Did you know that a calorie-rich diet under stress causes more weight gain than the SAME diet WITHOUT the source of stress?
Chronic stress has many effects on the body, and in many cases causes weight gain or makes it difficult to maintain or lose weight.
This may be due to stress-induced behaviors, cortisol, a molecular pathway in the brain controlled by insulin that leads to additional weight gain under stress, or a combination of these factors.
Let's take the time to look at the different links and, above all, how to try to change the tangent!
Cortisol, stress, sugar, and weight gain
It has long been known that the body secretes adrenaline and cortisol in response to stress, and that glucose is then released into the bloodstream to provide enough energy to cope with the stressful situation.
Once the source of stress disappears, the adrenaline level decreases and the carbohydrate level also decreases. Cortisol is therefore activated to replenish an energy reserve.
This is where the vicious cycle begins…
After stress, sugar provides the body with the quick energy it thinks it needs. But unfortunately sugar is stored by the body as abdominal fat, which is particularly difficult to get rid of. Being stressed, releasing cortisol, eating sugar, gaining weight, craving even more sugar, eating even more sugar, gaining weight, being stressed, etc…
Stress slows down metabolism
Even if you don't eat sugar or high-fat meals, Cortisol slows metabolism, making weight loss under stress even more difficult..
Researchers at Ohio State University have shown that stress slows metabolism, and therefore the rate at which calories are burned. They observed an average daily difference of 104 fewer calories burned for participants who experienced stress in the previous 24 hours versus those who did not. Over 365 days, 104 calories add up to an extra 11 lbs.
They also noted that insulin levels were higher in these candidates.
Insulin and weight gain
Another study, by Professor Herzog of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, clearly demonstrated another vicious cycle, where high and chronic insulin levels, caused by stress and a high-calorie diet, increasingly stimulate appetite. According to him: « This really reinforces the idea that if eating junk food is bad, doing so while stressed doubles the risk of obesity. »
Bad habits and stress
In addition to the hormonal and metabolic changes linked to stress, stress can lead to various behaviors that may be harmful to health. Here are a few :
- Skipping meals: Too busy? Do you have an endless to-do list? Eating may seem the least of your worries, and a meal can sometimes "disappear" from your schedule to give you more time to get ahead. Whether it's lunch or dinner, that reflex is unfortunately not the best for your health or for weight loss.
- Eating fast food, aka « fast food » : In situations of stress and lack of time, it's often easier to grab a quick lunch or dinner from the nearest street corner than to take the time and mental energy needed to prepare a balanced, healthy meal.
- Eating our emotions : An increased level of cortisol can not only make you crave unhealthy foods, but excess stress can often lead to eating more than you normally would. It's the same vicious cycle of cortisol, releasing cortisol, eating sugar (and/or junk food), gaining weight, etc. Weight management is much harder under stress than when not stressed.
- Sleeping less: Stress often leads many people to poorer-quality sleep when they are under stress, whether through difficulty falling asleep, insomnia, or frequent awakenings. Research has shown a link between lack of sleep and a slower metabolism. Feeling tired and exhausted can unfortunately also reduce the motivation to prepare a good meal, because the effort feels too great.
- Exercising less: With a busy schedule, it's not uncommon for the time that should be set aside for physical activity to be replaced by work. Accumulated fatigue often doesn't help the situation.
How to break the cycle of stress and weight gain
Here are some strategies that can help you break the cycle of stress and weight gain:
- Eat healthier comfort foods : No one should need a lot of sugar or unhealthy fats to feel better. Eating healthier comfort foods is just as likely to improve your mood as less healthy foods. Knowing this will make it easier to choose a healthier option during periods of high stress.
- Make exercise one of your priorities : (See the article: Fighting depression, anxiety and stress through exercise?) Any doctor, naturopath, or coach will tell you the same thing: exercise is an essential element of stress reduction and weight management. So moving, integrating exercise into your routine, results in doing two things at once: it will help you better manage your stress and help you with your weight loss.
- Drink more water: hunger and thirst can easily be confused. We're already told that it's important to drink about 2 liters of water a day. If you feel a little hungry, before reaching for a snack, start by drinking some water to eliminate the slight dehydration that may be affecting you. Once hydrated, you'll be better able to identify a real craving so you can then go and get a snack that will sustain you until your next meal.
- Try to eat mindfully (See the article : Intuitive Eating, what to eat in winter? ) : take the time to savor your meals and the pleasure of flavors and reject the idea of dieting. Instead, take the time to ask yourself what you most want, what will make you feel good during and after the meal. Rediscover the feeling of satiety and often ask yourself why you're hungry. Is it an emotional reason, or are you truly feeling a gnawing hunger? Eat when you're really hungry. The calm of meals will also lower stress levels, and therefore cortisol and the urge for sugar.
- Some natural supplements have the properties of bringing us calm, reducing stress, helping us regain serenity, lowering one's cortisol levels and thus making weight management a bit easier. Products like the Cool Down, theAshwagandha, magnesium Synermag, the St. John's wort, are really a great help in this regard. Several other products are available on this page of Stress Management are here to help us regain a certain serenity.
- Take a little time for yourself every day (See the article: Anxious? Here are some tips to lower your anxiety level"), to lower your stress level: yoga, meditation, breathing, reading, walks with music... Taking a few moments for yourself will help reduce your cortisol level and help you manage your weight."
- Plan your schedule : Having a good plan helps you better manage stress. It also allows you to fit in time for meals, for exercise, and time for yourself. In the end, you'll come out ahead.
Ultimately, the goal is to break the notorious vicious cycle of stress and weight gain. Learning to slow down, take the time to move a little, and eat healthily when you're truly hungry. It doesn't happen in a day, but Rome wasn't built in a day.
Important, if you are experiencing emotional distress or uncontrollable stress, do not hesitate to consult a healthcare professional, doctor, psychologist, or therapist who can help you appropriately.
References:
- http://www.psychomedia.qc.ca/sante/2019-04-27/poids-stress
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research. "Comfort food leads to more weight gain during stress." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 April 2019.
. - https://www.verywellmind.com/how-stress-can-cause-weight-gain-3145088#:~:text=The%20researchers%20found%20that%2C%20on,that%20contributes%20to%20fat%20storage.