Category Archives: Beat Stress

On the face of it, technology is supposed to make our lives easier. Despite our amazing advancements, the average man has higher stress levels than ever before. In this context, it doesn't seem surprising that there is a connection between stress and weight loss, or even weight gain.

Fortunately, you can do something about it! With a little help, you can understand what triggers stress, which situations you can avoid and how you can use the connection between stress and weight loss to your benefit.

Understanding What Stress Is

Stress is effectively your body reacting to a change in your environment. It is particularly relevant when your body needs to be prepared to respond.

In stressful situations, your hypothalamus and pituitary glands signal the adrenal gland to release cortisol, preparing your body for fight or flight.

It is an important reaction that can save you from harm. Unfortunately, in the modern world, there are many things that can cause your cortisol levels to rise. It’s not always possible for your body to decide between a life and death moment and your weekly meeting with the boss.

Stress in the long term, also known as chronic stress, can effectively wear your body out emotionally and physically. Studies show the more stressed you are daily, the more likely you are to contract a range of diseases, including damage to your nervous system and even your brain. This includes your ability to remember, long term stress is believed to increase your likelihood of contracting Alzheimer’s.

Unfortunately, as already mentioned, the modern world is stressful. One of the most common stress triggers is your cell phone. Being connected 24/7 affects your stress levels in several ways:

Availability

It is now very difficult to escape work when out of the office. Your cell phone allows clients, colleagues and your boss to contact you at any time. This increases your stress levels as you are unable to switch off. In addition, the distraction connected with your cell phone means that you are less able to focus on other things. In fact, studies show that high phone use is connected with poor cognitive skills.

Sleep

Sleep is essential to the human body, but your cell phone can reduce the amount of sleep you’re getting. All you need to do is check it before bed, and you've stimulated your brain instead of allowing it to relax.

As you’ll see in the next section, this has a knock on effect that connects stress and weight loss.

Fear Of Missing Out

Several things go viral every day, and most people want to stay on top of the trends or even be the one that shares news first. Unfortunately, this can lead to a fear of missing out, which results in looking at social media more than necessary; affecting every area of your life.

Social Comparisons

Your cell phone also allows you to check what your family, friends and favorite celebrities are doing. You’ll automatically compare your life with their glamorous one and feel inadequate. This will increase your stress levels as you worry about why you are not good enough.

Of course, you conveniently forget that only the good bits of anyone’s life are posted on social media channels.

Stress – A Chemical Process Within Your Body

You know you’re more stressed than you need to be, but to really get the motivation you need to reduce your stress levels it’s important to understand the effect stress has on your body.

Step 1 – Cortisol Release

As soon as your body senses a situation that is likely to need a physical or emotional response from you, it will release the hormone cortisol into your bloodstream.

Cortisol is actually an important hormone for many processes in your body; this is why there are cortisol receptors virtually everywhere. These receptors are essential as they allow cortisol to attach to them and then tell the cells in your body what to do.

It’s important to note that the release of cortisol prevents your body from creating many other hormones, such as testosterone.

Step 2 – Release of Glucose

Your body needs to be able to run or fight, and this takes energy. In preparation for this cortisol releases glucose into your body, which increases your blood sugar levels ensuring your muscles have the energy available to them that they’ll need to react properly.

Unfortunately, most stressful situations in modern life don’t actually require physical effort. This means that blood sugar levels have increased for no reason. If glucose remains in the blood and is not used, then your body will release insulin to convert the glucose back into body fat.

However, increasing your insulin levels too often can lead to insulin insensitivity, which is the precursor to type 2 diabetes.

Step 3 – Breathing Faster

The next step is that your breathing increases, allowing you to take in more oxygen which is essential to ensure your organs have enough to perform as you run or fight.

Step 4 – Heart Rate & Blood Pressure Increases

Again this is connected to ensuring your body is ready to respond. The increased blood flow ensures that the oxygen and glucose are available to the relevant muscles. This is what allows you to run away and has also been linked with the ability to temporarily perform feats of incredible strength.

