Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Most people, when they are trying to lose weight, end up hitting a wall. These are called "weight plateaus," and they can be incredibly frustrating! Even when you feel like you are doing everything right, you may find that your weight is still not dropping. While these can sometimes be attributed to diet or exercise mistakes, there could be an underlying issue driving the problem! Anxiety can have a real impact on your body. It influences your hormones, sleep, metabolism, and eating habits. All of these things can contribute to getting stuck at a certain weight! Understanding how stress and anxiety affect your weight can help you find the right plateau breakers. Here is a guide to getting back on track from PatientsLikeMe.
How Anxiety Leads to a Weight Loss Plateau
To understand why anxiety can put a stop to weight loss, you first need to understand how anxiety affects the body. When you are stressed, your body responds in a few ways. The first thing it will do is increase the production of a hormone called cortisol.
Spikes in Cortisol Levels
Cortisol is often called the "stress hormone." Our bodies evolved this way as a survival mechanism to help deal with threats by storing energy. Today we do not necessarily have to worry about the same dangers, but that response is still hardwired into us. Cortisol makes our bodies react to stress by increasing fat storage.
Under prolonged periods of stress, the body holds onto fat instead of burning it for energy. This is particularly true around the abdominal area. Stress also makes the body less sensitive to insulin. Because insulin controls blood sugar levels, prolonged stress means higher blood sugar levels over time. This also increases how much you crave high-carb, high-fat foods. If you have ever really wanted fast food after a particularly stressful day, there is a good reason for it!
Stress Eating
Eating food is one of the most common stress responses. When stress levels go up, eating habits often change. Some people eat more for comfort, while others skip meals due to a lack of appetite. When you crave unhealthy foods as a way of coping, this is a form of emotional eating. You may also lose the motivation to cook your own meals, causing you to turn for convenience instead. Unfortunately, convenient or fast food is often processed and high in calories. If you skip meals because of stress, that may be harmful too! Skipping a meal often leads to overeating later.
Disrupted Sleep Schedules
Sleep is something that people often forget about when it comes to weight loss. You need a good night's sleep to let your body recover and process meals. Poor sleep is a big part of stalling in a weight loss journey. A lack of sleep can make you crave high-calorie foods and slow down your metabolism. Being tired also makes you less likely to stick to your regimen or routine! You will find yourself more willing to make poor food choices or skip a workout.
Low Motivation for Physical Activities
Speaking of! Anxiety and stress can drain your energy and motivation. If you feel tired, stressed, or burned out, you are far more likely to skip a workout! You may find yourself sitting or lying down for extended periods of time and feeling too exhausted to get up and be active. That feeling of needing a few minutes to recharge is no joke! Stress causes exhaustion and a lack of energy. That feeds into inactivity, which hurts you in your weight loss goals. The hardest part is that exercise is actually one of the best ways to deal with stress! So as hard as it may be, moving just a little bit can make a difference.
Higher Inflammation Levels
Over time chronic stress can cause inflammation. Inflammation in turn does a few things. It reduces sensitivity to insulin, increases how much fat you store, and makes your body more resistant to regular weight loss methods. Inflammation also impedes the production of a hormone called leptin. Leptin helps to regulate metabolism and appetite.
Therapy: A Plateau Breaker
If your anxiety is causing a plateau, it may be time to address your mental health! This side of losing weight is just as important as diet and exercise. Go through this quick checklist to see whether your plateau could be related to stress.
- Is losing weight causing you anxiety? You could be stressed about reaching a goal weight. People also often feel anxious about how others perceive them and the progress or change they are making.
- Are you losing weight for an event? Deadlines can increase stress and lead to unhealthy habits. Try not to place too much pressure on yourself to get to a point by a specific date!
- Are you worried about your health? Obesity is linked with a number of serious health conditions. Worrying about worsening health can increase anxiety, making it harder to lose weight.
- Do comments about your weight spike your anxiety? Stress about external opinions can affect your weight loss progress.
How Alma Could Help
Launched in 2018, Alma is dedicated to making mental health care more accessible and affordable! Alma connects people with therapists, making it easier to find support. With over 24,000 in-network providers, people can find a therapist within 3 days of submitting a consultation request! PatientsLikeMe has partnered with Alma to bring a world-class therapy solution to the people that need it. If anxiety is affecting your weight loss journey, seeking therapy through a service like Alma could be a valuable step toward breaking a plateau in weight loss.
Anxiety impacts the body in many different ways. From cortisol spikes to stress eating, sleep disturbances, and lowering the motivation to exercise, anxiety could be the roadblock in your weight loss progress . Recognizing these signs and addressing your mental health can help you get back on track. If anxiety is playing a role in your weight loss stall, try getting support to help you overcome this obstacle and reach your goals!
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