To cope with stress, people may eat as a way to make themselves feel better. The main reason which leads to hormonal changes are prolonged, chronic stress, which increases your appetite and cause cravings for higher- calorie comfort foods, such as pizza, chips and ice cream.
By comparison, short duration acute stress, directs resources from normal bodily functions such as eating, by the loss of appetite as the brain directs these resources to the organ system that requires to survive an immediate requirement. In the short run, people feel less hungry as adrenaline takes effect. As the adrenaline’s effect wears down, cortisol kicks in the urge to replenish your body’s energy source. Weight gain may be the result for some individuals.
Body’s metabolism undergoes diabolical effect due to chronic stress. Brain’s reward system in areas such as the amygdala and hippocampus can be influenced by chronic stress. Which may promote food cravings.
Studies indicate that belly fat not only adds pounds but increases your risk of heart attack and connection between belly fat and ischemic stroke in women. At the same time, hormones released in response to chronic stress can prompt the loss of skeletal muscle, according to the various researches. The largest calorie burner in the body is muscle tissue, so overall metabolism drops.
According to data, to decrease stress levels and lower the likelihood of weight gain, social support can help. In one study, researchers found that most of the first-year college students gained weight, who had less social support at the beginning of college had greater increases in body mass index (BMI)
Per the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, BMI is an indicator of disease risk associated with a higher amount of body fat and a measure of body fat based on height and weight.
It is important to manage stress as their diet or exercise program.
Set priorities, make a record each day for a week on how you spend your time. Prioritize the task and activities which are more important. Adequate sleep and exercise are very essential for self-care.
Sleep lays the foundation for mental well-being- when you have a good rest, you’re more likely to have more resilience and be able to handle changes which comes up in life. In contrast, when you get less amount of sleep, it’s difficult to cope up every little obstacle which comes up in life.
Always love your body because major sources of stress are body shame, poor body image and internalized weight bias. Studies indicate that internalized weight bias increases stress, as well as contributes to other poor medical and mental health outcomes.
Mindfulness meditation is a great tool to reduce stress and improve our capacity for self-acceptance and self- compassion, which helps to reduce body image dissatisfaction, body shame and associated stress.
Think before you snack other than the mealtimes. For the emotional need of stress, food is not the best match. For that moment it may alleviate stress but the stress will almost always return. It’s important to find a way to more authentically meet our emotional needs.
