Are you getting super frustrated and confused because the reading on your bathroom scale is shifting but towards the wrong direction? If you are stressed most of the time, then that could be the one to blame why it seems like you’re continuing to pack extra pounds despite of your best efforts, scientists say.
Everyone knows that stress is something that can cause all sorts of health complications, most especially if a person fails to put it under control. From depression, diabetes to heart disease, there are simply so many problems that experts associate with chronic stress.
Weight gain is something that can also be linked to stress that is left unmanaged and persists for an extended period of time. In this very busy day and age, it’s no wonder why a lot of waistlines are expanding! Actually, there are a number of reasons why stress can make you gain weight, and some of them include:
It Leaves You Feeling Hungry All the Time
Having elevated levels of stress all the time means your body is in a constant fight or flight mode, which tends to consume tons of calories since your body is being primed for the worst. As a result, your stomach churns thinking that your body requires lots and lots calories when in fact it doesn’t.
With your stomach grumbling, often you have no choice but have it silenced with food, resulting in the consumption of more calories than necessary.
It Makes You an Emotional Eater
There is no denying that stress can make you feel on the edge all of the time, and that’s why you tend to seek for some comfort. For many people, one way to do that is by getting their hands on foods that are loaded with sugar and carbohydrates.
According to scientists, there is a much deeper reason why people who are always stressed out wind up as emotional eaters: stress causes an increase in insulin levels, which in turn causes the levels of sugar in the blood to drop. To compensate for such, your body commands you to reach for sugar- and carb-loaded foods.
It Deprives You of a Good Night’s Sleep
One of the things that makes stress a total health-wrecker is the fact that it can leave you wide awake each and every night — and this is not a good thing on various levels.
One of the unfavorable effects of being sleep deprived is constant bouts of hunger pangs the following day. For someone who is watching his or her weight, that is terrible news. With an uncontrollable urge to eat, it can be very easy for those extra pounds to appear.
It Causes You to Miss Your Meals
Some people who are swamped with so much office or home tasks to carry out tend to miss their meals. You might think that this is something that can actually lead to weight reduction since they are not eating anything, but it usually results in the complete opposite, and that is gaining extra pounds.
There are a couple of reasons why missing your meals due to stress can lead to weight gain. First, being deprived of much-needed calories, your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Second, once you have the time to put food in your belly, you may opt for unhealthy foods to make up for the meal that you have missed earlier.
It Leaves You With No Energy for Other Things
No one can deny that stress is something that can zap all the energy in your body. As a result, you are often left with no energy for carrying out other activities. One of those activities is exercise, which is one very important component to weight reduction.
And what most people do to enjoy an energy boost so that they may be able to engage in other tasks? That’s right — consume lots and lots of foods laden with sugar and carbohydrates!
