3 Things You Can Do To De-Stress, Lose More Weight, & Sleep Healthier

If your stress levels are affecting your weight, you're not alone. The cries for help in this department have increased tenfold, and I wanted to remind you that you're not alone on this journey.

I want to offer some coping methods that won't make your problems worse the way turning to food, alcohol, or using medications (like Xanax, that should be banned for dozens of reasons, starting with the rebound effects it causes) that make matters worse. Anytime we reach outside our bodies to smooth an internal feeling, it’s considered an addictive behavior. This includes the need to over-exercise or kill it in the gym where our bodies are under such an immune attack.

I ding myself, reminding me, and sharing it with people who reach out that sometimes we don't know that God is all we need until He is all we have. He can help overcome any and all problems we face.

This time of year, we are all faced with tough decisions like should we send our kids to school or not. The crazy elections, sports starting to back up, the continued pandemic fear of getting sick, combined with our usual amount daily stress that is magnified for most of us, seem to be hitting us all at once.

The stress of today's new normal is even affecting the uber-rich celebrities like Taylor Swift, the crazy Kardashians, and the comedians who usually make us laugh, like Ellen Degeneres. They have all been admitting to being far more stressed out than usual, and you can see it in their demeanor.

I’m certainly not exempt, and I feel the stress effect in my body in ways I have never experienced, like tension headaches that are exacerbated by neck and shoulder tension and the lack of human touch. Heck, I need at least 10 hugs a day, and I usually go around hugging everyone I see. Not now, though, with the threat of COVID surrounding us all. Thank God my dogs want as much attention as they can get :)

In light of everything that’s going on, stress is affecting all of us. For some people, the effects of stress aren't felt until they stop overeating or drinking excessively, so it may take longer to feel it in their bodies than others. But the effects that stress has on our bodies is undeniable and is simple science.

The most common issues showing up today are:

• Increased anxiety and depression
• Increased alcohol consumption
• Increased over-the-counter and prescription drug use like Xanax, anti-anxiety, and/or depression meds. Lately, I've seen prescriptions for all of the above. And, alcohol should NOT be consumed when taking these medications as it damages the liver and cancels out any effectiveness they might have.
• Weight gain and/or lack of weight loss
• Anxiety and depression, leading to stress eating (the inability to stop eating or struggle to choose healthy foods)
• Lack of sleep or the inability to stay asleep
• Cranky/moodiness and irritability
• Worsening of menopausal and mandropausal (aka "Manopause") symptoms 

The list could go on and on. I've committed my life to helping others who, like me, struggle with any and all of these. It's also the reason LynFit was born! It wasn't a dream to make money; it was a way to provide the right tools to those who need help losing weight and improving whole-body health. It doesn't matter whether you struggle with achy joints or arthritis, or you need help sleeping. Maybe you need the energy to get through your now over-stressed days... I've got the tools you need!

I've been where you are, and I know exactly how you feel. Being human, I still struggle and fall from time to time. What's most important is that you GET BACK UP, as many times as it takes. Heck, it can become exercise, if you're like me and a fall frequently (a little humor can't hurt).

Today, I want to remind you that these hard times are THE BEST times to set your sites on Him and remember how faithful God has been to us in the past. Even when the rest of the world does the opposite.

This will pass. We will feel alive again. As my favorite Chicago song says: “Feeling Stronger Every Day“! Let's make this our anthem daily. If it doesn’t kill us, it will make us stronger.

STAY STRONG, Onward and Upward! 
Lisa Lynn 

 

 

________________

Lisa Lynn, Clinical Metabolic Nutrition & Fitness Expert. Best known for her 18+ years as Martha Stewart’s trainer, who was responsible for Martha’s over-50 amazing physical transformation that caught the attention of Dr. Oz, leading to her many appearances on the Dr. Oz Show. Lisa is not just another trainer; she herself lost 40 pounds and has kept it off, even with a sluggish thyroid and menopause.
________________