We are all aware of the negative impacts of stress on our health, but can it actually cause you to gain weight? The answer is Yes! Stress can affect your hormone profile, sleep, mood, metabolism, hunger cues, exercise, and more.
Raised cortisol levels are a major culprit when it comes to weight gain resulting from stress. Cortisol is a vital hormone produced in your adrenal glands. It must stay fairly balanced. Too little, or too much cortisol can negatively affect your health. Cortisol is released when confronted with stress, which sends your body into “fight or flight’ mode. Chronic stress, resulting in high cortisol levels over time will negatively affect different aspects of your health.
Metabolism:
When cortisol is raised, metabolism temporarily pauses. You can imagine that if your body is not metabolizing(breaking down food for fuel), you’ll hang on to extra pounds and have decreased energy. Because cortisol can also affect your blood sugars it can also cause you to over-eat and crave sugary, fatty foods.
Sleep:
Stress is a huge sleep disruptor. Lack of sleep can cause moodiness, increased appetite, and an impaired immune system. Moodiness and an increased appetite can lead to emotional eating as well as over-eating, which both lead to weight gain.
Exercise:
Physical activity is important when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight. Many of us don’t feel like exercising when we are under significant stress, which is the opposite of what we should do. Exercise has numerous benefits such as improving mood, strengthening muscles and bones, and improving sleep. We need to stay active!
Overall, stress is a significant contributor to weight gain for many people. It can trigger the release of specific hormones which can cause weight gain or the inability to lose weight. Stress often leads to certain behaviors that can lead to weight gain as well. It is important to learn how to manage stress effectively so you can keep your hormones balanced and maintain a healthy weight. If you are struggling with keeping a healthy weight, contact Long Island Laparoscopic surgery for a plan for successful weight loss.
Dr. Arif Ahmad specializes in laparoscopic robotic surgery and has performed over 2,000 laparoscopic robotic surgeries. He is renowned in the Long Island area for his impeccable track record of safety and success. Dr. Ashley Modica joins Long Island Laparoscopic Surgery to perform body contouring surgery for patients after successful weight loss following bariatric surgery.
