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Dinner Diva: Slow down in order to slim down

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dinner diva leanne elyWhen I get asked what the secret to my slimming down was, mostly it is people who want to know about what I’m eating. That of course, is a huge, integral part of it, but it’s not the only thing.

Delving full steam ahead into a very strict paleo eating plan certainly moved the needle, as did changing up my exercise and starting barre classes.

But this one weight loss tip I’m going to share with you today is something that will probably surprise you in its simplicity. That something? Rest.

When I made a point of actually slowing down and taking the time to rest, things really started to change. It’s like a bunch of fat that my body was hanging onto just decided to take off!

I now make it a point to meditate each day to clear my mind. I pray, write in my journal and try to live in a conscious, grateful state.

And I also make an effort to sleep a solid eight hours a night.

One of the hardest things for me is slowing down and actually listening to my body when it says that it needs me to stop and rest. This is very difficult to do, but the consequence of not listening is not worth it!

The basic science behind all of this is that when we’re in “go go go” mode, our hormones get all out of whack. And when our hormones are out of whack, our metabolism doesn’t function properly.

There are two specific troublemaking hormones to worry about: leptin and ghrelin. Lack of rest causes leptin levels to sink, causing you to feel unsatisfied after eating. And ghrelin levels rise when you’re tired, stimulating your appetite.

So, lack of rest means your metabolism is slower, you crave food, and you don’t feel satisfied after eating. NOT fun and sends you in the opposite direction!

Add to that equation, the fact that when you’re sleepy, you don’t necessarily make the best decisions, meaning your guard is going to be down and all bets are off.

In an effort to move our bodies to stave off weight gain, it’s easy to forget that our poor bodies need to be given time to rest and recover, too!

Dinner Diva column by Leanne Ely/SavingDinner.com

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