You gain weight when you take in more calories than you burn off. Most people are already familiar with this simple equation, but sometimes it’s not so simple. That’s because metabolism and appetite are controlled by a number of hormones including appetite hormones, like leptin and ghrelin. Hormones like insulin, growth hormone, thyroid hormone, and cortisol also affect metabolism and storage of body fat. Certain factors can throw this hormonal balance off and make it easier to gain weight. One such factor is stress. Some people are surprised to find that stress can cause weight gain. After all, under some stressful circumstances like illness people lose weight. Illness sends the body into a catabolic state, which leads to weight loss. On the other hand, garden-variety everyday stress can cause weight gain. Here’s why.
Stress Increases Cortisol Levels
Stress sends hormones like cortisol into overdrive. Cortisol is a hormone that helps to regulate blood sugar and fat storage. It increases during starvation, calorie restriction, sleep deprivation and when your blood sugar drops and other situations that cause your body to go into survival mode. Chronic stress increases cortisol levels too.
The bad news about cortisol is it increases appetite and cravings for sugary foods. This makes sense since your body needs to tap into more energy stores when you’re under stress. It also causes fat redistribution, sending more fat to your belly and waistline. It’s visceral or deep belly fat that’s most dangerous from a health standpoint. Cortisol can also undo some of the benefits of a strength-training program by breaking down muscle mass to give your body amino acids to use as fuel when your blood sugar level drops.
Stress May Cause You to Eat More and Make the Wrong Food Choices
As mentioned, stress boosts cortisol levels. This increases cravings for carby, sugary foods. In addition, some people turn to their favorite high-calorie comfort foods when the going gets rough. Eating becomes a way to fulfill emotional needs brought on by stress. When facing stressful situations, people choose more fast foods and convenience foods that are usually high in calories and they become emotional eaters, eating in response to anxiety and stress rather than hunger. Doing that too often can add inches to anyone’s waistline.
Stress Interferes with Normal Sleep Patterns
By now you realize how important sleep is for controlling your weight – and stress can make it harder to get a good night’s sleep. Studies show that people who sleep less than seven hours a night or have poor quality sleep are more likely to gain weight. There are several ways stress affects body weight. When you deprive yourself of sleep, leptin levels drop and ghrelin levels rise. This sends your appetite into overdrive. Chronic lack of sleep also boosts cortisol levels, which causes your waistline to expand and lean body mass to decline as muscle proteins are broken down.
Stress and Weight Gain: The Bottom Line?
You may not be able to completely control stress, but staying physically active can help you deal with it better. Along with aerobic exercise and strength-training, consider adding mind-body exercises like Tai Chi or yoga to your routine like my Yoga Relax video. Hypnosis, deep breathing and meditation are other techniques that can help you deal with stress and prevent stress-related weight gain. Keep a food diary when you’re under stress to help identify and correct emotional eating patterns. Train yourself to rate your hunger on a scale of one to five before eating. If your hungry doesn’t rank three or greater, take a brisk walk or meditate instead of snacking. Don’t let stress be the reason you’re putting on inches.
References:
University of New Mexico. “Cortisol Connection: Tips on Managing Stress and Weight” Christine A. Maglione-Garves, Len Kravitz, Ph.D., and Suzanne Schneider, Ph.D.
WebMD. “The Dream Diet: Losing Weight While You Sleep”
Related Articles By Cathe:
The Surprising Reason You’re Not Losing Weight
Uh-Oh! Does Stress Slow Your Metabolism?
5 Ways Psychological Stress Leads to Weight Gain
Overstimulated and Overstressed: How Adrenal Fatigue Leads to Depression, Weight Gain, and Disease
Stress and Weight Gain: Can Stress Cause You to Get Fat?
How Psychological Stress Impacts Your Workouts
