Did you know that stress hormones can keep you from your weight loss goals?

The more stress you have, the more of those hormones you’re producing and these hormones promote weight gain.

Now what is stress and how is it affecting you losing weight?

Stress hormones and weight are linked together. There are many reasons stress can keep you from your weight loss goals, some being more significant than others. It has effects on inflammation, your immune system, digestion, and gut health. If you ever “stress-eat,” that is due to all the impact stress has on your body. It also affects insulin sensitivity which in turns stores the fat around your midsection. It has the power to ruin your mood and change the way you get a quality nights rest as well.

All these things work together to prohibit you from seeing any progress with losing weight.

When you’re thinking of how to drop the extra pounds, don’t just think about calories.

The effects of stress and stress hormones all tie into weight loss.

STRESS. WHAT IS IT?

A straight definition is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.

When you hear the word stress, what comes to your mind? Headaches, worry, and harsh, unexpected happenings in life? Or do you think of belly fat, overeating, and being hangry whenever something puts you in a lousy headspace? I for one use to only think of the first list when I heard the word ”stress.”

The emotional strain and tension take a physical toll on your body. I didn’t realize it until I linked the time when I was at my most massive weight, to the roughest time I had so far in my life. The scale was my wake-up call.

Heartache, finances, work,  and school may have you in a funk, and that is entirely natural to feel that way. That feeling is stress, and we all have it at some point in our lives.

Stress can be your best friend or worst enemy.

I’ll bet most of you have heard of the “fight or flight” reaction in certain situations. Fight or flight is something you usually can’t fully control. Your body protects itself this way; thus it helps you persevere.

Stress can work for you, or it can work against you. For example, you’re riding in a car, and the car in front of you slams on its brakes. On impulse, you immediately swerve out the way to avoid a collision. This is a type of less-frequent or short term stress which keeps you alert and more focused. This is also why some people like doing thrill-seeking activities such as sky-diving or even roller coasters.

Sadly in today’s world stress is more chronic than infrequent. The examples I spoke on above were meant to be short-lived. Your body should go back to its normal state as the stress fades away. Ideally, stress should always happen in that manner which is occasional and not excessive.

Chronic stress can come from different things. Maybe you’re having some ongoing relationship troubles or even caring for a sick loved one daily. Even you driving to work every day in that horrific traffic is a cause of continuous or chronic stress.

Chronic stress can affect you in more ways than one. Mood, sleep, digestion are to name a few. And of course weight loss is at the top of the list. Studies have revealed that chronic stress is correlated with obesity and metabolic disease. And unfortunately, women are at higher risk for obesity and stress-eating.

The effects of this kind of stress negatively impact your digestion, mood, and health thus keeping you from losing weight.

STRESS SYMPTOMS

So when does your fight or flight reaction kick-in? Usually, this happens when you sense any danger or feel threatened. This feeling can be real or imagined.

Your basic survival instincts are processed, such as your energy levels for your muscles and your perception for decision making. Once your stress levels begin to wind-down, your “rest and digest” functions will kick in. But until that happens, they will not be in action.

Do you realize how stress can affect your body, mood, and eating habits? Physical effects of stress are more prominent than you think. Are you craving for unhealthy foods or having more indigestion than usual? Are you having more body pain or body aches are becoming more common? Even you getting sick, not sleeping well, or gaining and not losing weight is a sign of stress.

Physical stress is a significant component when it comes to your weight loss goals.

STRESS HORMONES AND WEIGHT

So what are stress hormones? Have you heard the term cortisol and adrenaline? These are stress hormones.

Cortisol has the power to disturb many things that go on within our bodies. Sleep, mood, digestion, inflammation, hunger, insulin sensitivity and gut health can be affected by cortisol. All these things listed can change your weight if your stress hormones are activated. There is a connection with cortisol and individuals with higher abdominal fat as well.

Now let’s go a little deeper and talk about how stress hormones influence your weight loss efforts.

1 – Poor Digestion and Gut Health

As I mentioned earlier, the “rest and digest” function is not at work because you’re more in a “fight or flee” state.

