Saw this article on Yahoo! Thought I would share...

7 ways to avoid gaining weight from stress

Why Stress Makes You Hungry

For most of us, stress is a fact of life. Unfortunately, recent research reveals that it's also a fact of fat. "Even if you usually eat healthfully and exercise, chronic high stress can prevent you from losing weight—or even add pounds," says Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, a Prevention advisor and the author of Body for Life for Women.

Here's what happens: Your body responds to all stress—physical or psychological—in exactly the same way. So every time you have a stressful day, your brain acts as though you're in physical danger and instructs your cells to release potent hormones. You get a burst of adrenaline, which taps stored energy so you can fight or flee. At the same time, you get a surge of cortisol, which tells your body to replenish that energy even though you haven't used very many calories in your stressed-out state. This can make you hungry... very hungry. And your body keeps on pumping out that cortisol as long as the stress continues.

Sadly, few of us reach for carrot sticks in these situations. "Instead, we crave sweet, salty, and high-fat foods because they stimulate the brain to release pleasure chemicals that actually do reduce tension," explains Elissa Epel, PhD, a researcher on stress eating at the University of California, San Francisco. This soothing effect becomes addicting, so every time
you're anxious, you reach for fattening foods.

Why Stress Increases Body Fat

With your adrenal glands pumping out cortisol, production of the muscle-building hormone testosterone slows down.

"Over time, this drop causes a decrease in your muscle mass, so you burn fewer calories," explains Shawn Talbott, PhD, author of The Cortisol Connection. "This occurs naturally as you age, but high cortisol levels accelerate the process." Cortisol also encourages your body to store fat—especially visceral fat, which is particularly dangerous because it surrounds vital organs and releases fatty acids into your blood, raising cholesterol and insulin levels and paving the way for heart disease and diabetes. Obviously, getting rid of all anxiety isn't an option. But by taking these seven steps to beat stress, you can get your cortisol levels and your weight under control, and improve your overall health at the same time.

1. Drop and Do 10
That's right, power out some push-ups.
"Moving your muscles is an effective, instant stress reliever. It actually fools your body into thinking you're escaping the source of your stress," says Talbott. "Exercise makes your blood circulate more quickly, transporting the cortisol to your kidneys and flushing it out of your system." But if push-ups aren't practical, just flexing your hands or calf muscles will help move cortisol along, he says. Even taking a stroll on your lunch break is beneficial. In one study, Talbott found that 18 minutes of walking 3 times per week can quickly lower the hormone's levels by 15%.

2. Go Slowly at Meals
Under stress, we tend to scarf down even healthy food
In fact, research has linked this behavior to bigger portions and more belly fat. But Epel hypothesizes that slowing down, savoring each bite, and paying attention to feelings of fullness may lower cortisol levels along with decreasing the amount of food you eat, thereby shifting the distribution of fat away from the belly

3. Stop Strict Dieting
It's ironic, but research shows that constant dieting can make cortisol levels rise as much as 18%. In addition, when your cortisol levels spike, your blood sugar goes haywire, first rising, then plummeting. This makes you cranky and (you guessed it) ravenous. When your brain is deprived of sugar—its main fuel—self-control takes a nosedive, and your willpower doesn't stand a chance. "The only way around this is to stop rigid dieting," advises Peeke. She suggests eating three healthful meals and two snacks spaced evenly throughout the day so that your blood sugar stays level: "You won't be hungry, you won't be stressed about being hungry, and you'll still drop the extra pounds."

4. Give In to Cravings—a Little
When stress drives you toward something sweet or salty, it's okay to yield a little.
"It's much better to indulge in a small way and cut off your cortisol response before it gets out of control," says Epel. "Have a piece of chocolate. You will feel better. Just stop at one." If you have trouble restraining yourself, take precautions so you won't binge. Buy a single cookie when you're out instead of keeping a box at home; or keep them in the freezer so you have to wait for one to defrost.

