Strategies For Weight Loss Success

These tiny tweaks can make a big difference!

6. Catch your zzz’s

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a million times: you need to sleep more. I know how impossible that is, with all those TV shows you love, projects to finish at work, and costumes you must sew before your kid’s play. These obstacles might pop up when you’re thinking of turning off the lights a bit earlier, but you should really be thinking about your weight loss goals first.

One of the best, almost-effortless strategies for weight loss success is to shut it down earlier and get some extra sleep. In fact, according to research, sleeping fewer than five hours a night can cause the number on the scale to skyrocket by 30 percent in comparison receiving seven hours of sleep or more. If you’re not the best sleeper, take a look at these 9 Tips To Get Better Sleep.

7. Relax

We know that chronic stress doesn’t just mess with your mental state. It can cause an array of life-threatening medical issues, too. There’s plenty of research on the link between belly fat and stress, and studies have shown how a low-stress lifestyle can benefit the body.

In one study, researchers followed 61 healthy women for a year. Among the participants, over half of the participants were chronically stressed. All of the women were asked to keep a food diary to track track the consumption of high-sugar and high-fat foods.

The results showed a higher metabolic risk, a larger waistline, more belly fat, more insulin resistance, and higher oxidative damage in the high-stress group. The low-stress group, who also ate these unhealthy foods, did not experience the same negative metabolic effects.

If you’re looking for easy ways to reduce your stress levels, check out 5 Essential Oils to Balance Hormones and Reduce Stress. You can also incorporate these 5 Workouts to Help You Combat Stress or make some changes in your diet by eating more of these 10 Stress-Relieving Superfoods.