Emotional Eating

Emotional eating seems to be a big obstacle for many when they're trying to lose weight. Emotional eating can have many definitions but we will define it as, consuming food to relieve an undesired emotion.

Emotional eating will often leave you feeling unfulfilled and guilty. Not the feelings you were originally seeking.  When eating to satisfy physical hunger, you will feel satisfied afterwards and ready to move on to your next task. The key is find an alternative activity to do when you feel overwhelmed from stress. First identify how you feel before you engage in EE. What caused your need to eat? Maybe it is work, depression, or when you sit down to watch tv. Record these feelings in a journal and the next time they occur you can identify them and redirect your self to an alternative activity.

When and How to Stretch

There are different opinions on the most effective time to stretch during a workout. Also, there are different opinions on which type of stretch is the most effective during a workout, dynamic or static stretching. 

First let's define the two types of stretches we will cover. Dynamic stretching is performed by swinging an arm and/or leg in a controlled manner. The stretch should be related to the exercise your about to perform. For example swinging your leg back and fourth from the hip for karate or swinging your arm in a circle before pitching. Static stretches involve moving toward an extreme range of motion and holding that position for 12 to 60 seconds. 

Before exercising it is best to try dynamic stretches. The ballistic movement will better prepare your nervous system to handle the exercise your about to perform. Static stretching is best performed after your workout. Stretching the muscle fibers using the static method will actually decrease your strength levels. Performed after a workout static stretching will increase circulation, and loosen muscles that are tight from continuously contracting.