5. Curtail Caffeine
Next time you're under duress, choose decaf.
When you combine stress with caffeine, it raises cortisol levels more than stress alone. In one study by the University of Oklahoma, consuming the equivalent of 2 1/2 to 3 cups of coffee while under mild stress boosted cortisol by about 25%—and kept it up for 3 hours. When subjects took 600 mg of caffeine (the equivalent of 6 cups of java) throughout the day, the hormone went up by 30% and stayed high all day long. You'll experience these effects even if your body is accustomed to a lot of lattes. And because high cortisol levels can contribute to stress eating, you might want to consider quitting caffeine altogether.

6. Power Up Breakfast
Deficiencies in B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium are stressful to your body.
And these deficiencies lead to increased cortisol levels and food cravings, says Talbott. But you can fight back by eating a breakfast that's high in these nutrients. He suggests some OJ, a grapefruit, or a large handful of strawberries to supply vitamin C; 6 to 8 ounces of low-fat yogurt, which contains calcium and magnesium; and a whole grain bagel or toast with a bit of peanut butter. Whole grains are bursting with B vitamins, while peanut butter contains fatty acids that can decrease the production of stress hormones.

7. Sleep It Off
The most effective stress-reduction strategy of all: Get enough shut-eye.
"Your body perceives sleep deprivation as a major stressor," says Talbott. A University of Chicago study found that getting an average of 6 1/2 hours each night can increase cortisol, appetite, and weight gain. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7 to 9 hours. As if that weren't enough, other research shows that lack of sleep also raises levels of ghrelin, a hunger-boosting hormone. In one study, appetite—particularly for sweet and salty foods—increased by 23% in people who lacked sleep. The good news: A few nights of solid sleep can bring all this back into balance, and getting enough regularly helps keep it there. Says Talbott, "You'll eat less, and you'll feel better, too."

Goal updates:

Starting weight: 381.6

Current weight this week: 373.6

Loss or gain: +.8 Total so far: 7.6 lbs. lost

Short term goal: Lose 5% of weight - 19lbs Lbs. to go: 8.4
Long term goal: Weigh 299 lbs. by Christmas 2010 - 82.6lbs. Lbs. to go: 74.8

Well, this past week was BAD. But, its ok because I am back on track. Starting up the Wii Active again today. I have been slacking tooooo much. I need to remember that I am doing this for myself and my family. (and hopefully future family) Despite my gain I still feel good about myself and my decision on changing my life. I just need to stay focused on my goals. Sometimes I feel like I have to many goals but...What is life without goals??

See you later a little lighter...I hope.

Another blog

Please follow my other blog as well if you would like. www.starting-over-wjm.blogspot.com

Just some Pics :-)

Above is a picture of the insides from a Green Pepper. LOL My mom had me take a picture of it. It's kind of cute. A little smiley face. :-)

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Below are three pictures that a friend took before the Halloween Parade here in Palmerton this past October 2009. We walked in the Parade with our dog Bailey. For those of you who don't know....that is my husband Ken sitting with me and Bailey. I am not particularly fond of the way I look in these photos but....that is changing :-D

Something new

I think I am going to try something new these last few days of this week. For breakfast and lunch I am going to eat Special K cereal and then have my dinner. Lets just see how that goes. I am trying to get under 370 this week so I can lose another point.

I am just about 10 lbs. away from my first goal of losing 5% of my weight. It may just be 19 pounds but hey, its something to celebrate if you as me :-) I've decided that is when I will post another picture. When I hit my first short term goal. :-)

Guess I should start thinking on another short term goal. Hmmmm, should I do another 5% or go for 10% this time????

Goal update

Goal updates:
Starting weight: 381.6
Current weight this week: 372.8
Loss or gain: -1.8 Total so far: 8.8 lbs. lost
Short term goal: Lose 5% of weight - 19lbs Lbs. to go: 9.4

Long term goal: Weigh 299 lbs. by Christmas 2010 - 82.6lbs. Lbs. to go: 74.0

Ok so it turns out I'm not to good at this blogging thing. LOL. For those of you following me on Facebook and reading my story that I am writing, first thank you for all your nice comments. Second, my mind has been preoccupied on that story. It seems to be all I have thought about lately. What the next installment will be. I just posted Part 2 yesterday and already I am thinking about Part 3. LOL

However, I do want you all to know that I am not slacking in my "new life" I am in fact still going strong even though I have neglected to show it here on the blog. I know I promised a recent photo as well. I'm working on that. I have been watching the Olympics too. Is it bad that I am and American citizen of 100% German decent but routing for Team Canada in the hockey tournament???? LOL I hope not. :-) If you know me you know I am a HUGE Flyers fan. There are 2 Flyers on Team Canada and 0 on Team USA, I mean, really, for me its a no brainer who to route for.

