2 Things that Affect Weight Loss Besides Diet and Exercise
“I’m doing everything right but the weight isn’t coming off”…
Tina goes to the gym 5 days a week, counts her calories, and drinks plenty of water. She’s beyond frustrated that she can’t lose her belly fat. All her old tricks to losing weight like dropping her carbs and upping her cardio aren’t working.
She’s exhausted, frustrated, and has no idea what she’s doing wrong.
Maybe you’re in this boat with Tina, or maybe you’re just starting off on your fitness journey and want to know all the juicy details about what really helps women keep fat off…
Either way, this blog is going to cover a few key concepts that every woman on a weight loss journey should know!
There is more to weight loss than what we eat and what workouts we do! This is a shocker to most people because the fitness industry never talks about this stuff. I’m not sure if it’s because there is a general lack of knowledge, or because the things we’re going to talk about are free to implement…
but these things are every bit as important as what you put in your pie hole. So…
>>>if the weight isn’t coming off
>>>you’ve hit a weight loss plateau
>>>progress is slower than you would like
>>>or you aren’t feeling like crap
it may be time to dial in the 2 S’s of weight loss!
Sleep & Stress
Sleep
“I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” said every Type A person working themselves to an early grave.
I cannot overstatement the importance of sleep.
This isn’t hokey feely good stuff lady, this is legit. There are a ton of studies that show the importance of sleep for your health, and this includes your weight. What’s very alarming to me isn’t just the data showing how much extra fat we put on our bodies when we don’t get enough sleep, but also the early death and increase in Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, and a ton of other things. It’s crazy what a lack of sleep does to our bodies.
Most people enjoy sleep, it’s free, it’s super good for us…yet we have to be convinced to do it. To prioritize it. To plan for it. To implement strategies to improve our sleep quality. You would think it would be the easiest thing to get people to focus on. But we just don’t see the value in it. We think skipping sleep for a workout is the way to weight loss. Spoiler alert – I would personally prioritize sleep over a workout. It’s that important!
Your body must have time to repair and heal. While you’re off in dreamland your body is shrinking fat, building muscle, restoring your neurons, balancing your hormones, and building a strong immune system.
If you do not get adequate sleep, weight loss will be an uphill battle.
This article gives a nice recap of why sleep may affect your weight so much.
So, who’s actually getting enough sleep?
Well over half the women who join my weight loss Academy are not getting enough sleep. When we strategize ways to get this buttoned-up, the magic starts to happen. Studies show people are getting less and less sleep as time goes on. As our sleep decreases, fat mass increases. Correlation doesn’t prove causation, but there’s enough data to suggest it’s tied together.
>>> No blue light at least 2 hours before bed
This means turning off the electronics – computer, phone, TV, etc. If you must use them, wear blue blockers and/or set the blue light filter on the device.
When we are exposed to artificial light, especially blue light, our brains think it’s still daytime and we don’t produce melatonin which will naturally lull us off to sleep. If you have a hard time getting to sleep or staying asleep, light interruption may be the cause.
>>> Blackout your room
Along the same line, light in your room from the window or devices such as alarm clocks can interfere with melatonin production. Eliminate as much of the light in your room as you can.
>>> Keep your room cool
Your body temp drops at night when you sleep. This is all part of your natural rhythms. Keeping a cool room can improve your deep sleep quality. There are even some really neat cooling pads for your bed. I have yet to invest in one but it’s on the “to buy list”.
>>> Keep calm before bed
Do NOT engage in stressful activities in the evening. Whatever activities annoy you should be done earlier in the day. This means no Facebook political debates, no paying the bills, no checking work emails, etc. Try and keep your evenings as chill as possible.
>>> Bedtime rituals
If sleep is difficult for you, you may need to implement some routines prior to bed like taking an Epsom salt bath, reading, or meditating. This can be anything you enjoy that brings your stress down a notch and tells your body it’s time to relax and prepare for sleep.
If you do the same things every night to get ready for bed, the routine will become more and more effective. Ya know how babies need a routine? Well, guess what, we do too.
>>> Supplements
I’m not a big fan of sleep medications. If you need them, you need them. But the sleep you get on them is different than natural sleep so I’m a big fan of trying to get to the bottom of why you’re not sleeping in the first place.
