If you are like many of the clients I have helped, you find yourself doing all the right things (monitoring calories, eating healthy foods, and exercising) but the weight just wont come off. What you need to know is weight loss is not as simple as calories in versus calories out. It turns out that the effect stress has on our hormones, can play a very big role in our weight.
I’m sure you have heard of the fight or flight response our body has when we are threatened or under stress. One of the hormones that increases during this stress response is Cortisol, which is also known as the fat defense hormone. High levels of cortisol increase your appetite as well as increasing fat storage in your abdominal area. As if that were not enough, cortisol can also increase levels of insulin in the body leading to insulin resistance or insulin block, causing the sugar produced by what we eat to be unabsorbed and then stored as fat. In turn, as we then store more fat, the increased fat cells cause increased levels of the hormone Leptin, who’s role is normally to control your hunger, but in excess amounts the body’s cells resist leptin throwing our appetite out of control. (As if stress itself didn’t already make us want to eat more for comfort.) In addition, cortisol increases leptin’s counterpart, a hormone called gherlin which activates the hunger centers of your brain, leading to overeating as well. Sadly, chronic stress can lead to persistently elevated cortisol levels in your body. Obsessing over failed weight loss attempts certainly adds to your stress as well. Sound like a vicious cycle? Well, it certainly is, that is why taking control of your stress is so very important for your overall wellbeing.
So what steps can you take to reduce your stress and improve your weight loss efforts?
· Develope a support system- vent your feelings of stress to a good friend. Even if they cannot offer a solution, the “release” of these feelings can greatly reduce your stress.
· Join a yoga or meditation class to help release tension and calm your nerves
· Get regular massages once or twice a month
· Limit your caffeine and alcohol consumption (which inadvertently increase your stress response) Substitute green tea for coffee, to add amino acids that naturally reduce stress
· Add a B complex to your diet and food high in omega 3s such as fatty fish, nuts and seeds and plant oils (flaxseed/canola)
· Learn to recognize the things in your life that add to your stress and eliminate them as possible (you can keep a journal to track when you feel stressed and what brought it on)
· Learn to say NO. Prioritize your list of chores and activities Understand that there are some things you just don’t have time for and let go of what doesn’t give you joy. The housework isn’t going anywhere, take the time for yourself to go to yoga, spend time with a friend ect.
· Use time saving services such as peapod for shopping, online shopping, healthy take out meals so you are less stressed “doing it all”
· Eating extra dark chocolate (atleast 80% cacao) is found to help reduce stress. And who doesn’t enjoy a little chocolate anyway?
If practicing all or most of the above suggestions doesn’t improve your stress and weight control, you may want to add natural supplements proven to regulate Cortisol levels. I have helped many clients select supplements that improve their hormonal balance as well as improve their food choices and develope better eating habits to produce the weight loss they desire. If you are having trouble going it alone and want to break the stress and weight gain cycle, let me help, contact my office for consultation.
