If you're like many women trying to lose weight, you might be forcing yourself to do more exercise and/or more intense exercise. While exercise has so many health benefits from increasing energy, reducing stress and improving mood, more is not always better!
Like many women you may also be highly stressed and this is when more intense exercise could actually be inhibiting your ability to lose weight! When your body is emotionally or physically stressed, your stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) are increased. This stressed state encourages your body to hold onto weight, particularly around the belly, and impacts other hormones such as leptin and ghrelin which influence your appetite and metabolism.
Stress hormones are given first preference and are produced at the detriment of other hormones - such as progesterone and thyroid hormones, which are also crucial for weight regulation. This is why ongoing stress can be so detrimental to our bodies and why stress management may be one of the most important things to work on for lasting weight loss. Our body and hormones like to be in a happy balance and stress really throws everything out of balance!
Intense or prolonged exercise can act as another stress on your body and make an already stressed exhausted woman even more so. If your body is in a stressed state your nervous system is on overdrive and requires more gentle and calming exercise to help reduce those stress hormones and improve weight loss.
Walking in nature, yoga, bike riding and dancing may be more suited to you rather than exhausting yourself with long runs, cross fit and intense gym sessions!
Once your body is in a less stressed state you could try some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) which involves alternating bursts of high intensity exercise and rest over 20-30 minutes. This type of training has been shown to be more effective than longer workouts for weight loss. A mix of cardio, weights/resistance and more gentle exercise is great for overall health, along with eating a whole foods diet with adequate protein, healthy fats and a variety of vegetables.
What you choose to eat will have the greatest impact on weight - and NO you don't have to count calories, just choose real unprocessed foods!
Always remember to listen to how you're feeling and adjust your exercise to suit. We are all different and our own needs can change over time and also depend on what else we have going on in our lives.
If exercise is leaving you even more drained and exhausted it might not be the best type of exercise for you - so try out some other options and take notice of how they make you feel.
Even starting with 1 session or class per week is great if that's all you can manage for now. Once you notice improvements from this and enjoy it, you will naturally add in more to your week. Going to a class, working with a PT or exercising with a friend can all help to improve your commitment and enjoyment - along with finding something you actually enjoy doing!
Also don't forget to schedule exercise into your diary until it becomes a habit - make it and your health a priority as you would other commitments!
If you would like more personalised support in reaching your weight loss goals and restoring hormone balance I'd love to help you in clinic or via Skype.
Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances and thyroid issues. The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype. You can contact Marion here.