If you follow your prescribed exercise program to a tee, including both your cardio and conditioning exercises, and you keep your diet impeccable, you think that would be a secret formula for success, right?  Wrong!  There is one aspect to your life that will ensure your weight loss success - reducing your stress levels.  You need to connect the dots and comprehend the notion that managing stress and cortisol levels will not only improve the quality of your life but it will also help you lose weight.

According to Shawn Talbott, author of The Cortisol Connection Diet, “Stress leads to weight gain mostly because of cortisol; the body’s main stress hormone.  Chronic stress elevates the amount of cortisol circulating in your body which in turn:

o  Signals the brain to increase appetite.
o  Makes the body crave certain foods.
o  Signals fat cells to hold on to as much fat as they can and to release as little fat as possible.
o  Slows the body’s metabolism.”

As discouraging as it may sound, the truth of the matter is that stress really does make us fat and it certainly can make us very sick as well.  So what steps can you take to avoid the cortisol trap?

Recognize what needs to be changed in your life:
o  Thoughts
o  Responses
o  Diet
o  Sleep
o  Exercise
o  Rest
o  Relaxation