Stress, Is one of the major factors that can increase or decrease your weight. When the body is under pressure, the brain triggers the release of various hormones. These hormones disrupt your eating habits and make you crave sweet or salty foods, and increase or decrease your appetite. Some people are so sensitive to stress that even a small amount of stress can make them crave chocolate or overindulge in fast food.
How does stress lead to weight gain?
When we are under stress, our bodies become full of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, as well as corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). The combination of stress hormones immediately increases the body’s energy. This initially leads to a decrease or loss of appetite. But because you do not consume this energy by running or walking fast, you will end up starving in the end.
You know that of the three stress hormones, cortisol stays high for a long time after the stress is gone. This hormone will increase the pain of hunger and make you eat more. High levels of cortisol often lead to the accumulation of fat around the abdomen.
Excessive stress can also cause emotional eating. When cortisol levels are high, we usually crave carbohydrates. This is why some people involuntarily feel better after eating carbs. They turn to food to relax.
In addition, when we are stressed, we usually make the worst food choices. This is because all of these hormones make us choose sweet, salty and high-fat foods to soothe our worn-out nerves. And if you continue to choose the wrong foods, you will end up eating high-calorie foods that you can not burn, and this will lead to weight gain.
How does stress lead to weight loss?
Most people gain weight when they are stressed. But in some cases, the opposite happens and people lose weight! When you are stressed, you become anxious, and when you are anxious, you think about millions of things at a time and you lose focus on the main emotions such as hunger.
Anxiety leads to unwanted weight loss, and can cause you to lose your appetite or feel full despite not eating all day. This is because anxious people can skip meals without overeating even afterwards.
Well, for some as a baby gets older, he or she will outgrow this. It is not true! As you begin to skip meals and lose a lot of weight, your body begins to weaken. Your organs will not work effectively, you will lose energy, and you will have eating disorders and various health problems.
Manage stress the right way
To prevent weight gain or unwanted weight loss due to stress, you need to learn how to control the influx of hormones in the body in the right way. First, take a break. Give yourself plenty of time to rest each day. Do not spend all day in front of a computer. Instead, take a break every 30 minutes or an hour to clear your mind and bend your legs.
Start eating nutritious and balanced meals and never skip a meal until you have to overeat later. No matter how busy your head is, make sure you eat right.
Finally, exercise regularly. The body must be in its best shape to be able to resist daily stressors. In order to do your job effectively, you need to be in the best possible condition every day.
