Stress can affect every part of the body and produce negative physical, mental and emotional symptoms. One biological affect of chronic stress is weight gain. Trying to lose weight can be an even bigger challenge for people with chronic stress.

Chronic stress-in tandem with a junk food diet-can lay fat on your belly. Scientist at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington and in Australia and Slovakia have shown in mice that stress activates the hormone neuropeptide Y (NPY), which leads to fat accumulation.

But researchers are finding that changes in the body triggered by stress, such as elevated cortisol levels, can cause insuline resistance and weight gain. Source: Nutrition Science News

You could easily see the comparisons of the rise in stress and obesity problems here in America with so many reasons to be stressed out in this fast paced day and age. People tend to have a dimmer outlook on life with lower self esteem and have less desire to eat healthy and exercise or be physically active.

We spend the majority of our lives trying to avoid stress by finding a comfort zone. We try to avoid pain and seek pleasure and spend the most of our time somewhere in between at the comfort zone where stress is best managed. When a stressful situation arises and you find yourself out of the comfort zone, many people reach for stress relievers such as sugary foods, alcohol or smoking etc.

More and more people are seeking natural alternative methods that don't require drugs that usually end up not working in the long term.

Exercise in itself can relieve stress by releasing chemicals (endorphines) in the brain that will put you in an uplifting mood. But exercise alone won't cure stress related weight gain, you also need to want to take better care of yourself with a mental and emotional transformation.

Hypnosis and yoga are becoming the natural alternative to a healthier physical and mental lifestyle freeing participants of stress related obesity and anxiety symptoms. Both hypnosis and yoga can be taught and used alone.

Unfortunately, many individuals have a hard time sticking to a conventional diet, especially since it usually involves elliminating a lot of your favorite foods and requires a lot of dedication not only to a strict diet but a full healthy diet program needs to include exercise also.

Hypnosis and yoga are being noticed for their overall health benefits and are becoming a mainstream solution for stress related ailments such as overeating and the lack of ambition to get physically active.

Hypnosis is an artificially produced sleep-like state where the participant enters an altered state of consciousness.

Hypnosis only works on willing participants and your success will depend entirely on your desire to achieve your treatment goal.

When a person is under hypnosis, they will enter into a state of mind similar to when someone is totally unaware of their surroundings while listening to music or while driving or running.

For many years hypnosis was frowned down upon as a theatrical parlor trick exploited by charlatans, but western medicine has shown a fascination in its potential and has since become a useful tool in helping people lose weight, quit smoking, help relieve chronic pain and also used to motivate or extinguish phobias and fears.

For Hypnosis to be effective to control weight, the individual needs to undergo a mental transformation that will get rid of the food cravings and reinforce their resolve to eat better by avoiding unhealthy food choices and the motivation to be physically active with exercise or some form of fat burning activity.

The subconscious physical state that is experienced under hypnosis is no parlor trick but a natural effect that is only possible if the participant is really sincere about the treatment.

Yoga is a system of holistic health originating in India over 5000 years ago. Yoga is the practice of balancing the mind, body and spirit enabeling the participants to feel more powerful, confident and balanced.

One of the more physical types of yoga is Hatha, with Ashtanga, (eight limbs) being the most intense-kind that utilizes asanas (poses) that are physically powerful.

A more modern term used today is Power Yoga and is being utilized in many of the gyms and workout classes in America due to it's vigorous and physically demanding constant poses. Because of the constant movement (flow) Power Yoga helps fortify both mind and body while increasing your heart rate and your flexibility.

For a complete fitness regimen of yoga only, it must be vigouros enough and long enough to have a cardio, fat burning, weight loss result.

With the stress relief and physical benefits associated with yoga and exercise, many people are combining yoga with other forms of exercise such as aerobics, walking and many other forms of fat burning activity workouts.

Yoga also needs to be performed on a regular basis to have a long term lasting effect. And similar to starting an exercise regimen for the first time, you will need to perform less intense yoga poses in the beginning, so you dont' hurt yourself.

So, both hypnosis and yoga are truly effective alternatives to supplements and drugs for weight loss or any stress symptom, providing a deep willingness is present . The rewards will be proportionate to your efforts