12 August 2021
How does stress impact your weight?
Stress can not only affect your potential to keep a healthy weight but also prevent you from losing weight. The impact can vary from person to person — and even from situation to situation.
Stressful moments can lead to missed meals or food choices, for some it can cause them to completely lose their appetite. However, this can be only temporary and once the stressor has passed, your weight may go back to normal.
Besides the hormonal changes related to stress, stress can also engage you in the following unhealthy behaviours, all of which can cause weight gain:
❗ Emotional eating
❗ Eating "accessible" or fast food
❗ Exercising less
❗ Skipping meals
❗ Sleeping less
HOW TO COPE WITH STRESS WHILST TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT?
We know how difficult it may be to maintain a healthy diet whilst trying to cope with pressure at work or at home. Here are some easy strategies to break this cycle:
- Start practising mindful eating – focus carefully when eating, multitasking while eating can distract you from the portions you may be intaking or the pace you are eating at,
- Prioritise exercise – Working out is one of the best techniques when going through stressful times. Whether it is a simple walk in the park or going to the gym, including any type of exercise in your routine will make such a difference!
- Think before you snack - Stop before you eat other than at mealtimes and think twice if you are reaching out for food because you are hungry or for another reason. Pay close attention to when you’re eating in response to stress, versus when you’re eating in response to physiological hunger.
- Sleep WELL! - Aim for at least 7-8 hours rest each night. Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. Sleep will always play an important role in your physical and mental health.
- Keep a food diary – It's very important to keep track of the food we eat, seeing what you eat exactly visibility will help you acknowledge exactly what needs improving and realise how much stress can impact your diet.
- Drink MORE water – hydrating yourself regularly will not only help you to keep your satiety level up but minimize your cravings. Water will physically fill in your stomach, decreasing your hungry whilst reducing thirst.
Take control of your stress! The less stress you have the more you can handle your life with ease, allowing you to maintain a healthy lifestyle and have the right energy and motivation to exercise.
