Why Stress Is Keeping You Fat – And How to Beat It
Stress can be a major obstacle to weight loss, often keeping you from shedding excess fat despite your best efforts.
When you're stressed, your body releases cortisol, a hormone that triggers fat storage, particularly around the belly.
High cortisol levels not only increase cravings for sugary and high-fat foods but also slow down metabolism, making it harder to burn calories efficiently.
Additionally, stress disrupts sleep, and poor sleep further increases hunger hormones while reducing willpower, leading to overeating and unhealthy food choices.
Chronic stress also impacts digestion, causing bloating, gut imbalances, and poor nutrient absorption, which can make weight management even more challenging.
Furthermore, stress can lead to emotional eating, where food is used as a coping mechanism rather than nourishment, often resulting in excessive calorie intake.
The cycle of stress and weight gain is further reinforced by a lack of motivation to exercise, as high stress levels can leave you feeling fatigued, unmotivated, and overwhelmed.
To break this cycle, it's crucial to manage stress through effective strategies such as mindfulness, meditation, and deep breathing exercises, which help regulate cortisol levels.