Stress and weight: why we gain extra pounds during stress

Content:

• 1 Why people lose weight when stressed
• 2 Consequences of stressful weight loss
• 3 Factors of weight loss under stress
• 4 What are the dangers of artificially creating stress?
• 5 Weight loss due to nervousness in women
• 6 Weight loss due to nervousness in men
• 7 In conclusion

In fact, these processes can be controlled, the main thing is to properly treat your stressful condition, and not let everything take its course.

↑ Why people lose weight when stressed

The main reason why people lose weight is a large loss of energy. The body needs to adapt to new conditions, it spends its resources on the production of adrenaline and other hormones, and in addition, the body begins to think that it is sick, and this negatively affects appetite.

The production of adrenaline increases blood pressure, and all resources are consumed much faster. Weight loss usually occurs in the shortest possible time. This process begins with muscle spasms, which is where appetite disappears. In this case, doctors recommend not going on a starvation diet, but still eating, at least a little.

Many people lose weight because they simply start thinking about the problems that caused stress, and therefore forget about food and sleep. Men, women, and even children can lose weight from stress. But it should be noted that men lose weight more often. In women, metabolism changes in the opposite direction - they are more likely to eat the problem and increase their weight under stress.

How does stress affect weight?

There is no denying the powerful impact of stress on a person’s physical and mental health. It is often called among the causes of many chronic diseases, since it triggers destructive processes in the body. For some, stress can lead to weight problems, both obesity and exhaustion, as it significantly affects hormone production and the gastrointestinal tract, which can lead to changes in appetite and metabolism.

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Being under constant stress, you tend to behave differently than usual. For example, you work during lunch hours or go to bed late to meet a deadline. These disruptions can worsen the body's response to stress. In this state, the body goes into a special mode, and you physiologically respond to a potential threat. The hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released. The first helps to adapt to vigorous activity, but can also minimize appetite. Meanwhile, the second signals the temporary suppression of functions that are not necessary during a crisis: digestive, immune and reproductive. However, there may be a completely different picture.

Anna:

Stress does not have any positive effect on all body systems. Yes, some people notice that they are losing weight, others are gaining. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the psyche. Some people are unable to eat when exposed to stress factors, while others experience compulsive overeating. At the same time, the effect on the hormonal state is extremely negative, because one way or another the metabolism and the functioning of the nervous, hormonal and endocrine systems deteriorate.

Photo: istockphoto.com

The effect on metabolism in this case has a clear present or clear delayed effect. Therefore, even if the weight initially decreases, later due to hormonal and endocrine disorders it will return, and much lighter than before. To maintain a healthy weight, stress should still be avoided or minimized, the expert says.

“Crunch” stress: foods that you can and should eat during the blues. They will help improve stress resistance and not lash out at harmfulness.

↑ Consequences of stressful weight loss

Losing weight under stress is by no means a safe phenomenon. There can be very unpleasant consequences. Of course, at the first moment many will rejoice at losing weight, but in fact, a nervous person does not even suspect that dangerous processes are running in the body. A serious illness such as anorexia begins, in most cases, due to refusal to eat under stress. In addition, common consequences include:

1. Heart arythmy.
2. Disorders of the menstrual cycle in women.
3. State of drowsiness and apathy.
4. Brain performance decreases.
5. Insomnia.
6. Muscle spasms.
7. Disturbances in the functioning of the musculoskeletal system.
8. Hair loss.

Chronic stress leads to complete imbalance in the body. If you don't eat at all, your stress can get worse. The worst thing is that a person most often discovers his low weight at a late stage, when the help of a specialist is already necessary.

How to recover from stress

Long-term stress affects the psychological state, nervous system and appearance. Weakness after a period of nervous tension is associated with intense loss of nutrients, including protein and amino acids. After what you have experienced, you need to rest and recover.

The destructive effects of stress

The benefit of short, moderate stress is that it stimulates action and activates our full potential so that we can cope with the situation as effectively as possible. But prolonged stress is exhausting. Constantly being in uncertainty and combat readiness depletes the physical strength and resources of the nervous system, without the ability to restore them in the process. The key destructive factor for nervous tension longer than three days is cortisol.

The hormone cortisol is a daily participant in our lives; its amount in the blood changes depending on the time of day. In the morning it helps us to be active and get involved in work; in the evening its concentration in the blood decreases sharply. During stress, the level of cortisol in the blood remains at almost the same high level for a long time, and this has a negative effect on the body. Due to the increased concentration of cortisol, the metabolism of calcium and amino acids is disrupted, which leads to physical exhaustion and even affects appearance.

How to come to your senses

Even if the stressful situation is not exhausted, sooner or later a critical moment comes, after which it is simply dangerous to remain in tension. The only right decision at this time is to switch yourself off from processes that lead to stress, ask for help, and postpone solving all problems until later. This is the only way you can relax and begin to regain your strength.

