Happiness, Sleep and Belly Fat

Summer is coming. I know we still have a couple weeks of winter ahead of us and then we still have to muddle through Spring, but people, Summer is coming. And say what you will, I am willing to speculate that Summer is one of the most stressful seasons of all. You may be sitting there saying, "NO WAY, the Holiday season is the worst. Esp. Christmas, that slinky minx with her peppermint bark and hot toddies, with it's present purchasing anxiety, with the whiny children who smell of sugar and entitlement! Winter, winter is by far the worst season!" And to that claim I simply smile, you know the type of smile, the patronizing one. The one that says, Oh, silly you. Yes. Winter can be harsh. But Summer, Summer really throws us a curve ball. One you may not even see coming!
The first blow summer hits us with is the fact that for those of us with children, those children are suddenly without gainful employment. There is no "school house" to send them off to every day from 8 to 2. So either now you have them at home with you (which let's face it if you have any routine at all it goes out the window) or you have to find some where to put them (which leaves you feeling guilty). Either way, finding time for fitness can seem even more tedious.
On the other hand, with the great  roller coaster of mom guilt  you already have swimming in your gut,  you also are faced with not only tank tops, shorts and sundresses- BUT all those opportunities to rock a swim suit at the  neighborhood pool. AWESOME. Esp. because at every pool there is the one Uber mom who not only looks fantastic, but also has  children that, though they are running around shooting peanuts from their orifices, you can't seem to think poorly of them, because their mother is "just that stunning". (And to be totally honest, uber mom with the peanut children is in all actuality really dedicated to her fitness goals and eats really well..and her kids are probably creative geniuses- which might make you hate her more, but you know... I'm just saying....) So there we have it, children, tank tops, swim suits. Summer is a beast. AND it comes AFTER winter... you do the math.
Oh man, I feel the stress already!!!! So what can we do!? Good thing you are reading this blog before it is too late!! Because I am going to tell you exactly to do.  Here we go!!
First lets review some ways to get rid of belly fat:

1. SLEEP- a study in the journal Sleep found that those under forty who sleep five hours or less a night carried more weight in their middle overtime. 
2. GET HAPPY- Some smarties in Rush University Medical Center figured out that depression was relate to fat around the organs at the waist line. 
3. Go for 80- the journal Obesity published a finding that stated 80 minutes of cardio and strength training a week helped women keep off the icky waistline organ fat after losing weight. 

And here is the kicker. One of my favorite motivators towards happiness, Gretchen  Rubin (Author and blogger; The Happiness Project) just released an article titled "A Secret to More Happiness and Energy? Give Yourself a Bedtime" through Huffingtonpost.com (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gretchen-rubin/adult-bedtime_b_1253105.html?ref=healthy-living)  in which she states:
As a result of my happiness project, I've become a sleep zealot. It's just so obvious to me -- from reading the research and from personal experience -- that getting enough sleep is a key to a happier life.
So how do you start getting to bed earlier. Well, Gretchen says to give yourself a bed time, just like you would your kids. Just figure out what time you have to get up and go from there factoring in 7-8 hours of sleep. If you have trouble sleeping it is most likely do to stress, caffeine, lack of exercise or a combo of all three. Tackling things in our life that inhibit a natural sleep cycle will only help you in the long run.
So basically, sleep and exercise help make us feel HAPPIER. Which in turn makes everything else better. Things that make us nervous become unclouded, we have more confidence, we just work better. So though things are about to get a little nutty in the next couple months, it does not mean you have to. Make a plan and take it day by day. And if you some how can only do ONE healthy thing today, try getting a good night's rest. And sing in the morning... Gretchen swears by it.

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.

The Dalai Lama