Step 5 – Stress Reduction

Once the immediate ‘threat’ is over the body will stop cortisol production. This allows your heart rate and breathing to return to normal, and your body can start to produce other hormones again.

The stress response is natural and an important one; your body needs to be ready for any situation. Unfortunately, the problems start occurring when you are under too much stress, and your body doesn't have time to return to normal.

How Stress and Weight Loss are Intrinsically Connected

If you are stressed all the time, then your body will start to react in specific ways. These are generally detrimental to your health and can increase your chances of contracting several diseases. Stress affects several parts of your body:

Immune System

Cortisol is known to prevent the release of other hormones. It is particularly detrimental to your immune system; reducing its ability to fight off infection and making you more vulnerable.

Musculoskeletal System

A natural response, when stressed, is for your muscles to tense up. This protects you from injury but can also cause aches, pains and even headaches.

Endocrine System

The endocrine system is essential to regulate your mood, tissue function, growth rate, and metabolism.  It is this part of your body that controls the release of cortisol and epinephrine to give you the energy you need in stressful situations.

Gastrointestinal System

Your intestine has a reduced ability to absorb nutrients when you are stressed. If you are stressed when you eat or shortly afterward your body won't be as efficient at absorbing the nutrients you need from your food. This will reduce the ability of your body to build lean muscle, and it can give you stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea or even constipation.

Anything that stops your body from working properly is likely to reduce or increase your appetite and therefore cause you to lose or gain weight. Put simply, stress causes your body to malfunction.

Being stressed is not a healthy way to lose weight.

You may also find that if you remain stressed, your body will actually crave food to ensure you have the energy you need to fight or run away. The food it craves will be high sugar content which can be quickly converted into energy.

When you didn't actually need to expend extra energy this extra food will be converted into fat and stored in your body, causing weight gain. The fact that these types of food are generally addictive will make it easier to gain weight.

In short, chronic stress can cause weight loss or weight gain!

Common signs that you’re chronically stressed are:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Problems sleeping
• Fatigue
• Sweaty palms
• Shaking
• Muscle tension – particularly in face and shoulders
• Clenched jaw or grinding teeth.
• Racing heart
• Indigestion

Tips To Reduce Or Avoid Stress

As you can see, you can lose weight by staying stressed all the time, but you can also gain weight by adopting this approach.

Neither is desirable as high-stress levels affect virtually every part of your body, preventing it from working properly while increasing your chances of contracting age-related diseases. That’s why you need to lower your stress levels.

Even if you want to gain healthy weight, (muscle mass), your stress levels need to be lowered. Stress and weight loss are linked as intrinsically as stress and weight gain.

Fortunately, you can take steps to lower your stress levels and improve your health today and in the future.

Stay Positive

This is definitely easier said than done. But when you feel stressed or the beginning of being stressed try to look at the positive in any situation. This will help to reduce your stress levels.

It can be difficult to stay positive when facing a stressful experience. A good technique is to think about your breathing, focus on breathing into a count of 5 and then breathing out to a count of 5.

Exercise

Exercise has been shown to reduce stress levels. It does this by boosting your endorphins and making your body feel happier. This has a knock-on effect on your brain and can help with your mood, reduce tension, improve your sleep and increase your self-esteem.

If you’re not sure where to start then take a look at this workout and join the FF30X to get more inspiration.

Eat Healthily

Most processed foods are high in sugar which is actually addictive; it’s the reason you keep choosing the wrong food despite your great intentions. This is a good reason in itself to eat more healthily and avoid the processed foods. You can always try the perfect plate method.

But, it’s more than that. Being stressed reduces the amount of magnesium in your body, but this mineral is essential to preventing fatigue, insomnia, and even stress! By eating a healthy and natural diet, your body will be better able to deal with stress.

Learn Time Management

One of the biggest reasons many people become stressed is that they are running out of time. Think about it; you can practically see your heart rate rising when you’re running late for work, to pick the kids up, or for an appointment.

By learning to plan your time better and giving yourself a little longer to get places you’ll eliminate tons of stress. 