Sleep disturbances under stress can manifest as both insomnia and hypersomnia. In both cases, the regime will help. Go to bed at the same time, before going to bed, take yourself a short walk - at least half an hour, try to sleep in complete darkness. Sleeping between midnight and 4 am is especially important, as melatonin, a hormone that helps the body recover, is actively produced at this time. It is most efficiently synthesized in the dark.

It is better to take sedatives as prescribed by a doctor. But if you have an already proven drug that has helped in a similar situation, then choose it. Do not take the medicine for longer or in higher doses than directed.

The amino acid Glycine will also help neutralize the destructive effects of cortisol. Glycine stimulates metabolic processes in cells, helps restore lost protein, activates protective inhibition in the nervous system and acts as a natural sedative. Glycine tablets must be kept under the tongue and not swallowed - only in this case the active substance will be properly absorbed by the body and act as it should.

↑ Factors of weight loss under stress

Increased stress is not always the only trigger that provokes sudden weight loss. Weight loss due to stress is often accompanied by other factors. In addition to physiological reasons, there may also be purely domestic ones. This is non-compliance with the daily routine and nutrition. A person in a state of anxiety and anxiety refuses to eat; there are cases when an individual provokes vomiting. This is a psycho-emotional state that requires the intervention of a psychologist and the appointment of special therapy.

Negative factors also include all bad habits, such as alcohol, smoking and drugs. Interruptions in sleep lead to weight loss. Sometimes, due to stress, food refusal may occur. This manifests itself in attacks of nausea and vomiting.

How dangerous is sudden weight loss from stress?

Do any of you want the same problems that I found in my 20s? I hope no. If you lose weight suddenly due to anxiety, your internal organs will suffer, even if you really have extra pounds. Problems with the gastrointestinal tract and digestive system will appear almost immediately.

Later you will experience dizziness, insomnia, and dark circles under your eyes. If you are a woman, then losing weight suddenly is a surefire way to develop menstrual irregularities. It will be very difficult to get rid of these and many other problems, and, having lost weight, you will gain more and more worries every day.

↑ What are the dangers of artificially creating stress?

Sometimes people who have experienced stress and observed weight loss in such a situation may consider this to be beneficial for the body. Some then try to artificially create a stressful situation in order to lose weight. This is a very dangerous activity.

Firstly, this process is very difficult to control - it can lead to severe exhaustion, even death. Secondly, losing weight from stress can result in a sharp gain of fatty tissue after the cause of the stress disappears.

A sharp weight loss, in any case, will affect the functioning of all major systems. In particular, the heart, liver and pancreas may malfunction. Doctors tell those who want to lose weight that this should be done without stress and little by little. Sudden and large weight loss leads to anorexia. She, in turn, can lead to death.

Therefore, under no circumstances try to lose weight by putting your body under artificial stress!

↑ Weight loss due to nervousness in women

The female body is designed in such a way that it is less likely to lose weight from nervousness than men. A certain hormonal background creates such conditions that women begin to eat away at their problems, and therefore, on the contrary, gain weight. This happens due to a hormonal imbalance.

In women, the most common reaction to stress is a headache, as well as a panic attack. Well, an attack on a refrigerator is also more typical for the weaker sex.

The causes of stress also vary. Men suffer more from problems at work and failures in bed. Women get upset if relatives have health problems, especially children, and also because of troubles in their personal lives.

Even if a woman loses weight from stress, she gains back the lost pounds more easily. In addition to problems with body weight, due to stress, a woman may experience interruptions in the menstrual cycle.

Physiology of weight loss

There are three main reasons for excess weight:

• Hereditary predisposition.
• Hormonal imbalance.
• Wrong lifestyle.

Losing weight in the first two cases is impossible without the participation of an endocrinologist. You can try to cope with the latter yourself. It is worth noting the following here: I am talking specifically about weight loss, that is, the loss of fat reserves, and not about weight loss in general (for example, through dehydration or loss of muscle mass). These are completely different things.

Theoretically, can people without obesity lose weight? Of course, they can! It's good? I don’t think so, because, as a rule, this leads to exhaustion of the body and, as a consequence, to other health problems. But stress spares no one, fat or thin.

↑ Weight loss due to nervousness in men

The stronger sex tries to keep all their experiences inside. This makes their stress less visible, but has more consequences. It is a man who can suddenly lose weight, and then have difficulty regaining his weight. The worst situation is for representatives of the stronger sex who have an asthenic type of build with a narrow chest and flaccid muscles. Such men always gain weight poorly.

Muscle and fat tissue are consumed first. It is also worth noting that a man is trying to cope with stress quietly, as a result the consequences can be irreversible. Depression in the stronger sex is more severe and takes longer to heal. Often all experiences are accompanied by problems with the endocrine system. As a result, testosterone levels drop, and this leads to problems in sexual life.

Weight loss after stress gradually slows down if the factor of nervous tension is removed. To consult a doctor on time, you need to control your weight. If, in addition to feelings of anxiety, fear and bad mood, you notice that you are starting to lose weight sharply, this is definitely a reason to go to a psychologist for a consultation.