You know that nutrition and exercise are important for winning the battle of the bulge, but here’s something you probably didn’t know: relaxation time is also important for fat loss.
“No way,” you say. “Being too busy can stop me from losing weight?”
Yep.
How?
What Happens When Your Schedule is Overbooked?
1. Your body and mind may perceive the hectic schedule as stress and secrete the stress hormone “cortisol.” This hormone can break down lean muscle tissue and push your body into fat-storage mode. It can also shut down your body’s ability to burn fat.
2. You may put yourself last on your priority list and, hence, miss workouts or eat fast food.
3. You may feel so mentally and physically exhausted from being overbooked that you no longer have the energy to focus on meeting your goals. Freedom brings clarity. This is especially true when it comes to your goals. You need to create time to think about them.
4. You may sacrifice sleep to fit all your appointments and activities into your schedule. This will put more stress on your body, triggering the release of more cortisol. Cortisol can depress your immune system….so you may catch a cold!
How will you know if you’re overbooked? Ask yourself the following questions:
1. Do I have an overwhelming feeling that there is not enough time to rest and do the things that make me happy?
2. Am I losing motivation and focus in my current responsibilities?
3. Am I physically more exhausted than I used to be?
4. Am I feeling short tempered, irritable, negative or anxious?
5. Am I envious of people who have more time to do what they like?
6. Do I feel like I’m always “on” and just can’t seem to wind down without outside help (i.e. drugs and or alcohol)?
7. Am I missing important family events? Do my children complain I’m not around?
8. Am I catching frequent colds and/or flu’s, or do I have injuries that will not heal?
If you are experiencing 1 – 3 of these you are over-scheduling yourself. You need to make some changes to allow some recuperative time in your schedule. Build time into your schedule to read, meditate, nap, be with your family, or even just take a contemplative walk.
If you are experiencing more than 3 of the above then you are in trouble. Perhaps you haven’t noticed any effect on your exercise or fat-loss goals just yet. But, trust me, if you don’t make some serious changes the effects will start showing up on your body.
Cumulative stress from being over-scheduled builds slowly.
You might not even be fully conscious of how stressed you are, because you’ve become used to it. It feels normal. You may completely ignore the subtle signs until, suddenly, it has gone too far.
Some of the signs include premature aging, loss of muscle, increased fat stores, poor skin and hair condition, loss of vitality, low mood, no energy, no sex drive and the inability to function without caffeine or other stimulants.
If this sounds like you, then take charge now or you’ll find it harder and harder to reach your physique goals and any other goals you hope to achieve. You may even hit the wall and have your health fail, which will make it impossible to train. Yikes! I’ve been there, and so I know all too well what stress can do to you.
Sometimes a training break or extended vacation is needed, but most often you will have to make some serious changes to how you think and manage your schedule. You simply cannot keep emptying the reservoir and expect it to just endlessly fill back up again.
If, after you create more time to relax in your schedule, are eating healthy and exercising regularly, you find you are still exhausted, the solution may take a little longer. Visit your doctor and check out these valuable resources…
http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/adrenal-fatigue-the-21st-century-stress-syndrome.html
http://www.amazon.com/Tired-Being-Rescue-Repair-Rejuvenate/dp/0425184595
Tune in on Tuesday to follow along as I train E for the stage in my weekly “Team T & E” update.
Yours in health,
Tammy
