Anxiety and weight loss

boelyn · February 2012

Hi everyone

Just wanted to know what your thought are on anxiety and it's effect on weight loss. I am a natural worrier and most of the time I can keep it in check, however I am having a particularly stressful time at the moment at work and I am struggling.

If I was not on MFP then I would have submitted to my normal emotional eating habits, but on the whole I have managed to stay quite focussed and I have upped my exercise to try and get rid of some of the anxious feelings so I feel I am staying in as control as I can but am worried that it will have a negative effect on my weight loss.

I was informed a couple of weeks ago that when you are stressed your body produces a hormone that basically stores everything you eat as it is preparing for a fight or flight response.....does anyone know any of the facts about that.

Also just wandered if there were any other worriers out there and how they were getting on with managing the anxiety with staying on track.

Your thoughts please

B

mommajdawg · February 2012

I live the same way ! I HATE ANXIETY ! I do take meds and they help some, but I have been able to lose 30lbs that I put on over the past several anxiety filled years Keep logging even if you don't want to even if your over even if you did't exercise it becoming a habbit to log over stuffing my face I have been back sliding in the past 3 weeks exercising and I know exercising makes me feel better . Good Luck

vanessaclarkgbr · February 2012

I'm the same, and you're right - the stress hormone is cortisol. Get your seven and a half hours sleep a night, minimise caffeine, sugar and alcohol until you're feeling better as these will all drive it.

Lack of sleep also messes with your ghrelin levels - the hormone that tells you when you're hungry and to eat, and I eat like an animal on 6 hours sleep or less!

Have you tried taking up yoga? Personally the running makes me feel great, but not too close to bedtime!

luvbwfc · February 2012

Personally, I seem to lose more weight when anxious, as if the state of being anxious uses calories.

eagle_01 · February 2012

Some people lose during stress, but I'm like you! So I try increase my 'calm' I'm a person who looks like nothing can worry me - great since I'm the troubleshooter at work - but under the surface I'm was pretty anxious about stuff...less so now. I try not to worry about what's not in my control and whatever is in my control I ask myself if I need help or whether I can get it done alone - has helped.

Someone's already posted about how to destress, but thought I'd add this:

"Cortisol has been termed the "stress hormone" because excess cortisol is secreted during times of physical or psychological stress, and the normal pattern of cortisol secretion (with levels highest in the early morning and lowest at night) can be altered. This disruption of cortisol secretion may not only promote weight gain, but it can also affect where you put on the weight. Some studies have shown that stress and elevated cortisol tend to cause fat deposition in the abdominal area rather than in the hips. This fat deposition has been referred to as "toxic fat" since abdominal fat deposition is strongly correlated with the development of cardiovascular disease including heart attacks and strokes." (excerpt from: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=53304)

Nicola0000 · February 2012

Personally, I seem to lose more weight when anxious, as if the state of being anxious uses calories.

Im the same. Went through a divorce, was being fed homecooked meals at my Dads, but lost nearly 14lb in 3 months (im only 125lb so this is a big drop for me!)

embersfallen · February 2012

bump

fakeplastictree · February 2012

It helps me. I have pretty bad anxiety (with all the panic attacks and such) and being able to control this helps. But it still creeps up on me. Exercise helps relieve some of my stress and boost my mood most of the time. We just have to deal with it the best we can and know that we have a support system here. It hasn't really affected my weight loss that I've noticed. Just make sure you track your food and do the whole calories in calories out thing and you should be fine.

karenlesley47 · February 2012

You dont half sound like me

Worry wort is my middle name.......I haven't heard much about the hormone thing when im in that 'state of mind' my weight comes off easier because my body goes into overdrive! good in the weight loss sense but no other.
Im going through something similar at the moment & like you trying to use exercise to get through it instead of tablets.
All I can say is to take things a day at a time, use all the support systems you have to hand, we will help as much as we can & try to keep in mind that it will pass, it wont always be like this :flowerforyou:
K x

mslack01 · February 2012

I am a natural worrier....it was inherited. I was taking a load of Xanax at one point, but I knew I couldn't keep on that route. I have also tried SSRI's in the past, but felt the side effects outweighed any positive effect for me personally. Most recently I started taking St. John's Wort 300mg with 0.3% Hypericin three times per day. It has helped me a lot! I still worry some but not to the extent that I was worried. Anxiety is a real hot button in my life. My daughter has OCD and GAD so we have to deal with that too and I feel myself getting anxious about her issues. But I think my healthier diet and the St Johns Wort are helping. I have also decreased my caffeine intake drastically. I used to be a Diet Dr. Pepper-aholic. Now I try to drink just one cup of coffee per day and the rest water. I think that might have helped some also.

