It’s been a couple of months of you working towards your weight loss goals but you are still falling short.  You feel like you’ve been doing all the right things, like exercising 4-5 times a week and making better food choices.  Well, if you are neglecting the stress management aspect of your weight loss or maintenance routine, you may in fact be spinning your wheels.

How Does Stress Contribute to Weight Gain

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In a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA), it was revealed that one in four Americans turns to food to help with alleviating stress or dealing with personal problems.  This act of using food to cope with stress is referred to as emotional eating.  Emotional eaters tend to engage in mindless eating, whereby they do not pay attention to the amount or quality of food they eat.  They also are more inclined to reach for foods that are rich in sugar and fat.  This pattern of eating leads to slow and steady weight gain, especially during periods in which there is ongoing stress.

Additionally, increased exposure to stress also encourages the production of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone in the body that plays a vital role in functions like managing blood sugar levels and maintaining blood pressure.  When the body experiences any type of stress (mental, physical, or emotional), there is a spike in cortisol levels.  This spike in the production of cortisol promotes the storage of toxic fat that is mostly concentrated around the abdomen.

Identify the Source

One of the key components of stress management is the identification of any sources of stress.  You must take a moment, step back, and look through the window that is your life.  Analyze each day, week, and month.  What in your day brings you anxiety or what events during the week make you nervous?  Do you feel an elevation in stress levels at the beginning, middle, or end of the month?  Is the stress more on the job, at home, or amongst your friends and extended family?  Determining the answers to these questions will help you to pinpoint the source of your stress so you can find ways to cut it out completely, if possible, or drastically reduce it somehow.

Exercise to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

Endorphins are chemicals in the brain that bring about a sense of well being.  Exercise is one of the many activities that trigger the release of endorphins.  Exercise also increases the production of serotonin, which is another chemical in the brain responsible for elevating mood.  When serotonin levels are out of balance, individuals may suffer from chronic depression.  The good news is that all forms of exercise can provide you with these mood lifting benefits.

Disciplines like yoga, tai chi, and qi gong are especially wonderful for relieving stress and anxiety.  The movements, meditation, and specialized breathing required work to relax the body and stabilize mood.  An individual’s focus is diverted from negative thoughts and feelings and placed on breathing technique, posture, and the various nuances associated with each of these mind/body/spirit disciplines.

Food Stressors Versus Food Supporters

A survey by the Food and Mood Project found of 200 participants, 88% reported that changing their diet improved their mental health significantly.  This implies that what you eat has a direct impact on your mental and emotional well being.  As it relates to stress, food can be placed in one of two categories.  There are food stressors, which have a negative affect on your body and food supporters, which obviously have a positive impact.  The supporters help to create physical and mental resilience to stress.  On the contrary, the stressors promote a sort of physical and mental instability that makes it more difficult for you to cope during stressful times.

The primary stressors are alcohol, caffeine, sugar, saturated fats, dairy foods, and processed foods.  Healthy and nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, water, oil-rich fish, and wholegrains are considered to be supporters.  Your goal should be to replace those foods that act as stressors with those found in the supporter group whenever possible.

Herbs that May Help

Astragalus (also known as Huang Qi) and Ginseng are known as adaptogens, which are herbs that fortify the body and, as a result, help it to adapt better when stress occurs.  These herbs are also great at regulating the function of the adrenal glands to normalize the production of cortisol, as well as helping the body to rid itself of harmful and stressful toxins.

The Bottom Line

Managing your stress levels is a necessary component of weight loss and maintenance.  Take a look at your lifestyle to gauge whether you are taking all the steps necessary to create a stress-proof body and mind.

More Stress Management Resources

• Why Make Yourself Crazy? 400 Strategies for a Stress-Free Life
• The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook)
• Practical Stress Management: A Comprehensive Workbook for Managing Change and Promoting Health (5th Edition)
• Stress Management for Dummies