Stress and weight

sheaffer8

I was wondering if it's true that stress can be an issue when you're trying to lose weight. I've heard it was an "old-wives tale" but there are times I've heard it as being truth.

cdickey

I think the way stress causes me to gain weight is that when I'm stressed I want to eat everything in sight(comfort food), I don't sleep(no burning calories during sleep) and that in turn makes me want to eat to stay awake.....As you can see it's a vicious circle for me. So, Yes, in my case stress can cause me not to lose weight. I know it's not grounded in medical facts but this is my experience. Everybody else may be different.

ourgang

I believe stress releases Cortizol, which will store fat, especially in the belly area. So yes if you don't find a way to release stress you may find it a struggle to loss weight. Try exercise, meditation, listening to soothing music, take a bath, etc... I find it helpful to put a list of things to do on my fridge so when I go to eat out of stress I can channel my energy elsewhere.:blushing:

SHBoss1673

ourgang is true. Stress releases the hormone called cortisol. It's a hormone that counteracts insulin in the blood, it raises serum glucose levels, and raises blood pressure. It also lowers the immune system's effectiveness. Cortisol also breaks down amino acid and slows the uptake of protein to muscle.

When naturally produced during high stress/high activity periods, this is partially counteracted by the need by muscles for more glucose, and the anabolic metaoblism of muscle building (HGH and Testosterone), but when no activity is present (like when you're stressed out from work or some other non-activity related stress) there's no counteraction of the cortisol, which causes the body to store more energy, mainly in the mid-section (belly) as fat.

One of the best ways to slow down cortisol production when you can't exercise is by meditation or deep breathing relaxation techniques. This slows the heart rate, and signals the brain to slow down cortisol production. 5 minutes of deep breathing can drastically reduce cortisol production, I try to do this every day in the mid afternoon, it doesn't really inhibit work, and is a great way to help you focus.