Reduce stress and increase weight loss

I have discovered that the main thing that may be stopping me (and many others like me) from losing weight could be stress. Apparently if you reduce the stress in your life then the weight could drop off. So how does this work?

The main reason for this is that the hormones that are released when your body is stressed permanently put your body into survival mode. Your body thinks it is under threat and holds onto resources in your body that could be useful in fright or flight circumstances that the stress indicates. In other words, it holds onto your fat deposits. It is an ancient, biological stress response that has taken on negative connotations in our stressful modern lives where stress can be a constant factor rather than a short-term threat. Stress also encourages us to reach for 'comfort' foods that we might not require if we were in a better frame of mind.

So if you can reduce your stress then the rest could follow - increased weight loss and better food choices. Reducing stress is a good idea for many other reasons as longterm exposure to stress can also be harmful to your cardiovascular system amongst other physiological damage. So my first step in my body transformation plan is now "how can I reduce my stress?"

My plan is to increase exercise and make it fun. I also want to plan in more 'me time' in my diary so I can have time out to relax. Finally I am also considering meditation lessons. I will let you know how I get on. How is your Body Transformation plan going?