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important things your body does. It’s when you’re sleeping that your hormone levels are balanced and your muscles recover.

The average man needs to get between 6 and 8 hours sleep a night, and if you’re not getting this then, you need to change your bedtime.

Perhaps most importantly, when you sleep your level of cortisol drops; you actually relax. It also allows your hunger and appetite hormones to balance; reducing your need to eat during the day.

Build a Social Network

Depression is an increasing issue in modern society despite the connectivity offered by social media. If you don’t connect with others, then you will start to feel isolated, vulnerable, and ultimately this will increase your anxiety levels.

You can avoid this by building physical friendships, connecting to other men through FF30X and by building a social media network. Exchanging ideas helps you to keep your own life in context.

Learn to Assert Your Feelings – Not Aggression

Anger increases your stress levels and can do a tremendous amount of damage to relationships. You need to learn to release your opinions in any matter in a controlled and calm voice.

There is nothing wrong with being opinionated or assertive.

However, the moment your voice starts to rise you’re bordering on anger. This is when you need to step back and take a deep breath, releasing the stress before you continue; you’ll feel much better for it.

Using The Stress and Weight Loss Connection to Your Advantage

Take advantage of the exercises and support that the FF30X can offer you to reduce your stress levels and control your weight. The process is surprisingly simple:

• Understand how stress and weight loss/gain are linked.
• Take steps to reduce your stress levels.
• Start exercising and eating healthier to improve your overall health.
• Reach your target weight; whether higher or lower than today.

Join FF30X today, and we’ll support you in every step of your journey; us and the thousands of other members!

Your new friend & health coach,

Stuart Carter
Head Training Staff, The Fit Father Project
Brotherhood Nickname: “The Fit Brit”
Bragging Rights: 16 Years in the fitness industry, Author of ‘The Easy Fitness Guide', Father of 4 boys and Husband to a Venezuelan beauty.

*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on stress and weight loss.

In 1965 a high school student managed to stay awake for 264 hours; that’s approximately 11 days. There have been a variety of studies that show it is possible to stay awake for 10 days, but in the process, the ability to concentrate, stay motivated, or even retain cognitive function diminished.

Of course, a couple of good night’s sleep then resolved all the issues. However, this is extreme circumstances. Most people sleep every night, which is just as well as sleep and weight loss are intricately connected.

In recent years there has been a huge amount of research into the effects of sleep on health. Sleep isn’t simply a time when your body is passive. It is the time when your body processes the day’s events, restores energy, and balances your body.

Put simply, getting the right amount of sleep can extend your lifespan.  A lack of sleep increases your risk of depression, seizures, high blood pressure, and an array of chronic long-term illnesses.

But what is the right amount? Scientists state that a healthy adult should have 7 hours of sleep per night. Of course, this is slightly variable depending on an individual’s needs and lifestyle.

What is clear is that below 6 hours and over 9 can have a serious effect on your health.

How Irregular Sleep Can Lead To Weight Gain

It may seem confusing that a lack of sleep can result in weight gain, but the answer is actually very simple.

Sleep and weight gain are intrinsically linked by the hormones in your body.

When you sleep, your body balances your hormones. This means reducing the amount of cortisol (the stress hormone), which allows your body to produce other hormones.

Specifically related to sleep and weight loss is the balancing of two hormones:

Ghrelin is a hormone commonly referred to as the hunger hormone. It makes you feel hungry. When you sleep, your levels of this hormone reduce, and you crave food less.

Leptin is the appetite hormone. Sleeping encourages the production of this hormone, which makes you feel full.

Put these together with enough sleep, and you’ll feel fuller throughout the day and less inclined to eat. That puts sleep and weight loss in the same camp.

The opposite is true. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll feel hungrier, and your appetite will be increased. In short, you’ll eat more and are likely to gain weight!

A lack of sleep can also slow your metabolic rate, which reduces your ability to convert calories to energy and results in higher fat storage.

It has also been shown that if you don’t get enough sleep, then your body will crave sugar to help it keep functioning. This will result in snacking and consuming more calories than you need. Again, you’ll be looking at weight gain.

