We live in a world full of stress where it’s hard to stay calm. Our hectic lifestyles rarely allow us time to relax, and the drinking and overeating come as a bonus that additionally ruin our lives. All that stress affects our health in different ways. Apart from the obvious such as triggering serious diseases and conditions, stress may also be the reason why you can’t lose weight.
While there are other factors for not being able to lose weight such as physical inactivity and lack of attitude, stress is a major factor when it comes to it. Besides lowering your quality of life and raising the risk of various diseases, stress is the reason why you’re gaining instead of losing weight.
Why Stress and Anxiety Lead to Weight Gain
Many of you are rightfully wondering “How does stress make me gain weight?” At first glance, there is no connection between it and weight gain. When you take a closer look at it, though, you’ll find the links easily.
For most people, eating is a way to cope with stress. Studies have shown links between stress and overeating, and overeating will sooner or later lead to massive weight gain. Whenever we’re under stress, we are more likely to eat, and we’re not talking about healthy food. No stressed person will reach for broccoli – we usually go for fast (comfort) food.
That juicy fat burger looks very nice when you’re stressed out and that’s OK – we’re allowed to enjoy such a meal every once in a while. However, if you’re under constant stress, you’re very likely to indulge in such meals more often. There’s your problem there. Eating comfort and fast foods will lead to weight gain and a slew of other health problems too.
When we’re under stress, our bodies produce a lot of cortisol. That’s the so-called stress hormone which makes us eat all those unhealthy foods. Too much of it can lead to increased insulin production, which will in turn raise inflammatory processes and weight gain. This is a natural mechanics of the human body to deal with stress. However, it doesn’t mean it’s the right one.
How to Deal with Stress and Anxiety
Although your first response to stress might be unhealthy food, there is a way to prevent that from happening again. If you’re trying to slim down, you should definitely come up with a plan to defeat stress and anxiety. Here are a few recommendations by experts that can help you do it:
Regular Physical Activity
Exercising regularly won’t just help you slim down – it will also help you overcome stress and anxiety. Yes, we know that you don’t have time for a jog or to hit the gym. However, if you rearrange it perfectly, you will find a few hours for physical exercises in your busy schedule every week. Additionally, you also need to start moving more. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away from work, or just walk if it’s not miles and miles away. Every little bit counts.
Restore Order in Your Life
Stress makes us all chaotic, and in such a state, it’s difficult to keep things in order. That goes for your diet as well. One of the key aspects in the fight against stress and anxiety is restoring order in your life. By restoring your daily schedule, you will find time for healthy meals and some time to exercise or relax. Thanks to this, it will be far easier to defeat stress and anxiety.
A Good Night’s Sleep
Don’t underestimate the importance of a good night sleep. Adults need 7-8 hours to function properly during the day. Anything less than that will make you cranky and more susceptible to stress. Make sure you’re sleeping well if you want to defeat stress and anxiety and stay slim.
Ask Yourself Why You’re Eating
Before you go on an unhealthy food binge, ask yourself: why are you eating? Are you really hungry? Could a handful of nuts or seeds satisfy your cravings? Can a glass of water help? When we’re hungry, we rarely ask ourselves why we’re stressed. If you have an answer on any of these questions, you might not be hungry – you might just be stressed.
Conclusion
If you need help dealing with your stress or anxiety, don’t hesitate to ask for professional help. Stress is a silent killer that shouldn’t go unnoticed. If you’re having trouble slimming down and you’ve been under a lot of stress, take care of the latter and you’ll be able to lose weight once again.