Well, must go for now. I have a "phone interview" to do in an hour that I must prepare for. And I promise the pictures are coming soon. :-) TTYL my friends.

Points for Thursday

Breakfast - Cereal w/1% milk 6 points
2- bananas 2pts

Lunch - Turkey bbq 8pts
small filling 3pts
harvard beets 2pts
(leftovers)

Dinner - Chicken Cordon Blue 15pts
Zataran's Rice 5pts
Broccoli with cheese sauce 0 pts
Cauliflower with cheese sauce 0 pts

Total points: 41

Points for Wednesday

Breakfast - Cereal w/ 1% milk 6pts
banana 1 pt

Snack - Raw carrots w/lite ranch dip 3 pts
2 slices of dt. cheese 2 pts
wheat crackers 4pts

Dinner - Basically we had Thanksgiving LOL thanks to Mom
Turkey 8 pts
filling 5 pts
harvard beets 2 pts
bread 4 pts

Total points: 35 pts

YAY!!!! No snacking last night yeee haaaw. Yay for me!!!

I am back!!

Goal updates:

Starting weight: 381.6

Current weight this week: 374.6

Loss or gain: +.4 Total so far: 7.0 lbs. lost

Short term goal: Lose 5% of weight - 19lbs Lbs. to go: 11.2

Long term goal: Weigh 299 lbs. by Christmas 2010 - 82.6lbs. Lbs. to go: 75.8

Ok so I didn't gain as much as I originally thought. It was only 1/2 lb. but it was a gain non the less. I feel like I am neglecting you guys on here that send me comments. I am so sorry. ): I really don't mean to. Even though I haven't posted I have been keeping my points. I feel my weight gain has come from snacking to late at night. I am going to try to eat dinner later in the day instead of how early I have been eating dinner. Hopefully that will keep my late night snacking to a minimum.

It looks like Thursday was the last time I posted my points. So here are my points for Monday and Tuesday

Monday--
Breakfast - Bagel w/strawberry cream cheese 5pts
Lunch - Portabella mushroom sandwich 4pts2-100 calorie packs 4 pts
Dinner - Chicken cheese steak 15pts
snack - 2-WW fudge pops 2pts

Total points: 26pts (doesn't sound right I think I am missing something)

Tuesday--
Breakfast - Egg beater omelet with mushrooms and onions 3pts
2 slices of multi grain toast 4pts
Lunch - 2- 100 calorie snacks 4pts
raw carrots w/lite ranch dip 1pt
Dinner - Beef tips and egg noodles 15 pts

Total points - 27 points. Hmmmmmmm. I got to start eating more points ): Didn't realize I had so little points yesterday.

My commitment is to blog everyday. I HAVE to get back to that. I am feeling myself slacking a bit and I don't want that to happen. I want to stay committed to this weight loss.

End of week 5

Sorry this is going to be a short blog. Last few days I was barely home. However I am sad to report I gained this week. But back on the band waggon today :)

I will post all tomorrow.

Goodnight for now.

Points for Thursday

Sorry this is late

Breakfast - Nothing

Snack - 2-100 calorie PB and cheese Crackers 4pts
3-Hershey kisses 3pts

Lunch - Turkey w/Provolone on Kaiser roll with mayo 7 pts
sm apple 1pt
Chocolate chip cookie 5pts (it was a big one LOL)
raw carrots 0pts

Dinner- 4 slices of pizza 24pts ( I was freekin hungry LOL )

Total points: 44

I was in Lancaster all day yesterday. Sorry this post is late. By the time I got home I was so hungry and so tired. UGH. So yes I ate 4 slices of pizza at 6pts a piece and you know what.........they were freekin good too. LOL