Teliooo · February 2012

I have a high anxiety disorder and when it flares up I end up losing weight as I barely eat and burn off most of it worrying.

laurenk182004 · February 2012

Hi there

I also suffer from severe anxiety attacks

The good news is that even with my anxiety issues I did manage to lose 68 pounds using this site three years ago. The bad news is that I gained it back by turning to alcohol and food to calm my nerves. I do have issues with my anxiety and exercise. I irrationally think I'm going to die if I over do it

I keep plugging away though! I never gave much thought to the stress hormone thing, but that's interesting. I'll be doing some research!

geecee77 · February 2012

Just googled Cortisol as it is affecting me - sleep wise at the moment. Very interesting stuff!!!

Six Tips To Lowering Your Cortisol Production:

XX and XXX both emphasize the importance of increasing our “anabolic” metabolism, the rebuild, repair and restore cycle, to reverse the consequences of elevated stress hormones and aging. XX likens the anabolic/catabolic metabolic model to a seesaw. You want to have the anabolic side of the seesaw up in the air and the catabolic or breakdown and degeneration side down as low as it can go. Here are 6 tips that give you the top recommendations to decrease cortisol levels and thus catabolic metabolism while you increase anabolic metabolism and experience optimal health.

1. Eliminate caffeine from your diet. It’s the quickest way to reduce cortisol production and elevate the production of DHEA, the leading anabolic youth hormone. 200 mg of caffeine (one 12 oz mug of coffee) increases blood cortisol levels by 30% in one hour! Cortisol can remain elevated for up to 18 hours in the blood. This is the easiest step to decrease your catabolic metabolism and increase your anabolic metabolism.

2. Sleep deeper and longer. The average 50 year old has nighttime cortisol levels more than 30 times higher than the average 30 year old. Try taking melatonin, a natural hormone produced at night that helps regulate sleep/wake cycles, before going to sleep to boost your own melatonin production that also decreases with age. I prefer Source Natural Sublingual Melatonin and I always take it on trips to recover from jet lag. You may not need it every night, but if you are waking up in the middle of the night or too early in the morning, melatonin can help you sleep deeper and lengthen your sleep cycle. If you get sleepy during the day even though you had plenty of rest, back off the melatonin for a while. It’s a sign you are getting too much.

3. Exercise regularly to build muscle mass and increase brain output of serotonin and dopamine, brain chemicals that reduce anxiety and depression. Cherniske recommends DHEA to shorten the adaptation period when out-of-shape muscles and cardiovascular system discourage people from continuing to exercise before they get in shape. DHEA also accelerates the building of muscle mass and increases the feeling of being strong and energetic.

4. Keep your blood sugar stable. Avoid sugar in the diet and refined carbohydrates to keep from spiking your insulin production. Eat frequent small meals balanced in protein, complex carbohydrates and good fats like olive oil and flax seed oil. Diets rich in complex carbohydrates keep cortisol levels lower than low carbohydrate diets. Keep well hydrated – dehydration puts the body in stress and raises cortisol levels. Keep pure water by your bed and drink it when you first wake up and before you go to sleep.

5. Take anti-stress supplements like B vitamins, minerals like calcium, magnesium, chromium and zinc, and antioxidants like vitamin C, alpha lipoic acid, grape seed extract, and Co Q 10. Adaptogen herbs like ginseng, astragalus, eleuthero, schizandra, rhodiola and ashwagandha help the body cope with the side effects of stress and rebalance the metabolism. These supplement and herbs will not only lower cortisol levels but they will also help you decrease the effects of stress on the body by boosting the immune system.

6. Meditate or listen to relaxation tapes that promote the production of alpha (focused alertness) and theta (relaxed) brain waves. Avoid jolting alarm clocks that take you from delta waves (deep sleep) to beta waves (agitated and anxious) and stimulants like caffeine that promote beta waves while suppressing alpha and theta waves.

vinylscratch · February 2012

bump to read. I'm super anxious!

MaximalLife · February 2012

I'm the same, and you're right - the stress hormone is cortisol. Get your seven and a half hours sleep a night, minimise caffeine, sugar and alcohol until you're feeling better as these will all drive it.

Lack of sleep also messes with your ghrelin levels - the hormone that tells you when you're hungry and to eat, and I eat like an animal on 6 hours sleep or less!

