How Stress Affects Your Weight

By Susanne Warren

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Do you feel that you tend to gain weight more easily when you’re going through a stressful period in your life? There are several ways in which stress can contribute to weight gain, or prevent you from losing weight as easily as you’d like.

Whether you’re in a brief, stressful situation or under chronic stress, your “fight or flight” response is triggered, leading to a release of hormones, one of which is cortisol. Your brain doesn’t know whether your boss has just assigned you a project with an impossible-to-meet deadline or you’re being chased by a bear. Either way, in an attempt to make sure eating is the last thing on your mind, cortisol is released to provide a burst of energy and slow down metabolism. Your slowed metabolism makes it more difficult for the body to convert calories into energy.

Ironically, another of the ways stress makes weight loss difficult is cravings. When we’re under chronic stress, we tend to crave salty, fatty and/or sugary foods--the exact foods that cause weight gain--because we’re looking for comfort. In addition, the excess nervous energy can cause you to eat more than you normally would. If this sounds familiar to you, try to find ways other than food to comfort and soothe yourself when you’re feeling anxious or upset.

High cortisol levels affect where we store fat. People who report being under chronic stress, or who have been found to have higher than normal cortisol levels, tend to store fat around their middles.

One thing you can do to reverse the pattern of weight gain and actually reduce your stress level and waistline at the same time is exercise. Exercise decreases cortisol and increases endorphins (the “feel-good” chemicals in your brain). It also provides a distraction and a release of the “fight or flight” energy that’s created when you’re stressed. Walking, yoga, and swimming are great choices for reducing stress.

If you feel chronically stressed, there are many other ways to reduce those feelings that take little to no time at all. Some will require a little thought and planning to implement the changes. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Reduce your caffeine and sugar consumption.
2. Practice relaxation techniques like breathing or meditation. Here’s a link to instructions for a one-minute breathing meditation: http://www.lifespa.com/article.aspx?art_id=90.
3. Fit short breaks into your day.
4. Stretch tight muscles.
5. Light a scented candle. Lavender and sandalwood are soothing scents.
6. Take control of situations that are causing you stress; create routines so there’s some predictability in your life.
7. Limit the time you spend with people who make you feel stressed out.
8. Do something you enjoy every day: read, spend time in nature, listen to music, take a bubble bath.