Many people who switch to a healthier diet and exercise regularly still find it difficult to lose weight, and it is frustrating when despite all your efforts, you just don’t see the results you want. There are many factors that can influence your weight. One such factor is stress. If you are constantly stressed, it can contribute to your inability to reach your target weight. Here’s how stress can inhibit your weight loss without you even being aware of it.
Stress and Food Choices
When you are stressed, there is a tendency to engage in stress eating. On good days, you may be able to exercise self-control, but when you are feeling stressed, negative emotions, or anxious, you may end up seeking relief from eating. The type of foods a stress-eater reaches for is often junk food with little nutritional value. This kind of food can bring temporary comfort and includes foods like unhealthy carbs, artificial sweeteners, and fried foods. Stress-eating is a chronic problem, and it’s very common for people who have weight issues to be stress-eaters.
Stress and Loss of Portion Control
Stress does not only affect your food choices, but also your portion size. Junk foods are ultimately less filling than healthy foods with high-fiber content. They are also high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats. This causes you to eat a lot more than necessary. You may not even realize just how many calories you consume by finishing just a bag of potato chips, a bar of chocolate, or a pint of ice cream.
Lack of Desire To Exercise
Stress may also affect your motivation to exercise. With too much going on in your head, you may just want to sit and relax or lay in bed after coming home from work instead of working out. Stress also causes you to lose interest in being active, which is necessary to lose weight.
Your Body Releases Cortisol When Stressed
When you are stressed, your body produces a stress hormone called cortisol, which programs your body to store fat, especially in the abdomen. As such, you end up in an uphill battle when trying to lose weight while also dealing with stress.
Stress Affects Sleep
People who are stressed may also find it difficult to sleep at night, and without adequate sleep, the body produces the hunger hormone called ghrelin. It may lead you to snack frequently the next day, jeopardizing your weight loss goals. Furthermore, lack of sleep can also lead to chronic stress, which can further derail your weight loss plans.
Effective Weight Management Program in Weatherford, Texas
Losing weight is a complex undertaking, and it take a lot of effort to eat healthy and be physically active to reach your goal. Although these are critical components of any weight loss program, long-term weight loss can only be achieved when you account for factors such as stress, sleep, and hormones.
If you are struggling to lose weight, you may benefit from a physician-assisted weight management program. At AlphaCare Wellness Center, Dr. Catherine Oseni takes a unique approach to weight loss that helps clients develop healthy habits that will not only help them reach their weight goals, but also maintain results long-term.
For a customized weight management program, call AlphaCare Wellness Center to schedule an appointment at (817) 550-6332 or submit a request today, and we will get back to you soon.
