Source: LaHoriMela.com
Stress can be a key contributor to weight gain or unhealthy weight loss. The question is why?
I started asking this question recently because of stress burdens that have impacted me recently and one day I got on the scale and saw that my weight had gone up nearly 2 pounds even though I had just finished a 4 hour bike ride and 30 minute run. What would cause that weight gain? I was scratching my head trying to think about it and realized that I have been under quite a bit of stress in just a few days. Throw the stress in with the fact that I was eating quite a bit during this supported ride and it made sense but I still asked why.
Before I dug into the cortisol levels I wanted to pinpoint the stress markers so I could understand them better. Here is what has happened since March 1st:
- Karen and I put our house on the market.
- We had a pre-inspection done and found out we have hail damage and other items that needs to be addressed before the house could conceivably sell.
- We received a rather large tax-bill that was unexpected and working with our accountant to make sure we didn’t miss any deductions.
- Sick wife and kid and when I say sick I mean practically immobile wife and kid with no appetite or desire/ability to do anything.
- Ironman training with a race coming up in 10 days at San Juan.
- Thinking of packing and traveling to San Juan.
So those are just a few of the items that peaked in the past few days and thus gave me a heightened sense of stress. When I did some digging around because I knew that the stress not only caused the angst and worry but also a body change and I wanted to know more about it.
I researched cortisol to find the following:
It is released in response to stress and a low-level of blood glucocorticoids. Its primary functions are to increase blood sugar through gluconeogenesis; suppress the immune system; and aid in fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism. It also decreases bone formation. Source:WikiPedia
Seeing that cortisol increases blood sugar it made a little more sense to me that my weight would go up and thus a direct correlation between stress and cortisol started making more sense. I thought back to what I had eaten on the ride and I realized I consumed a number of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread which my body is not used to and most likely stored these items since it didn’t know what to do with them. Before you say: But Jason you eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches let me clarify. I do consume these items but the jelly and nut butter is homemade. I have not had a slice of whole wheat bread in as long as I can remember and my PB&Js are now on top of apple slices or a Suzy’s Thin Cake.
My stress has been lessened a little bit because I have had the insurance adjuster out to our house to start that process, we have had showings of the house and will have an open house this weekend, both the wife and the kid are feeling better and I am looking forward to racing to help relieve all of this stress. For 5 hours it will be me, my goggles, my bike and my shoes and the only concern I will have is maintaining my performance based on Maria’s strategy.
Are Stress, Cortisol And Weight Gain Related?
Not Sure Why All The Pictures Were Of Women With Food.
Source: Senior Voice America
Further research led me to uncover the following:
- Epel et al. demonstrated that premenopausal women who secreted more cortisol during and after novel laboratory stressors chose to consume more foods high in sugar and fat. It has been thought that cortisol directly influences food consumption by binding to receptors in the brain (specifically, the hypothalamus). This can stimulate an individual to eat food that is high in fat and/or sugar. Cortisol also indirectly influences appetite by regulating other chemicals that are released during stress such as CRH (corticotrophin releasing hormone), leptin, and neuropeptide Y (NPY) (12-13).
- 12 Epel, E., R. Lapidus, B. McEwen, et al. Stress may add bite to appetite in women: a laboratory study of stress-induced cortisol and eating behavior.Psychoneuroendocrinology 26: 37-49, 2001.
- 13 Cavagnini, F., M. Croci, P. Putignano, et al. Glucocorticoids and neuroendocrine function. International Journal of Obesity 24: S77-S79, 2000.
After reading this I knew that the stress had been the direct factor of that weight gain spike. Realizing that was the case I not only acknowledged the stressors but started to take care of them so that I can go into the race and life, in general, feeling better. Tomorrow I will go to yoga and focus inward and that will help relieve some of the stress I have been having as I find that when I am done I am thinking more clearly.
Of course, continuing to exercise will help to decrease the stress as well as mediation. I am going to start incorporating 10 minutes of silence into the middle of my day to allow for my body to come down from the stress of work and life and give me an opportunity to focus without being bombarded by all the distractions one has going on.
Recognizing the stress factors has played a huge role in allowing me to de-stress and I suggest that if you are stressed that you focus more on your food consumption and don’t just eat whatever you want because you are having a bad day. Since that 2 pound weight gain in one day I have lost it all and I credit it to addressing the stress, focusing my eating habits and staying on my game when it comes to working out.
How Do You Deal With Stress?
Do You Turn To Food When The Stress Hits?
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Great post. Good information in here.
10 minutes of silence – awesome idea!
I almost forgot:
#ControlledSpeed
#StartSmart
#4
#SanFranciscoTreatIsYourBitch
#SpideyTwinPowerActivate
Maria Simone recently posted..A race for you, a race for me: The two-athlete household
Cortisol was just the icing on the cake (no pun intended). I used to be a big-time stress eater. Tough day at the office? Let’s order Chinese! Having a bad day? Nothing like a little pizza to soothe it away.
I still get tempted to indulge when the going gets tough but I’m more likely to turn to blasting one of my favorite songs and taking it out on a speed drill instead of food.
The cortisol thing is unfortunate. I try to manage my stress, eat better and sleep enough to avoid it. Yoga, meditation, listing reasons to be thankful seem to help too.
Jen recently posted..Cheesy rant: Stop the madness
So that’s why I’m overweight! I figured as much. Yes I eat when stressed but staying off wheat helps that quite a bit. I have lived with stress for so long I don’t know how to live without it. But I’m working on it.
Adena recently posted..eliminating stress can be stressful.. no really
i’m not fat i’m just inflamed. :)
what will king arthur do if you move away from his round table? :(
lindsay recently posted..Pain in the Rear: A Diagnosis
hahaha!
King Arthur may be keeping us at one of the seat’s at the round table because I am looking at a house that is cheaper than ours in a new section of the village.
Well we may just be staying in at the table because we found a house that is in the neighborhood and cheaper and smaller than ours. Fingers are crossed.