dealing with stress & trying to lose weight

jmcnealy
jmcnealy Posts: 28 Member
in Motivation and Support
i feel like when i get stressed out i can try and try, but always I gain weight. How do you do it?

These might seem like first world problems, but when nothing seems to be going right, how do you push past it? and also, is it possible my body physically cannot handle losing weight and being stressed?

Replies

  • dlazyday
    dlazyday Posts: 6 Member
    From what I have read, our bodies produce different chemicals dependent upon our moods. Stress causes chemicals that inhibit weight loss and even create weight gain (especially in women). You should quit fighting the weight during times of high stress and focus on ways to relax.

    Exercise is a stress reliever for many, if that is the case, use it to clear your head not as a goal to take weight off. Try mediation, yoga or just slow deep breathing.

    You may also want to look closer at what is causing your stress, can you eliminate or change it? That may not always be possible and the only resolution may be to know it is our of your control. Then you can accept whatever is causing you stress and move forward.

    Hope this helps and good luck.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    I've read stuff that does seem to say that stress impacts our weight. A lot of people will tell you it's just all calories in vs. calories out. I stress eat, so it's easy to see the correlation.

    When I have a super stressful week, I will eat at maintenance rather than trying to create a calorie deficit. Sure, it takes longer to lose weight this way, but I'm in this for the long haul and worrying about losing weight when I have a million other things that might take precedence doesn't help.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    Dairy Queen and Tim Horton's work for me.
  • Jenni129
    Jenni129 Posts: 692 Member
    In for more tips... I've been stressed out for months :(
  • Maryam2014mfp
    Maryam2014mfp Posts: 174
    Thanks for posting your question. I can relate. I hope things become less stressful for you over time. I do find eating healthier foods helps me cope better. My faith and hope in God helps too; but I am still learning to hope and trust, as it is a daily thing (moment by moment at times). I find I either crave junky things or want to just not eat at all. Both of those make us feel worse in the end. So try to do what you can to relax (like the poster above me mentioned - dlazyday). And try to get your sleep, drink water and eat consistent and healthfully. I am trying to do the same for myself. Don't give up. Take care.
  • jillian_fan2425
    jillian_fan2425 Posts: 167 Member
    I think stress caused me to put on a lot of my weight. It's mostly because I got too busy to exercise, and/or I would just eat whatever was easiest because I felt I was too busy to cook. I'm not angry at myself, because it was a very difficult time, but I do think it's important to get back in gear once things settle down a bit. Trying to work on weight loss might be too much for you right now, and it might not. Stress affects everyone differently.

    I do second the suggestion to try to fit in some exercise if you can. It has helped me relieve stress a lot, and in a healthy way.

    If you don't know what's causing your stress, try tracking it for a week or two, kind of like we do with calories. Write down when you're stressed and what you're stressed about and try to identify anything that happened right beforehand that could have brought it on. You might be able to target the major stressors and come up with some ways to minimize or eliminate them. Best of luck!
  • aethre
    aethre Posts: 150 Member
    Can you turn to exercise as a means of working out your stress instead of eating? Long walks, getting aggression out on weight machines in the gym, even going into the kitchen and having a good dance instead of opening the fridge. Endorphins are good, and can come from exercise as well as food.

    Just try to make sure that dieting isn't adding to your stress and making things worse for you.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Stress causes increased cortisol, which can cause your metabolism to slow down. So even if you are not over eating, you still can gain weight, with cortisol storing the most fat in the abdomen. Women who eat high-fat diets have been shown to have both increased cortisol reactivity and greater preference for sweet foods, according to researchers at the University of California at San Francisco.

    That being said, I'm the epitome of stress and I can lose weight. Additionally, the more I exercise, the less stressed I am.
  • Maryam2014mfp
    Maryam2014mfp Posts: 174
    Stress causes increased cortisol, which can cause your metabolism to slow down. So even if you are not over eating, you still can gain weight, with cortisol storing the most fat in the abdomen. Women who eat high-fat diets have been shown to have both increased cortisol reactivity and greater preference for sweet foods, according to researchers at the University of California at San Francisco.

    That being said, I'm the epitome of stress and I can lose weight. Additionally, the more I exercise, the less stressed I am.

    So, if we have chronic stressors in our lives (and it sounds like you do), what do you suggest to help us lower our cortisol levels? And is that the same as adrenalin (fight or flight response)? Thanks
  • stillhere1981
    stillhere1981 Posts: 119 Member
    Stress causes inflammation in your body. It's a flight or fight response thing. I don't know how this relates to weight gain/loss (I tend to eat less when I'm super stressed). It may just be how your cope with it. You need to figure out how to deal with stress. It's very bad for your immune system.

    Yoga, acupuncture, meditation and massage may seem flighty, but they tend to work. Look up "Mindfulness." It has done wonders for me and trust me, I have been inundated with stress for the last two years.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    Stress causes increased cortisol, which can cause your metabolism to slow down. So even if you are not over eating, you still can gain weight, with cortisol storing the most fat in the abdomen. Women who eat high-fat diets have been shown to have both increased cortisol reactivity and greater preference for sweet foods, according to researchers at the University of California at San Francisco.

    That being said, I'm the epitome of stress and I can lose weight. Additionally, the more I exercise, the less stressed I am.

