How to Become a Morning Person - AND - Why Stress Makes Us Fat

YOUR DAILY FIT TIP For the typical “night owl,” becoming an “early bird” is no easy matter. But that’s not to say it’s impossible. I know because I used to hate getting up in the mornings. Now, with enough rest, I can spring right out of bed feeling refreshed! With a little willpower, a whole lot of determination and these tips, you can too. 1. Say “I’m a morning person.” Our thoughts are powerful and control our actions. Change your thoughts, and your actions will soon follow. 2. Let the sun wake you up. Your body’s internal clock is regulated by natural sunlight. So forget the window shades, and allow the morning sunshine to wake you out of your slumber. 3. Go to bed earlier, but take it a little at a time. At first, you’ll have a hard time falling asleep earlier than you’re used to, so don’t try making this leap all at once. Start by changing your bedtime by just 15 minutes. Once you’re used to that, add another 15, and then another 15, until you’re going to bed at your desired time. Just remember: Whether you’re a morning or evening person isn’t so much a matter of genetics as it is a matter of your mindset and lifestyle. ************************************************************************************ ************************************************************************************ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ************************************************************************************ ************************************************************************************ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ YOUR DAILY FIT TIP Stress is often to blame for weight gain. And it’s not the resulting emotional eating that’s the problem. When you feel stressed, you actually trigger your fight-or-flight response. Your body then releases a number of stress hormones, notably cortisol. These hormones are designed to help you better handle your stressor by speeding up your heart rate, dilating your blood vessels and shunting blood away from your digestive track so it can go where you need it: your muscles. Your liver also makes fuel in the form of sugar (from stored glycogen), so you have enough energy to “fight” or “flee” the stressor. However, today’s stressors aren’t dinosaurs or club-wielding cavemen – they’re more intangible, such as meeting work deadlines and paying speeding tickets. Your body doesn’t use the sugar your liver produces because you didn’t actually fight or flee. But your liver doesn’t know that and continues to trigger your brain to make you feel hungry. The extra calories you end up eating – all in response to that stress – get stored in fat cells. If you chronically trigger your fight-or-flight response, your body will try to store up as much fat as possible, and you’ll gain unnecessary weight.