Dec. 13 Written By Jillian Maierhofer
Prevent Holiday Weight Gain: Enjoy Stress-Free Festivities
Is there a secret to indulging in festive delights without seeing the scale tip? Well, there's no magic trick. It all boils down to handling stress effectively so that your body doesn't hurriedly convert every morsel into fat and, importantly, to calm the nervous system.
If you find yourself in this scenario:
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Juggling to keep everyone content (or at least not upset).
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Hosting grand plans in your mind with no time to execute them.
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Anticipating potential mishaps (cue that outspoken uncle).
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Serving as the go-to planner, even for matters unrelated to you.
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Feeling concerned about others' opinions, especially after a long absence.
And on top of it all, you're orchestrating dinner, tidying up, and contemplating your own consumption to avoid additional weight gain.
Don't blame the cookies or that glass of wine!
Holidays used to be a headache for me, managing four kids and acting as the intermediary for my extended family. Relaxation was elusive.
I used to think that that drained feeling post-workout defined relaxation. How mistaken I was! I can laugh about it now.
Stress triggers cortisol, wreaking havoc on your body:
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Imbalanced blood sugar.
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Disrupted insulin responses and insulin is your fat storage hormone.
Cortisol also messes with thyroid hormone conversion, slowing down your metabolism. This makes every meal feel like a potential weight-gaining event, prompting you to meticulously calculate the exercise needed to burn it off.
The adrenal glands produce cortisol, and prolonged stress (normalized, of course) taxes these glands, further underscoring the importance of calming the nervous system. This throws off your circadian rhythm, disrupts your sleep, and leaves you perpetually fatigued, hindering any chance of fat loss.
So, choose to relish that cookie; savor every crumb. Have that glass of wine with friends, sharing the love and camaraderie you cherish.
Immerse yourself in that happy place before each festive feast and actively work to calm the nervous system!
Jillian Maierhofer