as "A to B Calm". -
Take a melatonin supplement -
Drink herbal tea that relaxes such as Chamomile Tea.
- Shahrad Taheri, Ling Lin, Diane Austin, Terry Young and Emmanuel Mignot. Public Library of Science. Medine Journal. 2004 December;1(3):e62.
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Over the past 10 years I have been losing weight and putting it back on just about every three months. I finally took a much needed step and hired Yegyan to help me stop the yo-yo diet cycle. After 30 days I lost 11 LBS and was able to get back into my favorite pair of jeans. After 60 days I lost a total of 16 LBS. After 120 days, the weight is still off, my skin looks much better, and I actually have energy at 2pm in the afternoon! Lol People always ask me what’s different and it really boils down to the education that I received from Yegyan. He put facts behind his food & nutrient recommendations so that I began to WANT to eat healthier foods instead of just forcing myself. It’s been a lifestyle change and I couldn’t be happier to have officially said goodbye to the old (overweight) Nick. Yegyan, thank you for all of your hard work and for our new friendship. Nick Unsworth | | I hired Yegyan to help me with general health and energy. I wasn't so interested in weight loss. But I endedup losing 14 pounds in two months. And this was also during Christmas! I hardly have any sugar cravings (and I was a sugarholic. I mean fast food dessert breakfast lunch and dinner), and have deeper sleep than I ever remember and more energy throughout the whole day. The days were like a struggle to make it through. Now I feel good, calm, focused and happy all day. It is more than I expected. Jenna Wilkinson | I CAN FIT IN MY JEANS – haven’t worn them for about 8 years! S.M. Australia | I spoke to you about 3 weeks ago, and I wanted to thank you again for responding to my last e-mail so promptly, and giving me some feedback on what I've been doing. I really appreciate it. I just wanted to check in and let you know about my progress... so far after about 2 1/2 weeks, I've lost about 10lbs. When I took my measurements, I would say that I've lost between 1/2" and 1" in most areas of my body T. D. Long Beach CA Jun 25, 2010 | | There was a change today.... 4.5 lbs loss to be exact. :) Charlene Mercer, Dohar | | Last time I told you I had lost 20lbs in three months by changing my diet and aerobic activity in the form of brisk running. My waist has gone from 45" to now 38" and my weight 196lbs my height is 6ft.... and my waist is getting smaller again. This is great motivation! ...At 57 I don't feel I have both feet in the grave yet. Above all I don't want to become what I see lots of my friends starting to turn into wizened old men! Anyhow thought I would just give you some feedback and thank you for a well written and thought out book. Larry Manderson, MD. Ireland | Got your metabolism makeover e-book, and love it! THANKS Nevin | | Went to doc's office: She decreased my insulin back down to 40 (yippee!) and was really pleased with my progress.... I'm happy with what you've helped me accomplish thus far. I was shocked to suddenly realize that I was feeling good after so many years of daily headaches and stuffed up nose. L. Liberty, Tacoma, WA | | When I first started changing my diet a week ago, I couldn't believe it. I definitely started to feel the difference. My mind was clearer. It felt like a fog was lifted. My energy was increased. I wasn't dragging myself around to do things. I had a lot more energy. Even my hair improved. It wasn't as dry as it was before I changed the way I was eating. It has a lot more body and not as frizzy and it was. I was using a special conditioner to make it less dry and frizzy. I don't have to use that anymore. My skin is different also. I have been told so many times by a lot of people that I look younger. I even notice it myself. I don't look so worn out anymore. My skin has a different look to it. It seems like my wrinkles are not as pronounced. The rest of my body isn't as dry as it was, I don't use half of the lotions I did before. I have lost ten pounds and 1 inch of my thighs and hips. My life is changing for the better. I haven't even started to exercise yet. But I don't feel that it will be as hard as it would have been if I didn't change my diet. I'll update you with my results. Thank you so much for all of your help and the knowledge that you are giving me. What a difference a diet can make in your life. I think once you get the knowledge on how food affects your body, the easier it is to change the way you eat. Knowledge it half the battle. So many people eat the wrong way because they have been given bad information. There are a lot of people on diets that are really not eating the right way or eating the right things. They seem to gain the weight right back the minute they stop the diet. They feel hungry all of the time and get tempted constantly by the things they can't eat. Well I don't feel deprived. I don't feel hungry and I haven't been tempted by anything, which is unusual for me. Nobody ate more sugar and sweets than I did. I was always putting a cookie in my mouth. Eating chocolate or cake any chance I got. I thought it gave me more energy. I don't need that anymore. I never thought I would not want any sweets, but I don't. I feel satisfied, which is a great feeling. Feb 2 2009 Follow up …. Ye Gyan, I am now down to 128lbs from 156lbs!! You're great!! I can now wear anything I want!! I feel so much better at this weight! Wait until you see me. We need to take another after picture! Jan 20 2010 C. DeHaan. Oregon | Jan 21, 2010... My sister gave me your web