The most noticeable influence is transit time when it comes to digestion. Stress can suddenly speed up how fast your food moves through you, which is diarrhea. It can also slow down your digestion quite a bit, which is constipation. This is not ideal.

Even if you are watching what you eat by incorporating more nutrient-dense whole foods, you may still become nutrient deficient. Proper nutrition is vital especially when you’re stressed and trying to lose weight on top of all that.

Your digestive tract also may have some leaks or tiny holes. This means food that has not been appropriately digested can get into your body and cause inflammation.

2 – Inflammation and Immune System Impairment

80% of your immune system is located around your digestive tract.

So, just think. If the impact of chronic stress hurts your digestion, your immune system is taking a loss as well.

More research is popping up revealing chronic diseases being associated with inflammation. Inflammation is controlled by your immune system when you are chronically stressed. This means you can either have an overly or underactive immune system. If it is excessively active, high inflammatory levels begin to occur.

On the contrary, if your immune system is underactive, you become prone to getting sick more often and for a more extended period.

Your immune system should be working accordingly, not too high or too low for you to achieve optimal health.

3 – Stress-Eating

Who craves sugar and fried foods when they are stressed? *Raises hand* Nobody wants a salad after dealing with days worth of headaches.

People tend to go for comfort foods when under stress.

“Hunger” and “Fullness” hormones and how they interplay with stress are now starting to be researched by Scientists.

4 – Insulin Sensitivity

Your blood sugar is increased by stress to fuel your muscles which gives you that “fight or flee” reaction. The sugar is what gives your muscles that ammunition to work the right way when needed. Your body would begin to produce insulin so that it can take back in that sugar to your cells if your muscles weren’t working properly.

When cortisol and insulin increases, it promotes fat retention and insulin resistance.

5 – Mood-Buster

Stress can be demotivating and bring down your mood. When you start feeling moody stress is close by your side. You may also have little to no motivation to exercise or do any weight loss activities.

Preparing healthy meals and snacks are far from you’re mind when you feel stressed or under pressure. Stress prohibits you from doing all the things you want to, including taking care of yourself diet-wise.

Your mood plays an important role when you’re trying to lose weight.

6. Impacts Sleep Negatively

Cortisol is part of your natural sleep-wake cycle. When you are NOT stressed, cortisol levels increase before you wake up and slowly decrease during the day.

We have increased mental clarity because of this process, as well as our muscles being fueled by our blood sugar the correct way. Everyone benefits from mental focus and the need to move our muscles when we are awake.

To get a good nights sleep we need that effect to fade. We need to get relaxed and become tired by the end of our day. In other words, we need to “rest and digest.”

It’s more common than people think that sleep is a deterrent for weight loss.  Links between getting enough quality sleep and obesity is shown by science.

So now what can you do to minimize all these stress hormones?

STRESS-REDUCING TIPS

You can re-balance the load of demands in your life. Try:

• Say no.
• Have some “me time.”
• Communicate if you have an issue with something.
• Don’t multi-task and focus on one thing at a time.
• Be consistent in your actions.
• Find support if you think you need it.
• Stop caring about what others think.

Secondly, since it’s challenging to remove stress from your life completely, you can explore different ways to deal and manage it better. Try:

• Have fun and laugh.
• Make time for people and pets you care about.
• Sleep more and make sure its better quality.
• Live in the moment. 
• Go for a walk outside.
• Try to eat a nutrient-rich diet.
• Meditate or deep breathing.
• Relax every evening (e.g., have a bath or read a book).
• Make written or digital notes of things you’re keeping track of in your head so you can relax more.
• “Treat yo-self” (e.g., get a massage or pedicure).

RECAP

Stress affects your immune system, digestion, inflammation, and gut health. It can cause cravings which makes you more hungry and susceptible to stress-eating. Fat storage around your midsection is promoted because stress also affects your insulin sensitivity. Stress also destroys your mood making you less motivated and puts a damper on you getting a good nights rest.

I know it’s easier said than done, but try to reduce some of the stress factors in your life. Please, also some of the tricks we talked about above.

Your mind and body will thank you!

Comment below if you believe stress could be killing your weight loss goals.

Talk to you soon!

Andie 🙂