Equally, too much sleep can cause similar issues.

Top Tips for Sleeping Better

So, now you know that sleep and weight loss go hand in hand. How do you improve your current level of sleep?

It’s not just the amount you sleep of you need. It's the quality of sleep. All you need is the right motivation and these great tips to improve your sleeping patterns:

Blue Light Exposure

You’ve probably heard of blue light. It has become a hot topic. This is part of the light spectrum that is emitted from laptops, televisions, cell phones, and other electrical devices.

Unfortunately, blue light stimulates the brain, preventing the release of melatonin. This is a hormone released by your body late in the day to prepare you for sleep. If it is suppressed, you’ll struggle to get to sleep.

Don’t forget, being in bed for 8 hours is not the same as getting 8 hours of sleep.

You need to turn any devices emitting blue light off at least 1 hour before bed.

Avoiding Caffeine

It will come as no surprise to you that caffeine is a stimulant. If you drink it too close to bed, it will keep you awake.

But, most people associate caffeine with coffee. Of course, it is present in coffee, but it is also in many other things such as tea or cola.

Think about what you’re eating and drinking late at night. If it has caffeine or another stimulant, try to avoid drinking it within 3 hours of your bedtime.

No Napping!

Napping during the daytime is a recipe for disaster. Your body only needs so much sleep. If you nap during the daytime, then you’ll struggle to sleep at night. Worse, your night sleep is unlikely to be deep sleep, where most of the repair work is done.

If you feel tired during the day, then get up, walk around and get some fresh air. This is not a cue to rely on caffeine or other stimulants.

Build A Schedule

You need to set yourself a bedtime and a getting up time. These should be the same every day of the week, whether you’re at work or not.

This will help your body to regulate sleep and awake times and ensure you switch off quicker, allowing yourself to get quality sleep.

In the process of creating your schedule, you’ll help your body regulate its circadian cycle. This is the natural mechanism that controls when you feel awake and when you feel sleepy.

Setting it correctly will help you to get quality sleep.

Start today by setting your bedtime and waking time and sticking to them.

De-Stress

We live in a stressful world. But high levels of cortisol in your body will prevent your body from sleeping as it remains in ‘fight or flight’ mode.

You can’t avoid all stress, but you can create a habit that allows you to de-stress before bed.

A warm bath may help as will meditation. You may even like to sit and read for 30 minutes. As long as you’re not thinking about work or other issues, you’ll be helping get your body ready for quality sleep.

Comfort

Your bedroom needs to be comfortable. Curtains and blinds can keep out streetlights, but don’t make them so heavy that they keep out the sun in the morning.

Your bed must be comfortable. If it’s not, change the mattress.

Above all, the bedroom must make you feel relaxed. This will help you drift off naturally to sleep.

Exercise

Exercise is good for weight loss as you burn more calories. But it can also help your body to need sleep and therefore ensure you have better quality sleep.

However, you shouldn’t exercise too close to your bedtime as this is the same as a stimulant, making it harder for you to get to sleep.

Talk To A Doctor

Many people take sleeping pills to help them get to sleep. However, this is not a good long-term option. Committing to any type of drug in the long term is likely to have a detrimental effect on your health.

However, if the above tips are not helping and you’re still struggling with sleeping, then it is important that you visit a doctor. There may be an underlying cause that they can help you deal with.

Good Night Sleep Tight

Your health is important. That’s why the Fit Father Project works hard to get you the best possible advice and support.

It's not just sleeping and weight loss that matters, a healthy lifestyle can extend your lifespan and help you to stay disease free. Join FF30X today to get all the advice and support from people who’ve been where you are.

You can become the man you want to be!

Your new friend & health coach,

Stuart Carter
Head Training Staff, The Fit Father Project
Brotherhood Nickname: “The Fit Brit”
Bragging Rights: 16 Years in the fitness industry, Author of ‘The Easy Fitness Guide', Father of 4 boys and Husband to a Venezuelan beauty.

*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on sleep and weight loss.