    So, if we have chronic stressors in our lives (and it sounds like you do), what do you suggest to help us lower our cortisol levels? And is that the same as adrenalin (fight or flight response)? Thanks
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member

    So, if we have chronic stressors in our lives (and it sounds like you do), what do you suggest to help us lower our cortisol levels? And is that the same as adrenalin (fight or flight response)? Thanks
    That would be a question for your doctor. You know cuz my automatic answer is going to b Xanax, or to shoot him (or her)....cackle
  • stillhere1981
    stillhere1981 Posts: 119 Member
    A trip to the gym and 20 minutes on the elliptical seems to be the best anti-anxiety cure for me.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    Stress causes increased cortisol, which can cause your metabolism to slow down. So even if you are not over eating, you still can gain weight, with cortisol storing the most fat in the abdomen. Women who eat high-fat diets have been shown to have both increased cortisol reactivity and greater preference for sweet foods, according to researchers at the University of California at San Francisco.

    That being said, I'm the epitome of stress and I can lose weight. Additionally, the more I exercise, the less stressed I am.

    So, if we have chronic stressors in our lives (and it sounds like you do), what do you suggest to help us lower our cortisol levels? And is that the same as adrenalin (fight or flight response)? Thanks

    I don't think this is the same as the flight or fight response, but works in conjunction with the adrenaline. Exercising helps the body to cope a little better when cortisol is released. When you stress out, your body releases more of it without a way to dissipate it. Exercising also releases it, but you need it to carry you through the workout sessions. Have you ever tried kickboxing or regular boxing where you get to hit something? It is very stress relieving. Just a punching bag is great (kicking or punching) for this. I loved to run as well when I got depressed or stressed out.
  • stillhere1981
    stillhere1981 Posts: 119 Member

    So, if we have chronic stressors in our lives (and it sounds like you do), what do you suggest to help us lower our cortisol levels? And is that the same as adrenalin (fight or flight response)? Thanks
    That would be a question for your doctor. You know cuz my automatic answer is going to b Xanax, or to shoot him (or her)....cackle

    I used to rely heavily on prescription drugs to manage anxiety. I have found there are better (and less toxic) ways to deal with it. I am totally off of one of my antidepressants and take WAY less Xanax now that I exercise.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    2013 for me was a nightmare. The whole year; not even kidding. Even with all my stress, I made time to work out because it made me feel better. Specifically, I lifted weights 3 days/week. I felt empowered and that feeling made me want to continue. So I did. I started losing little by little, so I kept going.

    That's how I did it.
  • Maryam2014mfp
    Maryam2014mfp Posts: 174

    So, if we have chronic stressors in our lives (and it sounds like you do), what do you suggest to help us lower our cortisol levels? And is that the same as adrenalin (fight or flight response)? Thanks
    That would be a question for your doctor. You know cuz my automatic answer is going to b Xanax, or to shoot him (or her)....cackle

    I'll ask her tomorrow when I see her. I don't like taking drugs because they have so many after affects on things. That's what messed me up after having radiation and surgeries years ago. Maybe she will have some other suggestions. *crosses fingers
  • Maryam2014mfp
    Maryam2014mfp Posts: 174
    Stress causes increased cortisol, which can cause your metabolism to slow down. So even if you are not over eating, you still can gain weight, with cortisol storing the most fat in the abdomen. Women who eat high-fat diets have been shown to have both increased cortisol reactivity and greater preference for sweet foods, according to researchers at the University of California at San Francisco.

    That being said, I'm the epitome of stress and I can lose weight. Additionally, the more I exercise, the less stressed I am.

    So, if we have chronic stressors in our lives (and it sounds like you do), what do you suggest to help us lower our cortisol levels? And is that the same as adrenalin (fight or flight response)? Thanks

    I don't think this is the same as the flight or fight response, but works in conjunction with the adrenaline. Exercising helps the body to cope a little better when cortisol is released. When you stress out, your body releases more of it without a way to dissipate it. Exercising also releases it, but you need it to carry you through the workout sessions. Have you ever tried kickboxing or regular boxing where you get to hit something? It is very stress relieving. Just a punching bag is great (kicking or punching) for this. I loved to run as well when I got depressed or stressed out.

    I may try this; but my stressors are still going to be present and I don't foresee them going away anytime soon, so I have to figure out how to stop or lessen the release of cortisol (which I am certain is occurring). Thanks
  • Fit_in_Folsom
    Fit_in_Folsom Posts: 220 Member
    I have found that stress can really impact my ability to lose weight. I have had some personal stressors and it really has impacted my ability to lose weight. I have found that when the stress goes, the weight peels off. I went to talk to a doctor about it and she said the key thing to do when trying to lose weight in big stressful times is to focus on reducing the stress...that can be workouts, but things like sleep are critical as well.
  • jmcnealy
    jmcnealy Posts: 28 Member
    thanks for all the tips/support/comments.

    i just want to be clear on this thread - i do not stress eat. trust me, i used to stress eat, but i have been dieting pretty much my whole life and i know the difference. i rarely snack. i eat a deficit all the time. i eat healthy foods probably 85% of the time. i don't mean - if i stress eat am i going to gain weight - of course!

    I mean - even if you were eating/exercising exactly the same, stress can cause weight gain.
  • onefortyone
    onefortyone Posts: 531 Member
    I don't know if I would believe the phrase 'stress causes weight gain', because you don't see soldier's deploying to war zones and coming back fat, or air traffic controllers putting on 10lbs a day (and that is a VERY stressful job). It may make it more diffcult to lose, you may lose slower - but to me, a deficit is a deficit. You have to get energy from somewhere, and in a deficit it'll be your from your fat cells.

    Usually stress causes weight gain by impacting the lifestyle - you don't care as much about what you eat, may not log it correctly, estimate portion size, or you don't push yourself when you work out, etc. You may be less active in general - suddenly your active lifestyle may slow down because you're too stressed to keep up with it, you may even be retaining water which masks weight loss, and so on.

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