The effects of stress on your weight loss
Back in cave man's times, stress was a positive thing. Imagine you’re out hunting for food for your tribe and you see a sabre-toothed tiger. You’re going to get pretty stressed, pretty quickly.
But that stress at that moment is serving a purpose. It’s putting your body on high alert, triggering your flight or fight response, and helping you to focus better in the moment so you can figure out how to safely get away and not be eaten.
Well, we’re no longer threatened by sabre-toothed tigers in the wild anymore but we are threatened by other factors in our lives and as a society, we are more stressed than ever before and this is having such a negative impact on our wellness.
As I mentioned stress triggers the body’s fight or flight response which in turn increases the production of the stress hormone cortisol. What happens then? Your appetite can increase, and your cravings for sugary and fatty foods can increase both of which if over-consumed can lead to weight gain.
Being under an inappropriate amount of stress can also cause you to make unhealthy choices and not just when it comes to food. If you’re stressed you’re more likely to say “F it, I cannot be bothered to go to the gym today” and skip a workout. When in reality and ironically, probably the best thing for you at the moment, would have been the workout. Inconsistent workouts will no doubt have an impact on your ability to shred fat.
It’s also SO important to take time out to relax and do nothing. Another problem in today’s society is that we all feel like we have to switched on and connected. To our phones, to our people, to the news. Which can further cause us stress given the state of the world at times.
So taking time for yourself to relax, meditate, read, cook, practice mindfulness whatever that might look like for you, is essential in managing and reducing your stress which in turn will help you on your wellness journey overall.
Managing stress and fat loss can be challenging so it’s important to focus on what you can control - your eating habits, how much sleep you get, time away from your screens, and moving your body.
If you would love a helping hand with that, this is exactly the type of thing I help my clients with. Simply apply here, or shoot me a DM on Instagram @madeline_grace if you’d like to learn more about how we can work together to create a lifestyle that works for you.