We may not talk about it often or even realize it, but all of us have felt the effects of family stress throughout the years.

Gone are the days that all you have to worry about is yourself and when your next meal is.

By this time in our lives, we're trying to keep spouses, children and maybe even extended family members happy and healthy.

As our families expand, so does our risk of family stress.

Family stress can interfere with happy vacation plans, cause unnecessary spats and even keep your kids from focusing in school.

It's important to identify the sources of friction in your home so you can address family stress before it takes a negative toll.

Read on to learn the causes and signs of family stress and methods that will help you cope with it.

After all, as the head of your household, it's your duty to ensure that your family is cared for– physically and emotionally.

Have you ever had a day go so well, simply because you believed it would?

The power of positivity can change your life.

From positive self-talk, to visualization, to good deeds, there are many tangible ways that you can implement the power of positivity.

The art of positivity has become increasingly important as our world becomes filled with more comparison every day– prompted by social media, the media in general, and our own self-doubt.

This blog will teach you what the power of positivity means, how to implement it in your life, and give tangible examples of how it works.

What is the Power of Positivity

The power of positivity can be executed in several ways, but overall, it is a state of being that intentionally invokes positive thoughts and positive actions in order to create change.

There are a few key phrases that should stick out to you in that description.

First and foremost, the power of positive thinking can only be unleashed if it is intentional.

You must set aside dedicated time and focus on your goals. As with any good thing, it takes time and effort.

Second, the power of positivity is made up of both thoughts and actions.

Without thought, your actions would be purposeless. Without action, your thoughts would be fruitless.

Third, the power of positivity seeks to create change.

So many of us allow our days to fly by without trying to improve them. In order for you to truly love your life, you need to take the driver seat and guide it in the right direction.

How Does the Power of Positivity Work

Have you ever heard the Henry Ford quote, “If you think you can or think you can't– you're right”?

This quote gets to the essence of how the power of positivity works in your life.

Since we were children, we have been given expectations that we've either met or fell short of.

Depending on your upbringing, experience in puberty, luck with relationships, professional and social skills, you may already feel like you have a path in life.

For those of us who have felt success and have been rewarded throughout our lives, we have an expectation that we will succeed again.

For those of us who have failed ourselves, failed others, and even “failed” the unrealistic standards of our media, we have an expectation that we will fail again.

The power of positivity– positive self-talk and positive action– gives us a chance to rewrite our narrative.

Simply by telling yourself that it will happen, you will channel the confidence, motivation, and wherewithal to achieve your goals.

Positivity Tactics

Some of you might be thinking, “C'mon, doc. There's no way a few positive thoughts or actions can change my lot in life.”

Well, you're half right.

It takes much more than a few positive thoughts and actions to change your life. It takes a concerted effort over a considerable period of time.

But if you're willing to work with yourself, we have a few tactics that will get you there.

• Stop negative self-talk: This means no mental bashing or moping when you don't get that raise you were hoping for. Whenever you start talking down to yourself, step back and take in the moment. Learn what triggers it. Whenever it starts, combat it by thinking about the positive aspects.
• Practice positive self-talk: There are two forms of positive self-talk. One is used to combat negative self-talk after you slip up, and the other is used intentionally to will a positive outcome. When using positive self-talk to will a good outcome, remember that saying things aloud, writing them down, or telling a friend are the best methods.
• Map out your success: Self-talk is important for confidence and motivation, but in order to execute on your goals, you need to set benchmarks in your calendar for when you will achieve things. Checking your calendar daily will keep you on track and accountable.
• Heighten your expectations: If parents, bosses or teachers have underestimated you in the past, you may have had low expectations thrust upon you. When you start a new project or task, think bigger. Set high expectations for yourself and will yourself to achieve them through positive self-talk and success mapping.
• Start saying yes: How many times has fear or bad experiences kept you from saying “yes” to a great opportunity? Start saying YES to new projects, new places, new people to expand your horizons. This will create opportunities that you have never been brave enough to pursue before.

Your mind is a powerful tool. Use it to your advantage instead of letting bad experiences limit you!

