Stress & Weight Gain

Wills820
Wills820 Posts: 32 Member
edited November 8 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hi Ladies,
Does anyone else find that you gain weight when stressed, even if you are working out and eating in the exact same way as usual? If so, have you figured out how to manage it? Perhaps I get some water weight gain from being extremely sedentary this time of year (law school finals), but I am still working out...

Thanks

Replies

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited December 2014
    oh yeah! for my sons wedding approaching a few months ago, I couldn't lose weight and the scales were going up no matter that I was doing my usual routine/tracking my cals etc, (I'm very active). Someone said it was likely to be stress from the wedding preparations although I didn't consider myself stressed! On the day of the wedding I saw the weight fall back to its usual lower reading. So I really do think stress plays a big part in weight gain. Also if you're not getting enough sleep can also factor in.

    As to how to manage it, I just keep on going, drink plenty of water, adjust my deficit by 100 or so calories and eventually the water weight goes. I've seen me holding onto water weight for a month at a time!
  • dunnodunno
    dunnodunno Posts: 2,290 Member
    Did you increase your exercise? You can gain some weight from your muscles repairing themselves if you're doing intense exercise.

    Since you said you've been really sedentary this time of year it could be from overestimating your exercise & underestimating how much you've been eating. My best suggestion is to get digital food scale that weighs in both grams/ounces & measure everything that goes in your mouth within reason (don't weigh stuff like gum). It's very easy to overestimate foods like ice cream, cereal, and peanut butter. With ice cream & cereal it's very easy to pack into a measuring cup & think you're eating a serving size when in reality you're eating two or three.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    MrM27 is right on about Cortisol.

    muscleforlife.com/water-retention-and-weight-loss/
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    In fact, if there are no other glaring indications of hurting your metabolism, that effect could be the sole reason for a plateau.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/another-look-at-metabolic-damage.html#more-9313

    Mind the fact he does mention a couple of times the expected metabolic adaptation that will occur, but all the other reasons this stress is bad news for masking weight loss.
  • RaspberryTickleChicken
    RaspberryTickleChicken Posts: 629 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    Cortisol = Water retention.

    Spot on ... stress signals the body to produce more Cortisol - hence the weight gain or weight loss stall
  • eliseh23
    eliseh23 Posts: 120
    I'm the opposite, If I'm stressed out I lose weight very fast. I had major stress issue this summer and I went from 53kg to 49 in one week! Surely not healthy at all, but stress messes with you so much!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    In your original post you mention being more sedentary this time of year. Your NEAT is probably substantially lower and I'd be willing to be that this is a more likely cause of lack of weight loss.
  • JayRuby84
    JayRuby84 Posts: 557 Member
    Yes, you absolutely can retain weight because of stress. That and lack of sleep. I've had to work on both of these things to help me get back on the losing side of things. Find time to do something that completely relaxes you ...yoga, pilates, sex, gardening, painting/ drawing or reading. What's also helped me is cutting processed foods and sodium as well as watching sugars/ false sweeteners. I give you big props for putting yourself through Law school. That's an incredible thing to do.
  • freyja1197
    freyja1197 Posts: 99 Member
    Stress is my deal breaker when it comes to losing weight. Gets me every time.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    eliseh23 wrote: »
    I'm the opposite, If I'm stressed out I lose weight very fast. I had major stress issue this summer and I went from 53kg to 49 in one week! Surely not healthy at all, but stress messes with you so much!

    Me too. Stress is my best appetite suppressant.
  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    I find it interesting how for some of us stress does the opposite. I also find that my appetite goes down in stressful situations.
  • JayRuby84
    JayRuby84 Posts: 557 Member
    I tend to lose my appetite in high stress situations, however my body clings to every ounce.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    What if you try meditation to help with your stress response?
  • irenehb
    irenehb Posts: 236 Member
    47Jacqueline wrote: »
    eliseh23 wrote: »
    I'm the opposite, If I'm stressed out I lose weight very fast. I had major stress issue this summer and I went from 53kg to 49 in one week! Surely not healthy at all, but stress messes with you so much!

    Me too. Stress is my best appetite suppressant.

    Same here. I can think of all the really stressful times in my adult life and every single time I lost my appetite and lost weight fast.


  • Wills820
    Wills820 Posts: 32 Member
    JayRuby84 wrote: »
    Yes, you absolutely can retain weight because of stress. That and lack of sleep. I've had to work on both of these things to help me get back on the losing side of things. Find time to do something that completely relaxes you ...yoga, pilates, sex, gardening, painting/ drawing or reading. What's also helped me is cutting processed foods and sodium as well as watching sugars/ false sweeteners. I give you big props for putting yourself through Law school. That's an incredible thing to do.

    thanks for the inspiration!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories