The state of the world, politics, climate change, pandemics (yes, it’s plural), social media, lack of food and water, extreme weather, war, human rights, relationships, personal hardships, money, work, etc. It’s all fucking stressful!

What’s worse is that stress weight gain can be detrimental to our health and wellbeing which is why it needs to be managed.

But what I’m not saying is that weight is bad. Many people have beautiful large bodies and they are healthy!

Let’s breakdown why stress can make you gain weight, including how hormone imbalances play a role, and what to do about it!

What Is Stress?

Everyone experiences stress. It’s that feeling of anxiety, overwhelm, and heart palpitations that can be caused by a wide array of issues big and small. The best way to describe it is this song by Justice

If you’re a human, you probably felt your heart rate increase as soon as the song began. Well, that same feeling is what happens in your body when you’re under duress. 

Can Stress Make You Gain Weight?

There are a few reasons why stress can make you gain weight cortisol and habits.

Cortisol

What causes weight gain is cortisol, the stress hormone. We need cortisol and it occurs naturally in our body to maintain blood pressure and energy levels, but it also impacts our appetite. 

Normally, our cortisol levels are high in the morning and lower in the evening. When we’re experiencing extreme amounts of stress, our cortisol levels stay high, even when they’re meant to be low. This can increase the speed of fat cell production which can cause weight gain. 

In addition, high cortisol increases blood pressure which causes your heart rate to beat faster and blood vessels to narrow. This can cause cravings for sweet foods, salty foods, or high-fat foods. 

Note that it’s not just stress that increases cortisol, there are tons of different factors including genetics, metabolic rate, exercise, types of food, etc. 

Habits

I don’t know about you, but when I’m stressed the first habits that tend to go are my healthy habits. I look for an easy way to do more with my days with the few hours I have. 

This means instead of making delicious bean recipes at home, we might pick up some fast food. This also means we might skimp out on a workout or even entire meals that we desperately need to balance hormones. 

Factors that also contribute to weight gain are eating saltier, high-fat, and sugary foods and not exercising regularly.

Does all of this sound familiar??

How do you lower stress levels and lose stress weight?

Regardless of what some for-profit supplement company will tell you, there are only a few ways to lose stress weight! Eating better, exercising, and techniques to manage stress or a few.

Lower Stress

The best way to reduce stress is by removing yourself from stressful situations. If you have relationships that make you lose your shit or even a shit situation at work that makes you want to cry, it’s time to consider leaving the relationship and the job.

I know it’s not easy, but taking one step at a time to remove yourself from stressful situations will be extremely beneficial for your overall health and mental wellbeing.

Eating Better

Yep! Eating better is going to help you manage your stress better and help you maintain your weight. But it’s not just about eating more veggies or cutting out sugar or caffeine, it’s about eating beans too!

A daily cup of beans is known to help lower blood pressure. This is because the soluble fiber in beans binds with fat-soluble hormones like cortisol. Once those hormones are out of the body this means your body can begin to regulate cortisol levels. 

Generally, I try adding more veggies, beans, and protein to my diet when I’m stressed. Although I have completely removed sugar, caffeine, and high-saturated foods before, I find that if 90% of my meals/food intake is balanced, I still feel great even if I have the other stuff 10% of the time. 

But obviously, consult your doctor and nutritionist to find a balanced diet that helps you balance hormones and that actually works for you. Everyone is different and it will take some trial and error. 

Exercising

I believe in low-impact exercise. High-intensity workouts can still cause stress and may make it feel impossible to lose weight. If you’re not used to exercising, even adding 30 minutes of walking can help you manage stress. 

I had a friend who was going to Orange Theory 6x a week sometimes 2x a day and she said although she gained more muscle, she wasn’t able to lose fat. And it stressed her out even more.

I also find that stretching first thing in the morning, and adding mobility exercises, not only shifts the perspective on the day but also is a perfect way to get the body ready for the day!

Stress Management Techniques

Stress management techniques such as meditation, yoga, and therapy are amazing for managing stress. A lot of people need techniques to help sort through the emotions of daily life and make sense of everything that is happening in the world.

Having someone to listen and help you make sense of external factors will help regulate cortisol levels because you won’t be as stressed and will be able to manage stressful situations better! 

Sleeping & Resting

These are essential for managing stress. If you’re not sleeping, it can affect you emotionally and physically. It’s hard to hit the gym when you feel like a stress zombie.  

Not only are there foods that help you sleep better, but there are also things you can do, and ways to wind down to promote amazing sleep. Check out this link for more tips to sleep better.

Having fun

If you’ve been a workhorse, or too busy to not eat at your desk, try having some fun! My go-to for fun is dancing! I’ll put on some good ol’ '80s songs or 90s Hip Hop and RnB and I’m instantly in a better mood! 

But what really makes everything better is meeting up with friends and laughing! And if you can’t meet up with your pals, calling them works. And if your friends aren’t around, putting on a funny movie and laughing is always a winning option!

How to Stop Cortisol Weight Gain

Increased cortisol in the blood can be detrimental to health and also cause weight gain. Lowering stress levels and having a diet with vegetables, legumes, protein and, with more activity, and healthy personal relationships are the ways to stop stress from making you gain weight. But just remember it’s not an overnight thing. It will take time and dedication, but once you find your groove there’s a chance you will see weight loss around the waistline and be in a better mood.

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