Have you tried taking up yoga? Personally the running makes me feel great, but not too close to bedtime!

^^^^^^^^
THIS

poesch77 · February 2012

I have elevated cortisol levels and was told I could not lose weight or get pregnant when they are high like they are.....I took matters into my own hands and studied it up. I started taking Vit C, a Cortisol lowering pill and Magnesium and was down 25lbs and was pregnant in 2 months! Showed that Endocrinologist!! It is hard to lose weight but it can be done! I also have OCD which does help in keeping me on task to diary all my foods and exercise. I have been on several meds but find that they made me sooo tired, lazy and did not help in fatloss. But each there own and you have to do what works for you!!

Bentley2718 · February 2012

The hormone the person was referring to was probably cortisol, which has been shown to be related to weight gain--perhaps for the reasons you described. That said, I am more than a "worrier," I have a diagnosed anxiety disorder. I also once lost about 50 pounds in 5 months because I was under a lot of stress (probably resulting in high cortisol levels) and was not eating. I don't recommend this approach, but my point is, stress doesn't completely prohibit weightloss. I also lost about 50 pounds through healthier eating and exercise (which I would recommend). Maybe it's more difficult for people with certain disorders to lose weight, but it doesn't make it impossible, you just have to work with what you've got. It can be done!

sayfay · February 2012

I suffer from anxiety. I have been diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder, but most of my anxiety surrounds my health.

I will say that my anxiety has actually gotten a little better since I've been eating better and exercising regularly.

Jenner22 · February 2012

I'm the same, and you're right - the stress hormone is cortisol. Get your seven and a half hours sleep a night, minimise caffeine, sugar and alcohol until you're feeling better as these will all drive it.

Lack of sleep also messes with your ghrelin levels - the hormone that tells you when you're hungry and to eat, and I eat like an animal on 6 hours sleep or less!

Have you tried taking up yoga? Personally the running makes me feel great, but not too close to bedtime!

It's nice to know why I always eat when I'm tired.

flutestmelody · February 2012

Yes yes yes, Anxiety can and certainly does effect your weight. Whether gain or loss the trick is to remember to eat healthy, well balanced meals. You need the various nutrients and vitamins healthy foods have to offer. You can also take a multivitamin to help with what your body might not be getting from your food. Someone mentioned sugar and caffeine will make your anxiety worse. This is true so you need to be careful with those foods. Stretching, yoga, and even mediating can all help you to relax. Need help with getting a good night's sleep? Try doing some good stretches for about 10/15 minutes or even some relaxing breathing exercises. It helps the muscles relax enabling the rest of the body to follow. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Dehydration will also have negative effects on your metabolism. The more water you drink the easier it is for your body to flush out toxins.

No I am not an expert, I am however, a pretty good study of myself and others who are in the same boat. I am an emotional eater, however, I find that my emotions don't get out of control as much when I am exercising regularly and eating healthy and well balanced meals. We are often our own worst enemy. Keep logging your info as it will help you establish patterns that eventually you won't have to even think about.

nikki778 · February 2012

Anxiety can be our friend or our enemy. Its our natural emotion going back to caveman days. Fight or flight syndrome. Its a natural body reaction/emotion..

If youre able to use that energy to go for a walk,.then do so, get back to nature & remember to breathe, take in the surroundings & the fresh air with each step tell yourself things will be ok. LEarn affirmations that can help ground you & relax you.

Instead of grabbing food or any type of substance to comfort yourself, grab a pen & paper write down what your mind is fixated on, anything you are obsessing over right down to shopping list, bills, goals, tasks, errands, & one by one break each topic down in what you can do to eliminate it & cross it off the list.

If youre not able to control it then may I suggest yoga/therapy calling a trusted friend, I was on medication (xanax) for about 6 months about 5 years ago, I was in a bad place in my life & was unsure which way was the right way. To help with my panic attacks & anxiety a doctor suggested a wellness center close by that had yoga classes. The class taught me to breathe correctly & more deeply, To center myself & clear my mind. I lost a lot of weight being stressed back then but now I grab food,..so instead I hit the gym or go for a walk, get back to the basic teachings.
Hot baths & relaxing spa music also helps.
A funny movie
A good book if you can concentrate.
Otherwise shake it out, turn up the music dance clean reorganize keep yourself busy.
I hope to have helped throw some ideas out there sorry it was long & scattered LOL

Anxiety and weight loss

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