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You’ve been eating plenty of vegetables and exercising every day. Somehow, though, you just keep gaining weight.
Odds are, you’re stressed out. Stress can have some hugely negative impacts on your health, including causing weight gain. So how can you get your stress under control?
Read this guide to learn more about the relationship between stress and weight gain. There are also some stress management tips to help you find stress relief.
Stress-Induced Unhealthy Habits
It’s no secret that stress can negatively impact your mental health. This can lead to unhealthy coping strategies and habits that just aren’t beneficial.
For example, overeating is a big concern for those who suffer from chronic stress. While stress may reduce your appetite at first, long-term stress actually only makes you more hungry.
This is the result of two things. These are:
- Your flight or fight response
- Elevated cortisol levels.
Flight or Fight
When stress and pressure levels rise, our bodies head into “flight or fight” mode, a.k.a. survival mode. Your body will begin to do anything it feels it needs to survive. Oftentimes, this includes overeating.
Why does this happen?
Well, stress can make your body feel overworked. So, even if you haven’t used any calories, your body thinks you’ve burned them all while stressed out. Your body will begin to desire replenishment, even if it doesn’t actually need it.
Stress and Cortisol
When tensions are high, levels of the hormone cortisol begin to rise. It’s no surprise that this hormone has gotten the nickname “the stress hormone.”
When cortisol levels rise, it can also raise insulin levels. This causes your body to crave fattier, sugary foods. There’s a reason these foods are called comfort foods, after all.
While eating these fattier foods, such as mac and cheese or juicy burgers, can lower our stress levels, they are also causing weight gain. Not to mention, many of these foods just aren’t very healthy.
The Negative Effects of Weight Gain
Gaining a little weight now and again is nothing to worry about. That is if we resume a healthy lifestyle. Long-term weight gain can have some pretty lasting effects.
Packing on extra pounds can lead to serious chronic issues such as:
- Heart disease
- Strokes
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
If you believe stress is the culprit behind recent weight gain, it’s time to do something about it.
Must-Have Stress Management Tips
There are plenty of ways to get your stress levels under control. Start by doing things that make you happy. Exercise or other physical activity are also great ways to relieve your stress.
Getting a massage for stress can also help to relieve lingering tension within the body. Meditation and prayer may also be a source of comfort for some people.
Reach out to family and friends for additional support.
Stress and Weight Gain: Related, But Not Inevitable
Stress doesn’t have to trigger a period of weight gain. It is important to employ healthy coping mechanisms to deal with both stress and weight gain. This means exercising instead of reaching for comfort foods, for example.
Check out our Health section for more tips on how to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
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