Better Weight Loss: Stress and Weight Gain

There is a common joke in our family when we see pictures of celebrations, people going to the office, moving around anywhere without any masks or enjoying in pubs and parties, we mention, “See, that is how people lived in 2019.” Yes, in 2019, getting late for office, rushing to prepare breakfast or feed your baby, deadlines at work, were all normal in a day. Then came 2020 and brought along Coronavirus. Our lives which were always on a run suddenly came to a halt. For a few days initially, everyone was clueless. Yes, we felt relaxed too till the time the work from home and layoffs started becoming a new normal. Earlier we are stressed as we were ending up late for meetings or getting back home but when the word ‘Lockdown’ entered our lives we were more stressed. Earlier there were deadlines to be met working within office premises and now also either it is the stress of meeting the same deadlines or stress of looking for a new job the only constant is ‘Stress’. Another interesting fact is that in all kinds of situations along with stress the bonus comes weight gain. Right so let us talk about Stress and Weight Gain.

My personal experience says that stress is closely linked to weight gain. I am so sure about it because one of the major reasons I have put on weight is STRESS in addition to anemia. So, this post is backed by my personal experience as well as numerous researches correlating weight & stress gain.

stress & weight gain

Let’s see how Stress causes Weight Gain.

When we are stressed, we release a stress hormone called ‘Cortisol’ which causes weight gain. Some research finds that higher levels of cortisol lead to increased abdominal fat. That’s why I always put on weight around my tummy, Huh!

Cortisol also slows metabolism, hence we tend to gain weight even if are eating the same food. So our dieting and exercise go for a toss!

Do you find yourself binging on carbs when you are anxious? Have you wondered why you crave carbs only that time? The reason is carbs are known to increase Serotonin temporarily. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter and helps us with our emotions, anxiety, stress, worries, etc. So, carbs give a temporary relief which is very shortlived. Later, you crash! This is called Emotional Eating which causes us to eat more calories and increase our weight 🙁

Stress and Weight Gain

Stress also alters blood sugar levels which further causes fatigue, mood swings, hypertension, and a lot more. Prolonged and acute stress has also been associated with metabolic syndrome, heart attack, and diabetes.