We are all familiar with the word “stress”, which is as present in our lives as a beating heart and blood. In today’s busy life, one feels that stress prevails in the air we breathe, and the water we drink. But, what we need to understand is that stress acts like an enemy to our weight loss process. Not only that, stress can even make us gain extra weight. So as long as you are stressful, losing weight is going to be an issue. For example, when you are having a difficult day at work, your brain stops responding to other feelings in your body. Stress acts the same way - when you are overstressed, your hormones are destabilized and consequently your body stops responding to your weight loss efforts and begins storing fat to give you the extra energy and sugar you need to counter your stress levels.
In stressful situations, your body keeps on producing hormones, which are required to make your body going. As a result of those extra levels of hormones in your body, you start craving for extra food. Hence, once you begin eating all those extra calories, you end up gaining weight.
The problem also arises by the food choices we make. When we are stressed out, we do not think of eating a salad etc. The only food which come to our mind are high in sweet and salt. We eat these foods so our brain release the relaxation hormones, which help us calm down.
It is an established fact that stress can be problematic, but how do we find the solution to this common problem. The immediate action in any stressful situation should be moving away from the source of the problem. For instance, if a stressful situation has occurred in your office, you might want to take a break from that stressful situation and walk around indoors and ideally, if possible, outdoors. Any type of exercise for any small period helps you unwind. Exercise releases serotonin and cortisol in your body. Both these hormones are known to be the “happy” hormones; they make you feel better. Cortisol cuts down the adrenaline level in your body.
So taking a break from dieting under stress is not a bad idea, but make sure you exercise. You might be amazed at this fact but sometimes constant dieting can result in a problem. You need to give your body a chance to feel healthy and normal. The best way to do this is by eating your healthy meals, but just add two to three snacks. This way your body will not feel deprived of energy and sugar, and this will also help you stay on track with your weight loss efforts.
