3 Ways Excess Thinking Increases Your Waist Line

Loosing weight can be very challenging *I speak as a witness*. You have to cut back on all your favourite sweets and chocolates and take up veggies and fruits. However, your life style is also as important as your food intake when trying to achieve your weight loss goal. Certain behavioural patterns can either enhance or sabotage your weight loss goals. One of such behaviour is over-thinking. Thinking too much is one the fastest ways to kissing your weight loss goals good bye. Here are 3 ways in which over thinking increases your waist line.

1. Emotional Eating: 

Many people *myself included* are guilty of being emotional eaters. We eat when we are sad, worried, confused, stressed, angry, disappointed, extra-ordinarily happy, tired, hurt, frustrated and the list goes on and on. In the same way, when faced with challenging issues that get us thinking day and night, we turn to food to for comfort. During these moments, you can bet that a slice of water melon or an apple wouldn't cut it. I really can't explain the psychology behind that but you begin to crave for sugar; a box of chocolate (no dark chocolates please), a bowl of straw-berry ice-cream with chocolate toppings, a box of pizza, a bottle of alcohol or some cakes and muffins *Don't worry, I know because I have been there*. All these junk food, as we already know, add to your waist line and making weight loss very difficult.

2. Mental Stress:

As human beings, we have the tendency to think too much about our problems; how to grow our business, how to get a promotion at work,  how to maintain our relationships with friends, family, spouses e.t.c. The thing is thinking about these issues doesn't provide a solution to them rather it makes us  stressed mentally. Whenever we are stressed, mentally, physically, spiritually, psychologically, our body releases a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism for fast energy, and stimulates insulin release and maintenance of blood sugar levels. The end result of these actions can be an increase in appetite. You begin to crave more food thereby increasing your portion sizes. Cortisol is your number 1 enemy, it's important to quit thinking too much and focus on being happy. 

3. Late Night Eating:  

 Over-thinking can keep you up at night. You are so deep in thought you can hardly sleep. You toss, twist and turn on your bed. Frustrated, you walk into the kitchen, open the refrigerator and snack on whatever your hand can find. Cutting back on sleep increases the likelihood of indulging in fatty, high-calorie foods at night, which leads to weight gain, According to a research by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, snacking on high-calorie, high-fat snacks at night can make for restless sleep. The result: Overeating the next day in a feeble attempt to boost your energy level. However, if you can't help staying up late, try snacking on fruits like apple, cabbage, cucumber, carrots. These veggies are high in fiber and water, making you feel full faster.

So there you have it. Quit thinking, quit stressing and start putting off those pounds.