Does Stress Cause People to Gain Weight?
Researchers have confirmed that weight gain is often times directly related to stress. Furthermore, stress not only causes weight gain, it can have serious and long term effects on your health.
With busier lives than ever before, Americans struggle to eat healthy meals and stick to a regular exercise routine. But when these busy schedules are compounded with worrying about that pile of bills, trying to keep your boss happy, and an ever growing to-do list, it’s no surprise that so many Americans feel stressed out.
While some amount of stress is to be expected in life, experiencing chronic stress has a tremendous effect on your body. Constant stress changes your physiological make-up, some of which makes it incredibly hard to maintain your weight.
The Effects of Stress on the Body
When we feel stressed out about bills, the brain perceives this as a threat. This type of stress, if not managed, activates the same portions of the brain that would kick into action when we’re being chased by a tiger.
While bills are admittedly scary sometimes, constant worry and anxiety about life’s demands will throw your mind and body off-balance. When under stress, hormones such as adrenaline and coritsol are released in an attempt to prepare the body for fight or flight.
The initial adrenaline rush actually works to decrease the appetite…at first. The adrenaline wears off quickly, soon after the initial threat has passed, but the cortisol sticks around. Your body immediately wants to replenish itself with the closest available food source, which is usually that box of cookies in the cupboard.
Even worse, the hormones related to stress cause an increase in stubborn belly fat. When under constant threats, your body will store away nutrients as a survival mechanism. While this type of fat is especially difficult to get rid of, you can still do it with the right diet.
Stress and Weight Gain
Even though it’s easy to blame stress for our extra inches, it’s really not stress that actually causes the weight gain – it’s how we manage and respond to stress.
Accepting responsibility for the stress you feel, and retraining your brain to manage it effectively can be accomplished with a little time and effort. Not only will you lose weight more easily, you will feel better and be healthier if you learn how to get rid of unnecessary stress.
How to prevent stress related weight gain:
- Eat healthy, fresh foods
- Get plenty of sleep
- Find ways to relax
- Exercise is essential
- Avoid toxins
Following the simple steps listed above will have a dramatic increase on your stress levels, along with your overall health and well-being. Losing weight isn’t just about looking better, it’s about creating a lifestyle that promotes health and happiness.
Stress and Weight Gain: Let the NYC Weightloss Solutions Help
Even though stress and weight gain go hand-in-hand, you can learn effective tools that will leave you feeling relaxed and free of anxiety.
Let the experts at The NYC Weightloss Solutions help you live the life you deserve to live by developing a customized diet plan that fits your needs and goals.
To schedule your free consultation, please click below or call us at (212) 759-8118
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