However, if you’re looking for a natural sleep remedy while you get this all buttoned up, some people have a lot of success with magnesium. It’s pretty harmless and can be taken as an oral supplement or the above-mentioned Epsom salt bath, which is magnesium!
Melatonin is also pretty harmless but works with mixed reviews. The only strong evidence I’ve seen that it’s effective is in shift workers or people who have their days and nights mixed up. Anecdotally it’s also hit or miss. Some people swear by it, others don’t feel a thing. If you’re at your wit’s end trying to sleep, it may be worth a shot.
>>> Light therapy
I am a huge fan of light therapy! Part of having our circadian clock working for us in the evening is having it on point throughout the day. Exposure to bright light first thing in the morning a great way to get your biological clock back in tune.
Lightboxes are fairly inexpensive and easy to use. I personally start to use it at the beginning of fall every year for circadian health and mental health. I just sit in front of it for 10 minutes in the morning.
You want a white light source that is 10,000 lux and does not emit any UV light. This is working through the eyes, not your skin. You want it in front of your face but slightly offset so the light is coming in the side of your eyes. Don’t stare right at it!
If you have a hard time waking in the mornings, they now make cool alarm clocks that begin to light up slowly before the audible alarm goes off. This is to replicate sunrise and starts your body kicking out your natural wake-up hormones and turning off melatonin production.
>>> Consistent sleep schedule
Again, this all goes back to keeping a healthy internal clock! One quick way to screw your sleep all week is to change your routine drastically each weekend. Keeping the same sleep schedule is important to be able to fall asleep and get quality sleep. Go to bed and wake up within an hour of your normal times, even on the weekend.
>>> Limit alcohol intake
Gasp, I know. We all think alcohol helps us sleep. The truth is, alcohol may help you fall asleep, but the sleep quality is total garbage. I had seen all the studies and knew this was true, but I was still floored when I started wearing a sleep monitoring device and I could see it for myself.
Even after 1 serving of alcohol my deep sleep goes to just about zero, my HRV tanks, my resting heart rate, body temp, and respiratory rate all go way up. These are all signs that sleep is garbage and recovery is poor.
PS, if you want to track your own sleep, I have used both the Oura Ring and the Whoop and I love them both. If you’re a techy nerd, ya might want to check them out. Everyone who isn’t a techy nerd, save your money and pay good attention to how your body feels instead.
Stress
Stress is probably one of the biggest hurdles to losing weight!
When you are stressed out, your cortisol and other stress hormones are high. This can cause weight gain, especially in the abdominal area! If you’re doing everything “right” for weight loss and the fats not movin’, it’s time for a little stress audit.
We obviously can’t eliminate all stress from our lives; put the people we don’t like on an island, move the kids out, burn the bills as they show up…
>>> Readjust your crazy schedule
Holy Moly are we victims of an overbooked calendar or what?! Lady, you’ve got 24 hours like everyone else. Stop trying to do everything for everyone. I’m gonna get all Jesus-y for a minute here.
EVEN GOD TOOK A DAY OFF! Because He was so tired after He created the world?
No, duh. To be an example for us! You need downtime. It’s not even a Biblical suggestion, it made it into the list of the commandments. Does this mean you have to lay around like a vegetable every Sunday and do nothing? Absolutely not. The idea is to take time off, decompress, and reconnect to what is important.
There are seasons of life where our schedules are going to be a bit crazier than others. For instance, when a loved one is ill, and we need to care for them. Or, when we are working on a project that is time-limited, meaning there is an end to the craziness it brings into your schedule.
But having a chronically over-filled schedule because you see “busy” as a badge of honor or because you hate to tell people “no” is no good. We cannot be “ALL THINGS” to all people, and many women love to care for others, so we fall victim to this.
I could write a whole book about the art of saying NO and putting margins into your day. But I’ll keep it brief for this post…
Evaluate what things in your busy day are necessary and which are busywork. What are some things that can be delegated to someone else and what are things you must handle yourself? Do you need to say no to some people or some projects to focus more on the things that are a priority? And btw…your health should be on that list!
List the things you must have time for and make sure those are in your calendar before all the random things. You decide what those are. For me, it’s time with God, time with my hubby and kids, time for cooking and working out, and planned downtime. Because I’m a “doer”, if downtime isn’t in the books it won’t happen.