Keep to the Sunshine

As Helen Keller once said, “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.”

There will always be ups and downs, even when you try to walk in the light.

That's why keeping friends and family close during the process is essential.

As the head of the Fit Father tribe, I have been honored to foster growth and positive changes among thousands of men like you.

Each one has a distinct story and a different struggle, but the similarities brought us all to the Fit Father Project.

Many men that I have had the opportunity to train used the power of positivity to conquer their fitness.

The FF30X, our comprehensive diet and workout plan, is the very plan they embarked on.

With the help of VIP email coaching and perhaps even more importantly, access to a group of fathers who were going through the exact same program, I saw these fathers transform not just their bodies, but their minds.

I encourage you to believe in yourself. Believe that what you set your mind to, you can achieve.

After all, what sounds better than walking on the sunny side of the street for the rest of your life?

Your friend in health,

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi
Founder, The Fit Father Project
Brotherhood Nickname: “Mr. Results”
Bragging Rights: Has helped over 35,000 fathers lose fat, build muscle, & get healthy for their families

P.S. If you haven't seen my FREE 1-Day Meal Plan for Men over 40, I highly recommend you click here to get a free copy sent directly to your email. Remember: nutrition is a core foundation of weight loss for men over 40.

A small note about research cited in this article:
*Always remember: weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual. Just because these studies cite certain data does not mean you will experience these results. Always consult with your doctor before making decisions about your health. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info into the power of positivity.

Money is often said to be the root of all evil; this is a debatable point. However, research does show that for 64% of Americans money is a significant source of stress.

This illustrates perfectly why stress management is essential.

If something as every day as money is leading to 64% of Americans being stressed, then that's over 210,000,000 people that need stress management!

You need this guide to show you how to successfully manage your stress levels; you may be surprised at just how much difference this will make to your workout and life.

Stress is your body’s natural response to a huge array of situations.

Being stressed means you're prepared to deal with whatever issue is facing you. A small amount of stress can be extremely beneficial to help you perform better; it can drive you to achieve goals that you may have thought were impossible.

But… too much stress will have a detrimental effect on your health. It has been called the ‘silent killer’ and has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, and even strokes.

In 2014 18% of Americans reported they had extreme stress. In 2017 this figure had jumped to 24%. Stress is an unavoidable part of modern life, but excess stress is detrimental to your health and your weight loss attempts.

That’s why we’re here to show you how these stress management activities can help you lose weight.

You already know the deal. Consume fewer calories than you need and you’ll lose weight, right?

Add in some healthy exercise and your weight loss progress will go faster.

Or will it? Is calorie control the only thing that affects weight loss?

The American Psychological Association reports that 75% of adults are experiencing moderate to high levels of stress every month. Even more concerning is the fact that the report shows stress levels are increasing.

Exercise & stress are closely related.

Maintaining an exercise routine can help to reduce your stress levels and improve your health!

FACT: Long term stress exposure leads to raised blood pressure, coronary disease, strokes and even immune system issues.

The answer – reduce your stress! Find out how to do it right now by reading this article and changing your life for the better.

Did you know the art of meditation has been in existence for over 3,500 years? Meditation is often described as a state of thoughtless awareness or mindfulness.

The idea is that you can get in touch with your inner self and perform feats that would not otherwise be possible.

But how is this relevant, and how can it complement your exercise routine.

While meditation is likely to improve your health by reducing the level of stress you are under; it may seem implausible that it can actually improve your workout or weight loss goals.

But, it can!

Out of all the pushups, burpees, bicep curls and bench presses you've done over the years, how many times have you been focused on flexing your mental muscles?

Even if you weren't aware of it, every time you go to the gym or just jog around your block, you are strengthening your mental health as much as your physical health.

Many of us don't realize how intrinsically linked our mental and physical health is.

It seems that a lot of the fitness crazes that just focus on cutting or bulking forget about this fact as well.

But as we age, nurturing our mental health and reducing mental stress becomes increasingly important.

