Stess = weight gain?

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hopsonc24
hopsonc24 Posts: 143 Member
in Motivation and Support
Can stress actually cause weight gain and if so how? Also if so is there a way to prevent it or reverse it?

Im not talking about stress eating. Im referring to the "stress hormone, cortisol" causing one to gain weight even when following tdee -20% recommendations and lifting and cardio workouts.

Is this real or is a topic for another dr oz special? lol

Replies

  • Gracerrr
    Gracerrr Posts: 141
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    I KNOW that stress causes me to gain weight, and it's not due to over eating. My body releases more cortisol and I begin holding onto weight in my midsection, which is typically my smallest area (hourglass shape). It's super frustrating, especially since I work in such a stressful field, but I try to find healthy coping skills and relaxation techniques to deal with it. Honestly, going to the gym every day has helped me a huge amount. I feel more laid back about a lot of things in my life, even though my day is even more busy than it used to be. Stress is normal, and for most of us, we cannot get rid of the things that stress us out....but we CAN find ways to deal with these situations and not let them stress us out as much! :P
  • hrubyk1804
    hrubyk1804 Posts: 51
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    I know it does for me too. I certainly don't lose any when I'm stressed, no matter how diligent I've been with my eating and workouts. Like Gracerrr said, just finding ways to deal with it can help a lot! Good luck!
  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
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    Um....Stress can do different things to different people. When I'm stressed I usually drop weight, mostly because I eat less. I'd like to see some peer reviewed studies showing that Stress alone caused people to gain weight without other factors involved.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Um....Stress can do different things to different people. When I'm stressed I usually drop weight, mostly because I eat less. I'd like to see some peer reviewed studies showing that Stress alone caused people to gain weight without other factors involved.

    I'd be interested too. I've seen some reputable sources say that cortisol hinders fat loss, but I've never seen anything about it directly causing weight gain.
  • hopsonc24
    hopsonc24 Posts: 143 Member
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    Thank you peeps :smile:
    I appreciate your input
  • Jellytotss
    Jellytotss Posts: 18
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    Um....Stress can do different things to different people. When I'm stressed I usually drop weight, mostly because I eat less. I'd like to see some peer reviewed studies showing that Stress alone caused people to gain weight without other factors involved.

    I'd be interested too. I've seen some reputable sources say that cortisol hinders fat loss, but I've never seen anything about it directly causing weight gain.

    Dont have any proof to offer you without researching more, however in human biology/Psychology it was always said that stress leads to increased cortisol, which leads to increased storage of fat around the stomach, which is then linked to heart problems...in the same way females who are apple shaped and carrying more fat in the stomach area are more likely to develop heart conditions than pear shaped women. So I dont think it specifically makes you fatter, but any fat taken in seems to accumulate in the stomach area more than usual.

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