A note for “doer type ladies” and downtime…
If laying around doing nothing isn’t enjoyable for you, don’t force yourself to do that for downtime. I hate laying around and trying to make myself do it is actually more stressful. Instead, plan time for things you enjoy that relaxes you like a hobby or hanging out with an old friend.
As you ponder your schedule and decide what things to say yes to, and what things to say no to, keep in mind what is truly important to you. Busyness isn’t always best.
Do everything you can to build a less stressful life, then implement some tools to help your body handle the unavoidable stress in the best way it can.
>>> Exercise
Exercise can greatly help with stress, but it is also a stressor. Everything with your body is dose-dependent. Your body needs a physical outlet to release different endorphins, to tear down muscle fibers and build them back stronger, to strengthen your cardiovascular system, etc.
However, too much activity and not enough recovery can move the needle in the wrong direction. This is probably why I put on a ton of body fat when I was training for my marathon and going to CrossFit 5 days a week. TOO MUCH WORK and not enough recovery makes Nikki a chubby girl. 🙄
For a great explanation about the benefits of exercise check out this podcast episode with Joe Rogan and Rhonda Patrick (#901). Their conversation around minute 10 about the effects exercise has on stress is money! If you suffer from anxiety or stress, listen to this.
>>> Sleep
I think we belabored this point already but recognize that inadequate sleep is a huge stressor to your body. Get as much sleep as you can!
>>> Meditate
I am by no means an expert on meditation but having a solid “time out” practice of any kind can be hugely beneficial. There are plenty of studies showing the positive effects that meditation has on your brain and your nervous system.
When we are stressed out our sympathetic nervous system is all fired up. This is fine for a short time, but chronically elevated stress hormones lead to a decline in health and an increasing waistline.
When we meditate, we turn off the sympathetic nervous system and fire up the parasympathetic nervous system. This is our chill zone and we turn it on with just a few minutes of sitting quietly, breathing, thinking positive thoughts…whichever form of meditation you choose.
The big takeaway that I’ve learned is that meditation is NOT about making your brain be quiet and being void of all thoughts.
What a relief because my brain never shuts up! Yours either? Well, apparently, we can still meditate. Good for us!
>>> Adaptogens
Oh, these magical little herbs…
If you haven’t played with adaptogens yet and you have a busy schedule or a stressed-out life, you’re in for a treat. Using a blend of adaptogens was the catalyst to my own weight loss.
Please do not avoid the above-mentioned tactics and think taking a supplement will magically fix everything. I view these as tools to add to the regiment to help you get things under control. They are a bonus - not the main contributor!
How they work…
Adaptogens do not take the stress out of your life, obviously, but they help your body handle stress a lot better. Ashwagandha, which might be my favorite secret weapon for weight loss, works by decreasing overactive cortisol levels which in turn helps with belly fat.
It has been shown to increase muscle mass while decreasing body fat!
Ashwagandha has also been studied for anxiety, memory, antioxidant properties, heart health, and a slew of other things you can read about here.
Other noteworthy adaptogens I personally use include Rhodiola (also in my secret weapon), Holy basil, & cordyceps. You can dig a little deeper into this topic here.
>>> Stress Audit
We’re going to have stress, but is it in balance? I heard someone speak about deposits and withdrawals and I love this concept!!
Do an audit of your life to determine how many things are pulling away from your joy and relaxation, (withdrawals) and how many things bringing you joy and relaxation (deposits).
Stressful things like deadlines, responsibilities, things interfering with sleep, junk food, anything that is a stressor to our body – these are all withdrawals from your account.
Things that make a deposit are things that de-stress your body and your mind. Taking time for hobbies, spending time with friends and family, exercise (at the right dose), getting good sleep, eating healthy – these are all examples of deposits.
Go about planning your schedule trying to make more deposits and fewer withdrawals!
Action Plan
Ok that was A LOT of stuff for just 2 weight loss factors!!!! How do we put this in place?
Don’t stress about destressing or getting more sleep :-) It doesn’t need to be perfect and you don’t have to implement every suggestion in this post. Make small steps and you’ll reap huge rewards over time!
>>> What factors may be effecting your weight loss the most right now?
>>> What things would be the easiest for you to make a change?
>>> Prioritize your health, your sleep, and the things that bring your life JOY and PURPOSE!!!
