High levels of physical and emotional stress increase your levels of the catabolic hormone cortisol. Excess cortisol can cause muscle breakdown and lead to increased body fat storage (along with a myriad of other issues related to the Physiological Stress Response). Most of us have become familiar with cortisol in the last couple of years - it has been the focus of much advertising for weight loss products. Cortisol is directly related to the accumulation of "centripedal" fat... fat around your midsection.
Rest and relaxation are two of your biggest allies when it comes to offsetting the fat-storing side effects of stress. Even people who eat right and exercise regularly will find it nest ot impossilbe to get rid of their stubborn belly fat if they are chronically tired or stressed out. I speak from personal experience! My postpartum months/years left me chronically fatigued and wiped out. It seemed that no matter what I did, I just couldn't trim down my midsection the way I wanted. Once I finally turned a monumental corner with my co-sleeping kids' nightly habits, BINGO! Getting more adequate rest and restoring just-for-me rituals everyday put me back on the right path for fat loss and a trim, tone body.
Studies show that even if you get one or two hours less sleep than you need on a given night, your cortisol levels could be substantially higher, which makes you store fat and lose muscle. Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep each night for their bodies to perform at optimal levels. Some may even require more sleep. While many claim to be able to “get by” on just 4 or 5 hours per night, they may be encouraging more ab flab and a host of other problems by not getting enough shut-eye.
Now if I could just get rid of all those wrinkles that 5 years of sleep deprivation caused...! (oh wait, maybe they're really laugh lines!)
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