sight she really praises you. She said I could ask you what I could do about my cholestrol. I am 62 5'2 and I weight 135 lb my numbers are 246 Chol/146 tri/43 HDL LDL 176 The doctor wants to put me on medication I dont want to do that. I have just started taking Guggal (2) 300mg, Beta-Glucan (1) 250 mg,Niacin 2 100 mg drinking (2) tablespoons of chlorophyll in water, eating oatmeal and drinking oat bran 2 tablespoons and garlic is this going to work do I need to do more. I do this everyday and I am walking at the gym They are giving me 30 days to get it down. I have thought about adding red yeast rice. Jan 27, 2010... Yegyan I got to bed on time last night I woke up a few min at 12 am but after that I stayed asleep the rest of the night … I have droped a few pounds and I feel so good. I am smiling right now thank you. 3 Feb 2010... … Everyone is starting to tell me how good I look. My mom could not believe my size 8's are really loose. I had got up to a size 10 and it was tight boy that came off quick. I have tried for months to do what you have got me to doing. I am a Tarus born in April and my head is hard but I am listening to you and doing as you say. 11Feb 2010... Yegyan I did not know if I should tell you this but I am. It has only been a few weeks and the changes in on the out side of me are turning 35 year olds heads. YES I have got 35 year old men after me. I was trying to change my cholesterol I dont know if that has happened yet but now I have another thing going on. I have got men after me from 35 to 70 years old. I am really having a lot of fun with all the attention I am getting I was not looking for weight to go so much but I am really liking this. I am in jeans I have not worn for 10 years I look 10 years younger than I am. THIS IS FUN If people dont belive it they can email me. E. Powell, WA | At 48 years old, I had spent the better part of 25 years running, working out, eating healthy food, and taking care of my body. Being somewhat of an exercise junkie, I was certain I had all the answers. I was frustrated that my body was stuck in a state of “I’m not budging, just try and make me.” I can honestly say that I thought I knew exactly what I was supposed to be doing for myself and for my health, however, I was working in vain. What I wanted was completely eluding me. I thought that at 48 I finally had the time, the space and the energy to have the body that I wanted, and dammit, I was going to get it. I tried to tweak my diet and exercise routines in every way I could think of, but nothing was working. Although I was keeping up a rigorous routine of daily exercising and relatively (at least that is what I thought) healthy eating, nothing was changing. In addition to not feeling as fit as I should have been for how hard I was working, I literally had zero energy Yegyan’s approach to diet, exercise and overall health and well-being are unlike anyone else’s. I have read countless books on diet and exercise. I have had personal trainers and diet coaches. However, I have never felt as good or, in my opinion, looked as good as I feel and look today after following Yegyan’s advice and approach to repairing the body by correcting hormonal imbalances through nutrition and proper exercise. I have lost those stubborn 6 pounds, 8% body fat and 12 inches overall. I am overwhelmed with excitement, not just because I look so much better, but more importantly, because I actually FEEL so much better. I feel more alive, more alert, more energetic, more rested, and healthier than ever. L. Quintanilla, Aliso Viejo, CA | I listened to what you had to say about exercising and now can understand what I am doing wrong. I have lost inches .... Thank you for helping me to understand that. Chuckey Tacoma,WA | EVERYBODY was asking me what am i doing!!! and that i lost a lot of weight YAY!!!!! today , my in laws came over for lunch .... it’s amazing how i could finally control my cravings that easy. THANK YOU YEGYAAAAAAAAAAAN!! H. Abdul Rhiyad, Saudi Arabia | | Before I met Yegyan, I had been working out at the gym, but struggled to lose 10 pounds over a period of many months. When Yegyan and I talked about that, he explained that my heart rate should not go over 126 while working out in order to be burning fat. I had had no idea, so prior to that I had been working as hard as I could push it, out to 135 and even 140 and believing I was doing the best thing possible to lose weight in a healthy manner. As soon as I began to keep my heart rate under 126 and increase the length of workouts as he had also suggested, the next 10 pounds came off much more quickly, and I was a believer! Thank you Yegyan, for helping me to restore myself to fitness.” Melody Haines | | Thank you so much for your consults and training. I read your book and though I was doing everything correct but the weight loss stopped even though other other symptoms like energy, sleep, flexibility relaxation were still improving. After doing the coaching with you for 4 months I realized that there is more to this than meets the eye. You were able to spot many things that were giving me trouble. Better yet, you told me in advance what I would be running into. Not generally, but specifically me. From your experience you were able to tell me I would have a hard time with something and sure enough it was a brick wall. Then you walked me through it every single day for three weeks straight. There is no way you can put everything in a book. I have reached my goal and know I have given myself the greatest gift - long-term health and knowledge. Please put this email on your site! L.Sanders |
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