Stress; it’s a term we use so freely now, but what does it actually mean?
Often ‘being stressed’ can be regarded as a sign of weakness or an indication that you can’t cope, which is absolutely not an option in this competitive world we now live in.
Consequently we do everything we can to hide our true feelings so we try to push them deep down inside of ourselves while externally portraying the notion that we are indeed keeping calm and carrying on.
Stress however is simply something that causes a state of strain or tension so can present itself in many different ways throughout our daily lives. Handled correctly it doesn’t need to be a problem, but consistently ignoring or fighting it is like feeding the beast and allows it to manifest into something far greater than it ever intended to be.
Laura Moore, personal trainer and founder of Uppy shares with us how stress can affect weight loss.
Usually this manifestation occurs via our health, both physically and mentally, and can prevent us from achieving what we truly desire for our bodies without us even realising. What’s the first thing you do when you want to lose weight? Eat less and exercise more right? Sounds simple, and indeed it can be, but not when the body is stressed as it is experiencing all sorts of internal physiological activity that is designed to ensure your survival, and unfortunately weight loss is not conducive to that.
Following is a brief insight into some of the issues that can occur as a result of stress and a few strategies you can employ to overcome or avoid them:
Erratic energy
When stressed, adrenaline and cortisol are released from the adrenal glands to produce and convert fuel for the muscles to enable you to fight or flight. If these glands are constantly being triggered eventually they will become tired. As a result your energy levels become confused and cause you to feel extremely tired and sluggish when you wake and throughout the day, and then feel more wired in the evening. This also disrupts the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein and fat so even though you may think you’re eating the right things to lose weight, your body may not be processing them in the correct way.
Poor sleep
Clearly the above will make getting to sleep more challenging, but also if you’re stressed it can be difficult to stay asleep. As we know, when the body thinks you’re in danger it wants you to be alert so it will keep waking you up to ensure you’re at the ready. Sleep is the body’s chance to restore itself so if it’s not given the chance it can seriously affect your performance both physically and mentally when awake, so unnecessary injuries or illnesses and poor decision making is common.
Unexplained bloating
When the body is fighting for survival it will shut down the digestion as it is not necessary. Blood will be redirected away from your gut to the systems that will help you fight or run, so you will experience erratic bowel movements and frequent bloating. If the toxins are not being cleared you will retain excess fat and water, and if the nutrients aren’t being extracted from the food the calories you eat will cause excess fat rather than burning it and building tissue.
Unnecessary storage of fat
Cortisol also ensures you have enough energy to last you through the danger period, so it will slow down your metabolism and cling on to the excess fuel produced. Poor sleep also disrupts the hormones ghrelin and leptin, which turn your appetite on and off and tell the brain what to do with the fat (use for energy or store it), so you will experience unnecessary hunger, not know when you are full, and store fat when it should be burned.
So how can you reduce and eliminate these responses?
The aim of the game here is to calm the body down so it knows it’s safe. Try to:
– Establish routines – particularly around eating, exercise and sleeping so the body knows what’s happening and when
– Establish boundaries – don’t commit to things you know are not conducive to your goals. Say no more often, have dedicated days/times for non-negotiable down time and don’t allow yourself to look at your phone ½ hour before you go to bed and after you wake up.
– Get enough consistent sleep – 7-9 hours is ideal, anything less will affect your performance physically and mentally
– Breathe – schedule time twice a day to sit quietly and take 10 long slow belly breaths. This helps to calm your sympathetic nervous system which works in overdrive when you’re stressed.
– Meditate – this is the ultimate in calming both your physical body and mind.
– Be kind to yourself – allow the goal posts to move a little from time to time.
– Listen to your body – if something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. And if it really doesn’t feel right, seek professional advice