Stress is a major cause of insomnia. Let's try some techniques this week to work on reducing stress before going to bed at night. One technique that has helped a lot of people is performing meditation before going to bed. You might try to start with a short session and build on the time as you feel more comfortable. Try it for a few days and see what happens.

Research suggests reduced hours of sleep have negative effects on metabolism. In adults, sleeping four hours a night, compared with 10 hours a night, appears to increase hunger and appetite — in particular for sweet foods. There appears to be a strong link between lack of sleep and obesity. One explanation might be that sleep duration affects hormones regulating hunger — ghrelin, and leptin. Another contributing factor might be that lack of sleep leads to fatigue and results in less physical activity. So now you have another reason to get a good night's sleep.

Keep up the good work!

One of your participant’s cardio targets has been reduced.

Pay attention to your behavioral signs of stress this week; appetite changes, fidgeting, etc.

Practice identifying what triggers your stress.

Consider that there are some events you may have no control over, but you can control how you react to those events.

Pay attention to your emotional signs of stress this week: irritability, frustration, etc.

Pay attention to your physical signs of stress this week: racing heart, sweaty palms, etc.

Try to avoid nonstick cookware when possible.