Achieving weight loss is a goal many individuals strive for, but it can often feel frustrating when progress seems out of reach. Despite trying various training routines and diets, the results you crave may still be elusive. However, what many people don’t understand is the significant link between stress and weight loss. Whether it’s work pressures, personal challenges, or relationship issues, stress is a common factor- and it can have a direct impact on our ability to lose weight.
Stress plays a crucial role in influencing weight loss, and it may be one of the key reasons you’re struggling to reach your goals. In this post we explain the connection between stress and weight loss, and how elevated stress levels could be hindering your progress in the gym. Keep reading to learn more about how stress may be affecting your fitness journey and what you can do to overcome it.
How Can Stress Affect Weight Loss?
Stress can have a big impact on your weight loss goals, though many may not realise it. One of the main ways stress influences weight loss is through the effects of cortisol on the body. Cortisol is a hormone produced by our bodies, often referred to as the ‘stress hormone’ as it is released in response to stress. Cortisol has several important functions, such as reducing inflammation, controlling blood sugar levels, and regulating metabolism. However, when cortisol levels remain elevated for prolonged periods due to stress, it can have negative effects on your body, particularly when it comes to weight loss.
Discussing Ways High Cortisol Can Affect Weight Loss
Increased Appetite and Cravings
High cortisol levels can stimulate your appetite, often leading to cravings for highly palatable foods – those high in salt, sugar, fat, and therefore, calories. When cortisol is elevated due to stress, your body assumes it needs to store more energy to deal with a perceived threat, leading to overeating. This can lead to you not being able to reach your weight loss goals due to overeating on your caloric deficit, or due to making food choices that aren’t going to keep you full and satiated for very long.
Visceral Fat Storage (Abdominal Fat)
Cortisol not only increases your appetite but also promotes the storage of visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fat found deep within your abdominal cavity, surrounding important organs. Studies have shown a link between stress and increased levels of visceral fat, typically accumulating around the abdomen. When cortisol activates your body’s fight or flight response, it triggers the storage of visceral fat. This fat is particularly dangerous as it is associated with a higher risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Increased Insulin Resistance
Excess cortisol can also interfere with insulin, a hormone responsible for converting food into energy and regulating blood sugar levels. High cortisol levels can cause insulin resistance, making it harder for insulin to work effectively. This can lead to elevated blood sugar levels, with sugar from the bloodstream being stored as fat, contributing to weight gain and increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Disrupted Sleep
Stress and high cortisol levels are also linked to poor sleep quality and even insomnia, which can directly impact your weight loss efforts. Sleep deprivation is very closely associated with weight gain and difficulty losing weight. When sleep deprived, your body produces more ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger, and less leptin, which signals satiety. This imbalance can make you feel hungrier, leading to overeating and poor food choices, ultimately hindering your weight loss progress.
High Water Retention
Stress can also cause water retention, as elevated cortisol levels increase sodium retention in the body. This can result in a bloated or swollen appearance, particularly in areas like the face, hands, or feet. Your body responds this way during stress to maintain balance and ensure it has enough fluids in stressful situations. Water retention can make it harder to notice weight loss progress and contributes to feelings of bloating.
How Can We Lower Stress?
By reducing stress and cortisol levels, you can enhance your body’s ability to lose weight more effectively. Lowering stress also improves mental well being, positively affecting all aspects of your life, making stress management crucial for achieving any goal. Below are three simple stress-reduction tips you can try;
Increasing Regular Physical Activity
Engaging in regular physical activity can help lower cortisol levels. Exercise has been shown to reduce cortisol and release endorphins, the body’s ‘happy hormones’ which improve mood and reduce stress. Activities like strength training, walking, and yoga can be particularly effective.
Practising Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques
Practising mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation exercises can calm the mind and reduce the body’s stress response, thereby lowering cortisol levels. Activities such as yoga, meditation, or journaling can help manage stress and improve overall weight loss.
Prioritising Sleep
Getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night helps regulate cortisol levels and balance hunger hormones. Establishing a consistent sleep routine by going to bed and waking up at the same time daily, and incorporating relaxation or mindfulness techniques into your bedtime routine, can improve recovery, support fat loss, and prevent stress related weight gain.
Ready to Smash your Weight Loss Goals?
If you’re looking to achieve your weight loss goals in Dun Laoghaire and want to join a gym to support your journey, why not try Urban Fitness? Based in Sandycove, South Dublin, we offer expert exercise and nutritional coaching to help people with a variety of goals, including weight loss. Through our group training classes, small group personal training, and one on one personal training, we assist members in getting into the best shape of their lives, with sustainable results they can maintain for life.
At our state of the art gym facility, you’ll find all the equipment you need to succeed in your weight loss goals, alongside our team of professional and knowledgeable coaches. Whether you prefer to train alone or in a group, you can do so with our range of membership options and achieve your goals along the way at our Dun Laoghaire gym.
If you’re ready to smash your weight loss goals in Dun Laoghaire and sustain them, contact our team at Urban Fitness. Simply fill out our online contact form, and a member of our team will be in touch with you shortly, or you can reach us directly by calling 0876072441 or emailing info@urbanfitness.ie.
