Stress Management and Weight Loss

When we think of weight management, typically a few things come to mind. Calories in (food we eat), calories out (exercise), weight loss pills/supplements and, in some cases, surgery. One thing that is often overlooked and doesn’t get talked about enough, especially in relation to weight loss, is stress management. The reason managing your stress is so important when it comes to losing weight is pretty simple. Elevated stress levels mean higher cortisol levels (stress hormone) which leads to feeling hungrier and craving high caloric foods with higher sugar and fat contents. This is due in part to elevated blood sugar levels as a result of elevated cortisol levels. Therefore, if these heightened levels of cortisol are sustained for long periods of time, you’re likely doing prolonged damage to your metabolism and internal hunger cues. Making losing weight more and more difficult down the road the longer cortisol and blood sugar levels remain elevated. Higher cortisol levels are also linked to higher levels of visceral fat, which refers to higher fat underneath the abdominal region and around the organs. This type of fat storage, as opposed to subcutaneous, which is underneath your skin, puts you at a much greater risk for serious medical issues. Examples include heart disease, Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and high cholesterol. All of which are strongly linked to having too much fat in your trunk region.

High stress levels have a compounding negative effect on our health. When it comes to weight loss, sure, the basics are calories in and calories out. But how do we stick to healthy habits like not overeating and exercising regularly when we are constantly stressed out? It makes it astronomically harder. Not just from a physiological standpoint, but from a psychological one too. Managing your diet and exercising becomes much more challenging when your hormones are constantly nagging you to eat more and your energy levels resemble the big ups and downs of a roller coaster. When stress is managed correctly, cravings and energy levels stabilize. Allowing hunger cues to kick in at the proper time, so you don’t overeat and energy levels return to normal, meaning less crashes in energy that make you more susceptible to bad food choices or skipping exercise.

With all of this in mind, maybe, for some of us, a good place to start when it comes to weight management is actually taking a look at our stress levels. In today’s world, we are surrounded by high stress stimuli, with very little reprieve. If we can learn to manage our stress effectively, the weight loss we seek will likely come as a byproduct. This is because our body will be functioning more optimally, and we will feel better both physically and psychologically. Allowing us to make better choices. Oftentimes, just thinking about trying to lose weight for many people, is yet another source of stress we add to our lives. Therefore, it makes us potentially worse off than when we initially weren’t even thinking about losing weight.

If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to stress management, here are a few things you can try: meditation/mindfulness, walking, working out to start your day, playing with your pet, power nap, playing a sport you enjoy, etc. The list goes on, the key is to find what works best for you and your particular situation. So, next time you’re thinking about hopping back on the wagon and trying to kick yourself into shape, start with stress management, and the rest will follow.