How Stress Impedes Weight Loss and Ways To Combat It

To the same degree that we’ve grown in our cultural evolution, we’ve also grown at our waistlines - literally. Modern stressors (think: over-working, under-exercising, and previously unimaginable social media consumption) trigger our stress hormone response to the same degree that our ancestors’ stress levels spiked during “fight or flight” situations with, say, a saber tooth tiger. When your body experiences stress, the adrenal glands automatically release adrenaline and cortisol. These compounds then combine to create glucose, aka the energy source needed to successfully navigate a risky situation. But, once that glucose is used up, your blood sugar drops back down, and you look for a new source of fast-acting energy. Enter, sugar and carb cravings. But, excessive cortisol levels affect more than just your cravings. Having high levels of stress also slows metabolism and increases symptoms of anxiety and depression. Here, we’ll discuss the unhealthy habits stress creates and a few methods to help retain or restore your personal health and fitness in a modern, fast-paced world. 

The Symptoms of Stress 

Poor Quality of Sleep Cortisol levels are supposed to have a natural pattern throughout the day, peeking in the morning and gradually dropping to a low just before bed. But, excessive stress levels make it difficult to fall or stay asleep. A lack of sleep directly impacts your ability to make wise food-choices or motivate yourself to exercise, as it throws your leptin and ghrelin levels— those that control appetite and satiety recognition—for a loop. 

Decreased Ability to Stay Active Anyone who has lost weight and kept it off can tell you that diet isn’t the only ingredient for weight loss success. The hard truth is that consistent exercise is essential for maintaining a healthy weight, self-confidence, and overall health markers as you age, including that of happiness. Unfortunately, high stress levels interfere with achieving or sustaining an active lifestyle. Some of the consequences stress produces in the body that make it hard to stay physically active are: 

~general lack of energy 

~slowed recovery time after workouts 

~frequent bouts of sickness 

~susceptibility to pain, soreness, and stiffness in muscles and joints 

Mental Fog, Emotional Instability, and Low Willpower Every time stress induces cortisol, the glucose it creates is directed toward the source of the stress. When all of our glucose is being diverted to address these perceived threats, there’s less energy to fuel brain activity and mood stabilization. This is where the effects of stress on the body and mind become even more nuanced, throwing off natural processes that should function effortlessly. Studies evaluating the hormonal changes produced by stress indicate that it can reduce your ability to access memories and even prevent you from forming new ones. Stress also inhibits your ability to form new, healthy habits, as it often takes willpower 

to do so. The energy that would be spent making the tough decision not to eat the morning office donuts doesn’t exist? It has already been spent trying to protect you from the ever-present stressors you encounter on a daily basis. 

Experts’ Recommendations to Help You De-Stress and Weigh Less: 

1.) Prioritize—> Start planning your goals by first making a record of how you spend your time each day for a week. Prioritize your tasks and activities, and remember to make time for proper sleep and adequate exercise. 

2.) Be Efficient—> Healthy eating can be tough to incorporate into a busy lifestyle in the beginning. Experts recommend all degrees of meal prepping, whether it’s for an entire week or just lunches for a few days. And, make sure you always have a gym bag ready for days when a workout will be hard to come by if things aren’t prepared ahead of time. Essentially, life happens. Remember that, when it does, your health is a priority. 

3.) Practice Mindfulness—> Meditation and mindfulness have been shown to measurably reduce stress levels and lead to healthier decisions, including those regarding what to eat and how and when to move. When you are present in the moment, you’re much more able to evaluate the reason you’re eating. If it’s physiological hunger, then great; mindfully, dig into that nutrient-dense meal. But, if you’re eating as a stress response, you’ll be more able to make a healthy decision, such as going for a walk or doing some yoga, that will lead to an overall authentically better quality of life. 

From air, light, and noise pollution to political unrest and your own unique cortisol- boosting life factors, stress is an inevitable part of modern existence. But, practicing prioritization, efficiency, and mindfulness will hugely support your endeavors toward overall health. Armed now with more information about your body’s inescapable physiological processes, the goal of reducing stress and increasing total bodily, mental, and spiritual health just became a whole lot more attainable! Happy relaxing!