There are so many responsibilities weighing on us — bills, serious jobs, children — that it seems impossible to be stress-free.

But did you know that a simple workout plan can seriously reduce mental stress levels while increasing your physical fitness as well?

Learn the top three mental health benefits you can have by first focusing on your physical health.

Exercise to Reduce Mental Stress and Regain Confidence

Ah. The puffed chests and confident swagger of our “glory days.”

Don't we all have a twinge (or jolt) of nostalgia for those times? When we had ample time for exercise and our muscles bulked easily…

Well sirs, your “glory days” aren't in the past. Your mentality just is.

You can rewire your mental state and regain the confidence you once had by integrating simple workouts into your schedule.

Short intense workouts are a great way to integrate a quick workout into your morning routine.

Coupled with a sustained 5 minutes of meditating on the day you have before you, you have the recipe to feel more in control and confident about your body and schedule.

Exercise to Reduce Mental Stress and Reclaim Energy

The more you ask from your body, the more you will receive from it.

Over the years, you may have noticed a decline in your energy levels. Probably somewhere along your first big job, your first kid, or just turning 40.

But what you may not have noticed are all of the little things that YOU'VE done to decrease your energy levels even further.

Think about it. Have you stopped eating an energizing breakfast? Has your regenerative sleeping schedule gone to the dogs? Have you ignored belly fat that is slowing you down?

You can become more energized simply by exercising and eating right.

By changing up your exercise routine and your diet, your body will respond by generating enough energy for you to step up to the challenge.

Exercise to Reduce Mental Stress and Achieve Your Goals

Achieving your goals looks the same when you're conquering physical challenges or mental challenges.

In both cases, succeeded at your goals requires dedication and clear motivation.

When you learn how to balance your physical well-being and your mental wellbeing, you will find that you are more successful in both areas.

Whether you're planning ahead with meal prepping, or you're waking up early to journal or meditate each morning, you're setting yourself up for success.

Each “win” will motivate you to achieve another. It's cyclical in the best way possible.

Revitalize Your Physical and Mental Health Today

The reasons to alter your mental and physical habits are undeniable. From increased confidence and energy to continue to achieve your goals, you have every reason to start the process today.

All you need now is a plan– one that nurtures both your mental and physical self.

One that provides a healthy diet so that your body has what it needs to perform. One that provides a realistic exercise routine that can make you feel physically confident again. And one that provides support and motivation for you to conquer your goals.

That program DOES exist!

The FF30X program is a comprehensive, 30-day health program that provides personalized support on your diet and fitness and was specifically designed for fathers over 40.

FF30X takes fathers like you through the process of setting fitness goals and working to achieve them. It is truly a transformative process.

If you want to regain the confidence, energy and goal-crushing aura of your youth, reach out to us and ask about FF30x today.

Your friend in health,

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi
Founder, The Fit Father Project
Brotherhood Nickname: “Mr. Results”
Bragging Rights: Has helped over 35,000 fathers lose fat, build muscle, & get healthy for their families

P.S. If you haven't seen my FREE 1-Day Meal Plan for Men over 40, I highly recommend you click here to get a free copy sent directly to your email. Remember: nutrition is a core foundation of weight loss for men over 40.

A small note about research cited in this article:
*Always remember: weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual. Just because these studies cite certain data does not mean you will experience these results. Always consult with your doctor before making decisions about your health. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info into whether exercise can help reduce mental stress.

There are two kinds of people in the world: early birds and night owls. Not to pick a favorite, but here are some pretty famous people who prefer early morning routines:

• CEO of Apple Tim Cook wakes up at 3:45 a.m.
• Former First Lady of the U.S. Michelle Obama wakes up at 4:30 a.m.
• Virgin Airlines Founder Richard Branson wakes up at 5:45 a.m.
• AOL CEO Tim Armstrong wakes up at 5:00 a.m.

Talk about some early alarms.

Waking up early isn't just about the bragging rights.

There are many benefits that we can glean from adjusting our schedules into the earlier morn.

This blog will detail the top reasons to wake up early and give you tips on becoming an early riser.