Stress and Weight Gain

farmgirlco

Hi all...

I had lost nearly 100 lbs since high school (12-ish years ago) - lost it all in intervals and always kept it off. I am about 10 lbs up from where I was at my lowest. Here is the series of events that occurred simultaneous to the gain:
- January 2015 my dad had emergency triple bypass surgery. We were told things could have ended very badly for him at any moment before thankfully his blockage was found.
- As dad improved, gram (my only grandparent) got sicker, meaning more time helping to take care of her
- December 2016 - gram spends Christmas in the hospital, taking a toll on us all
- January 2016 my brother in law and sister in law announce they're getting divorced and my mother in law goes outrageously crazy, taking many trips to him (so we get to pick her up at the train station on weekend nights at 11 pm)
- April 2016 - we start the process to buy our first home, gram gets sicker
- May 2016 gram passes away, my heart is shattered
- July 2016 we buy our first home - and have to clean out everything that was left there (everything)
- June 2017 we start planning our home renovations
- July 2017 hubby's dad was found unconscious in his apartment, suffered a medical event, finally left the hospital last Friday, and now trying to deal with the long term care facility.

All while trying to work out full time jobs.

So my question to you all is - even if you eat healthy and work out, does this level of stress make you hold onto the pounds? How can you "de-stress" among it all to try to lose the weight?

Lois_1989

I'm not sure what the official answer is, but there is definitely a correlation between when I've had stressful events and my weightloss either stalling or gaining. Over the last 2 years I've had very similar scenarios to you. 2 bereavements, buying first home, home renovations, and a really bad time a work. Over 1 year I put on 30lbs and it's taken me 9 months to lose 10lbs this year. When the times are good, I've lost weight, when the times got tough, I stalled.

Some people will say its linked, some people will say you have eaten more to cope with the stress or been a bit careless because you are distracted.

Either way, you are certainly not alone.

4legsRbetterthan2

I would say at the very least, stress makes it easier to gain because it distracts you from following a healthy plan, and/or many people are susceptible to stress and/or emotional eating. There has also been alot of research on stress which indicated it can have negative effects across the body and the balance of hormone levels. So, while I also don't have an exact answer to your question, I don't feel it is out of the realm of possibilities that stress can make you gain some weight even if you are following your normal routine.

It really sounds like you have had alot of big events and heart ache over the past year or so. If you are feeling overwhelmed see if you can take a bit of a time out from working on the house, maybe get a long weekend off work, and just try to chill and decompress a bit. Do whatever it is that you enjoy doing.

Also, grief is a very real and difficult emotion to deal with, there is not shame in talking to a counselor or other professional if you need to.

I wish you the best~

DebLaBounty

I'm so sorry to hear that you've had to cope with so many stressful events! It looks to me like you only gained 10 pounds in the last two and a half years. If you consistently log with MFP as opposed to just "eating healthy", you may have some measurable success in losing this last bit of weight. I guess the only two pieces of advice I have for you is to (1)take a walk after you get home from work to decompress. It doesn't have to be a long hike, maybe just a stroll around your neighborhood. (2) Try some talk therapy. Last year when my dad's wife had a stroke and I was experiencing a ton of stress while she suffered for four months in a care facility before she died, I finally went to a counselor for therapy. The first session, I vented for the hour. The second session, we talked, he coached me a little, and he provided me with literature about coping mechanisms. I didn't even need a third session. It helped me so much! Well worth the time and money. Maybe you have insurance to cover the cost? I've had some pretty stressful things happen since then, but I've been able to deal with them better.

ahoy_m8

^^ such good advice above. Yes, stress (and how you respond to it) does change your hormone balance. It doesn't "make you hold onto the pounds" but it does change how you feel. E.g. Cortisol derives from progesterone, so adrenals making more cortisol leaves less progesterone for other derivative hormones like testosterone (which for me at least really enhances my sense of wellbeing). If stress leads to insufficient sleep, that changes other hormones, i.e. more ghrelin (promotes hunger) and less leptin (promotes satiety). None of this makes you gain weight, but it can make you legitimately hungrier and more tired/anxious.

When I'm stressed, my priorities and focus shift to addressing the stressor, so other things I care about (e.g. what I'm eating) get less attention. I'm also an emotional eater, so I'm more likely to overeat and less likely to be aware of it to log it.

The best advice I've heard in times of trouble is to look back on other hard times you have weathered, to recall the strengths and attributes that got you through, and to call on them again. OP, you have had tremendous success. It had to be really challenging but you did it. You know how. 10 lb will take effort and attention for sure, but you have within you, in spades, what it takes. Best to you!

JBosse

The stress hormone is called cortisol and it can contribute to weight staying the same or going up even is you're sticking to your diet. Other taking care of you things night help- meditation, mindfulness, journaling, etc. I'm sorry you have so much going on. Keep your head up and know that sticking to your plan when you've got so much going on is really a win no matter what the scale says.