How Under Eating and Stress Effect Weight Loss | Part 2

In Part 1 we discussed how under eating can effect weight loss and even lead to weight gain.  In Part 2 we will discuss the ways that stress can effect your weight loss.  We will go over Cortisol, Acute stress, Chronic stress and how it all relates to weight loss or lack there of.

First thing we need to talk about is Cortisol.  Cortisol is a steroid hormone that's functions include: blood pressure regulation, metabolism of glucose, maintenance of blood sugar and maintenance of the immune system.  Cortisol is often called the stress hormone because it is also released in response to stress.  Cortisol released during acute stress gives you a sudden burst of energy, a higher pain threshold, increased immunity and improved memory.  This is called the fight or flight response and our bodies were designed to handle such acute stress as being chased by, or hunting, wild animals.

Are bodies however are not designed to handle the chronic stress in our lives such as: high pressure/hectic jobs, social commitments, your child's future, being caught in traffic daily and even stepping on your scale can be a chronic stress.  Chronic stress can be the cause of headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, depression and anxiety.  Both depression and anxiety can cause an individual to turn to food as a way to comfort themselves.  Having a high pressure/hectic job can lead to eating on the go (likely fast food) or they may even begin under eating.  Those are just a few ways that chronic stress can effect weight loss by effecting our eating habits.

Now let's discuss how chronic stress and Cortisol can effect weight loss from within.  When Cortisol is released during chronic stress, it stimulates the production of glucose in the liver; at the same time it signals the body to conserve glucose in the blood stream.  What is glucose?  Glucose is your body's fuel; produced when your body breaks down all the nutrients you ingest or when your liver produces it during chronic stress.  As we know, your body through your BMR and your activity levels we can burn 'X' amount of glucose (calories) as fuel.  When we don't burn the amount of glucose we have available for energy, the remaining glucose will be stored as fat.    

I'll try to make it a little simpler: chronic stress releases Cortisol which stimulates our body to not only conserve glucose but produce more of it; not taking into consideration the glucose that is broken down from our ingested nutrients.  Since we can only burn so much glucose as energy through our day, the glucose that is not burned as energy is stored as body fat.  

Stress can not only effect your weight loss by you turning to food as comfort for depression or anxiety, it can cause you to make bad food choices / under eat and it can also slow your weight loss due to hormonal imbalances.

Keys to success:  schedule lunch breaks away from work, minimize social commitments, take the road less traveled, meditate, take deep relaxing breaths, eat nutritionally dense foods, follow a sleep schedule, exercise regularly, exercise with a purpose, lift weights, punch a punching bag, do what you love, smile, laugh and high five.  -jason b.