Weight Loss – 4 Steps to Reduce Stress Related Weight Gain
Here are four additional tips to decrease the impact of stress and elevated cortisol levels on your weight.
1. Don’t fight the cravings.
If you need something sweet it’s okay to satisfy your sweet tooth – in moderation. It’ll cut off your elevated cortisol levels response before things get out of control.
2. Limit caffeine.
The combination of caffeine and stress raises cortisol levels.
3. As always, don’t skip breakfast!
Being deficient in certain vitamins, such as B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium causes your body stress and boosts cortisol levels, along with food cravings. Breakfast is a great quick and easy way to add these nutrients to your diet everyday. Some yogurt with fresh strawberries provides vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium. Add whole grain toast with peanut butter and you’ve boosted you B vitamin intake. As an additional bonus the healthy fatty acids in peanut butter slow the production of stress hormones.
4. Get enough sleep.
Sleep and stress – Adequate sleep is the most effective way to cut stress. Getting an average of 6 ½ hours of sleep nightly may increase cortisol, appetite, and weight gain. Ideally shoot for 7-9 hours of sleep. It only takes a few nights of good sleep to balance yourself back out.
To learn more about the impact of stress and cortisol on your weight, I recommend reviewing the article How Stress and Cortisol Affect Weight Loss. I’d love to help you lose weight and keep it off – permanently! Check out the programs available to help you at http://www.weightlosswithlisa.com.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
The Best Way to Lose Weight
Weight Loss – How Stress and Cortisol Affect Weight Loss
Do you struggle with extra fat around your midsection? Excess abdominal fat is not only visually unappealing to some, but it increases your heart disease risk.
What causes abdominal obesity?
There are many different reasons your body likes to store fat in the abdomen. I want to discuss one possibility – cortisol.Cortisol is a hormone made by the adrenal glands in the kidney. Cortisol levels are highest in the morning. Through gluconeogeneis (term for glucose production), cortisol breaks down muscle to provide the body with needed glucose for energy needs. Cortisol also relocates fat cell deposits into the visceral cavities of the abdomen.
When we are confronted with stress our body’s initial response is “fight or flight”. When we go into “fight” mode our body releases the hormone norepinephrine. When we respond with “flight” (or anxiety) our body releases epinephrine. If the stressful situation is long term and you begin to feel distressed and defeated, the hypothalamus in the brain becomes involved, eventually leading to the release of cortisol from the adrenal gland in the kidney.
Why is “fight or flight” important to understand?
Your perception of an event can determine your body’s physical response. Do you feel stressed, but challenged by an obstacle or do you feel overwhelmed and out of control? If you feel challenged and “fight” your body responds with an accelerated heart rate that increases the release of fatty acids into circulation. If you feel out of control and defeated (“flight”), the body increases fat formation (lipogenesis), breakdowns tissue (muscle), suppresses the immune system, and increases visceral fat deposits.
What is visceral fat?
Visceral fat is the fat around and between your organs. Subcutaneous fat is the fat layer beneath your skin.
Excess visceral fat leads to the “beer belly” effect (also referred to as the “apple” shape). Visceral fat is connected to insulin resistance and glucose intolerance (linked to diabetes), high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Are you at risk?
Get out a tape measure.
Wrap the tape measure around your abdomen at the level of your navel (belly button). Make sure the tape measure is level all the way around (you may need extra hands). Resist the temptation to cinch in the tape measure for a lower number, instead hold the tape measure lightly against your skin.
Men – A waist measurement of 40 inches (102 cm) or greater equal’s abdominal obesity.
Women – A waist measurement of 35 inches (88 cm) or greater equal’s abdominal obesity.
How to reduce stress for minimal impact on abdominal fat and heart disease risk?
Stress is a part of living, but you can take steps to reduce your stress levels.
Physical activity, especially aerobic activity, is a great stress management tool. Activity releases the “feel good” hormone serotonin to help combat the negative effects of long term stress. As an added bonus, you burn calories to shed the extra layer of fat.
p>Additional interventions to reduce stress include deep breathing, progressive relaxation, meditation, and visualization. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new that may be effective at reducing your stress levels. Getting enough sleep and making healthy food choices are two additional steps to promote stress management.
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