My points for Tuesday

Breakfast - Egg white omelet with light cheese 3pts

Lunch - Chicken salad w/ red onion slices on Dt. wheat bread 4pts
100 calorie pringles 2 pts
100 calorie yogurt covered pretzels 2pts

Snack - PB wafers 6pts

Dinner - Chicken parm w/ pasta and grated parm 20 pts

Snack - 2 oranges 2 pts

Total Points: 39

Start of week 5

Goal updates:
Starting weight: 381.6

Current weight this week: 374.2

Loss or gain: -1.2 Total so far: 7.4 lbs. lost

Short term goal: Lose 5% of weight - 19lbs Lbs. to go: 11.6

Long term goal: Weigh 299 lbs. by Christmas 2010 - 82.6lbs. Lbs. to go: 75.2

My points for Today

Breakfast: Puffed wheat cereal w/1%milk 4pts

Lunch: Chicken Salad on white bread 7pts

100 calorie PB and cheese crackers 2pts

100 calorie yogurt covered pretzels 2pts

Dinner: Meatloaf 8pts

filling 5pts

Harvard beats 3pts

green beans with light butter 1pt

Snack: Fit and Active Orange ice cream pop. 2pts (yummy)

It was suggested by a follower that I post before and after pictures. I plan or posting every 25-50lbs that I lose. I will take a more recent full length picture of myself and post it this week. Then when I get to 25lbs. I will do it again and so on. It will be good for myself to see as well. When you are losing weight it is hard to see it on yourself while others may notice it right away. I think the pictures will give me a good sense of how my body is changing. I think it will also give me and incentive on doing more workouts and such as well.

Looking over the past week there is one HUGE thing that I need to do differently. TRACK ALL MY POINTS. As we know I missed quite a few days last week. BIG HUGE NO NO on my part. My bad. The first step to recovery is admitting your defeat and moving forward. That is my intent for this week. I just need to keep moving forward and stay on the right track. So far so good.

On a side note.......

Terri, thank you soooo much for your kind words and your post from what I posted yesterday (i think) It means a lot to know that other people care about me and how I do. This isn't meant to single you out so to say because I know others are there for me as well. But you, by far, have been my biggest cheerleader thus far on my blog and it means a lot to know that someone is out there listening. :-) Love you lots and thanks again.

Interesting read:
Obesity's Hazards And Mysteries
What research tells us about why we gain weight and how we can best lose it.
By Rebecca Ruiz, Forbes

Americans are fatter than ever and it's seriously harming our health. More than 72 million adults are obese, and that figure is expected to soar to 103 million by 2018. The problem is so bad that it could even cause life expectancy to start to decline, according to some demographers.
The good news is that basic research is helping scientists understand why we eat too much and how we can best lose weight. One major finding from earlier this year is that human adults have stores of calorie-burning brown fat, long thought to exist only in newborns and certain animals. But it turns out to also be present in small quantities in adults.

Stats: Obesity By The Numbers

Harnessing brown fat could make our bodies far more efficient at burning calories--someday. But it will be years, if ever, before researchers figure out a way to increase levels of brown fat in obese adults through drugs, surgery, or some other yet-to-be discovered process.
In the meantime, researchers are investigating the basic mechanisms behind metabolism and dieting (obesity is linked to several related problems, such as diabetes, which can lead to other problems such as kidney disease or stroke). One recent study in mice hinted that eating meals on a regular schedule may be as important as what you eat or when during the day you eat. The second linked compulsive eating to a stress molecule that is commonly triggered during the withdrawal-relapse cycles of drug abusers.

Watching the Clock
Dietitians have long recommended regular mealtimes for their patients. Satchidananda Panda, an assistant professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, now has laboratory data backing up this idea. His study, published in a November issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that mice on a regular feeding schedule have much more efficient metabolisms than critters who are allowed to eat whenever they want.
Panda let one group of mice eat freely throughout the 24-hour day while another group was fed on a rigid schedule. The second group fasted for 16 hours a day, but both groups of mice ate the same amount of calories for two weeks. Then he did gene scans on the mice to see what was going on in their livers.

