Stress can significantly impact your ability to maintain a healthy weight. It can also prevent you from losing weight. Whether it's the result of high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, unhealthy stress - induced behaviours, or a combination of the two, the link between stress and weight gain is well evidenced. Therefore reading this blog will help you manage your stress and sustain weight loss.
Self-care strategies like mindfulness, journaling, and exercise can help you fight stress and the unwanted effect it can have on your eating habits.
The Link Between Stress and Cortisol
Researchers have long known that rises in the stress hormone cortisol can lead to weight gain. Every time you're stressed, your adrenal glands release adrenaline and cortisol, and as a result, glucose is released into your bloodstream. All of this is done to give you the energy you need to escape from a risky situation (also known as the fight or flight response).
Once the threat has subsided, your adrenaline high wears off and your blood sugar spike drops. This is when cortisol kicks into high gear to replenish your energy supply quickly.
How to break the cycle of stress and weight gain
When we are stressed out healthy eating and exercising regularly can fall to the wayside. Trying to maintaining a set routine can help make these behaviours a habit and combat stress- related weight gain.
Here are some tips to help you break this vicious cycle:
Make exercise a priority. Exercise is critical to both stress management and weight management. It helps improve both simultaneously. Try your best to incorporate some form of exercise within your daily routine. It could be as simple as going for a walk during your lunch break or talking the stairs instead of the lift. However you do it make sure it is something you enjoy and you can do weekly.
Pick healthier comfort foods. We can’t get rid of negative feelings completely, so when they arise instead of grabbing comfort foods high in sugar and fat try to grab healthier alternatives. For example a highlights hot chocolate or low calorie popcorn, works just as well as the higher fat snacks. In fact research shows that when we grab high fat foods for comfort, we often feel worse as then we start to “beat ourselves up”, for going for the unhealthy option after we do it.
Practice mindful eating. Try to eat without distractions. This can help people actually taste their food and enjoy it. This has been shown to relax people, relieve stress and also avoid mindless over eating.
Keep food journal. A lot of us are robotic when it comes to eating. So much so, that when I ask clients what they ate yesterday they struggle to remember. Writing things down can improve self awareness and make us more mindful of what goes into our mouths. It may also be worth noting down how you feel when you eat. This can highlight any habits we may need to alter. For example- boredom causes us to eat biscuits.
Drink more water. Dehydration can cause us to think we are hungry, when we are actually thirsty. If you are feeling hungry before your mealtime, try having a drink first to see if it subsides.
Other stress relief strategies
Life can be very stressful, so it would be worth trying to add stress relief activities into your day.
Why not try some of these ideas and see which work best for you.
Yoga or pilates
Reading a book or magazine
Listening to a podcast
5 or 10 mins meditation- you can use apps such as head space or calms
Walking
Calling a friend or family member
Sitting in a quiet room for 10 mins peace
Listening to some music
Drawing or art
Colouring
Puzzle or crosswords
Journalling- take pen to paper and note down anything going through your head
Talk to yourself in a mirror
Shout into a pillow to relieve stress and tension
Go for a massage or spa treatment
I hope you found this blog useful. Lets not allow stress to prevent us from achieving our weight loss goals. Find something that manages your stress, so you can stay on plan and achieve your goals.
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