In the mice on the uncontrolled feeding schedules, food metabolism genes in the liver were chaotic because the mice were frequently eating and nibbling. Overall, nearly 3,000 liver genes involving in burning fat and sugar were expressed in the freely-eating mice throughout the day.
While it might seem advantageous to have thousands of calorie-burning genes running throughout the day, this makes metabolism less efficient and can create a byproduct that attacks and breaks down DNA, Panda says.

By contrast, the mice on a controlled feeding schedule had a much more consistent pattern of liver gene expression. When feeding, the mice burned sugar, but fat-burning didn't occur until several hours after they had begun fasting.

Panda says the research supports the idea that people should abstain from eating eight to 12 hours each day. Panda's research also suggests that it's possible to reset the body's metabolism simply by changing mealtimes (and fasting periods) and sticking to them. The study results convinced Panda to eat only between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. He eats whatever he wants--with a focus on nutritious foods--and says he's lost weight since he started the regimen a year ago.

Addicted to Food
Pietro Cottone, pharmacologist at the Boston University School of Medicine, has laboratory data that may explain why some people---like himself--are prone to yo-yo dieting. If his rat experiments are correct, it may be that abstaining from sugary foods can actually trigger chemical withdrawal symptoms.

In Cottone's study, which appeared in PNAS in late November, one group of rats was fed "palatable", or high-sugar, chow for two days and then deprived of it for five days. Eventually, the withdrawal of the high-sugar chow triggered the release of a molecule known as corticotropin-releasing factor, or CRF, which causes anxious and depressive feelings and has been linked to relapses in drug addicts.

When exposed again to the palatable chow, the stressed mice overate compulsively in what Cottone characterized as "self-medication." After seven weeks, Cottone and his fellow researchers blocked the rats' CRF receptors. Only then were the rats able to restrain their anxious behavior and binging.

The scenario is no surprise to those who struggle with dieting. Cottone's goal is to prove that palatable foods are indeed biologically "addictive" and that dieters who flame-out are struggling with more than just a failure of willpower. (The threats of increased heart disease, cancer and arthritis risk sometimes aren’t enough on their own.) The only solution to the withdrawal and relapse cycle, he says, might be to avoid "palatable" foods in the first place.

Studies like Cottone's and Panda's give us much-needed insight into the biological mechanisms of metabolism and dieting, but they also require a forward-looking solution. Dr. Michael L. Power, author of The Evolution of Obesity, says humans evolved with limited access to food and have a biological drive to gorge when easy calories are available. How we cope with this is the challenge of our times, Power says. "We need to understand our biological adaptations and change our social reactions."

I am alive!!!

Hey there peeps. Sorry about not posting for quite some time here. Unfortunately I don't have any points to report for those missed and I only have a few points for today. However, rest assured that I did keep my points just didn't write them down. I was with in my points each day. Hopefully I will prove that when I step on the scale tomorrow.

This week has just been, for some reason, back and forth for me. I have been stressing over a few things but I am proud to report that there was NO STRESS EATING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I kept it cool and if I was still hungry after dinner I chose an orange as in stead of some WW cookies or crackers and such. I unfortunately didn't work out at all this week :( not on the WII anyway. I did do a lot of walking though so that may help me.

I have noticed that my skin is starting to feel looser (if that makes sense to anyone) And if I drop something on the floor I can bend down easier. Funny, I never thought I had a tough time bending over before......I mean if I dropped something I just bent down and picked it up....how hard could that be right?? But its weird, I guess the more appropriate thing to say is, when I bend down to pick something up it feels different. Kind of like there is a "smaller" obstacle for me to manipulate around in order to pick it up............Does any of this make sense to anybody??? Please let me know.

Well, time for some HGTV and Travel Channel before bed. Goodnight all. Sweet dreams and if anyone out there is following this blog and trying "a new life" for yourselves along with me, I have this to say to you.....I only hope you are all as big of a "loser" as I am when this is all done.

**HUGZZ*** ***KISSES***

PS
almost forgot...

Points for today were

Breakfast Egg stirfry 5 pts
coffee w/cream and sugar 4pts

Dinner-chili and cornbread....I have no clue. It was home made by my mom
I want to say I have about 2 cups worth of chili and a 2inch thick slice of corn bread.