Stress

[gillyflower88]

Does anyone know why and how stress affects weight. I am trying to lose weight but have a very stressful situation with aging parents. I cut my calorie intake but nothing happens. What can i do to combat this?

[Lippysue 6lbs]

Stress causes hormonal changes which make us crave foods which provide a calorie hit quickly because our cave man bodies interpret stress as a physical danger. Stress also makes our bodies conserve and add to our fat reserves because it thinks we will need them to combat whatever we are stressing about.

Not very helpful in the present day.

Just try to relax. Breath deeply, take a hot bath, put in your headphones with some soothing music or a relaxation tape and zone out. Try meditation. Take a few minutes time out when you feel stressed. Anything that will calm you down and reduce your stress levels will really help.

[Penel]

Stress can affect the levels of cortisol in the body, which can affect weight loss. It's not a good idea to reduce calories, as this will place the body under more stress. Perhaps concentrate on healthy eating at the moment and the stress management techniques mentioned by Lippysue.

Try to cut down or cut out sugary foods and drink, and move from 'white' to 'wholegrain' foods.

Hope your situation improves.

[gillyflower88 in reply to Penel]

Thank you, lippysue and penel. I think healthy is all i,ll manage at present and try to take some time out of the situation. Modern times have liberated us from most manual hard tasks but replaced them with mentally difficult decisions etc.

[pigandcat in reply to gillyflower88]

Try herbal teas like chamomile, valerian, fennel and nettle especially at bed time and put a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow - they do work and they won't add to your calorie intake.

Good Luck,

Poppyal.

[gillyflower88 in reply to pigandcat]

Thank you, i,ll try those

[Hidden]

Good advice about stress levels. Stress hormones make the body think it`s in survival mode- deciding whether to fight or take flight. So, unfortunately slows the metabolism down to concentrate on coping with the threat and conserve energy. Good in prehistoric times, but not so useful nowadays !

Getting a good nights sleep and maintaining calmness is important.

One of my short techniques may give you a start- If you have a peaceful place that you can conjure up in your mind and sit back, take a few deep breathes, empty your mind and imagine yourself there. Think of whats around, what you see, hear, feel, spend a few minutes making it real and step into that moment. You can connect with those serene feelings and with practise can help you remain calm. Stick with it and this will become more natural over time.

[gillyflower88]

Many thanks Ivertherapy, stress had increased since my last posting, but things are slowly getting sorted. Still stressy but i,ve learnt i have to take a step back from the situation. I,m still waking early mulling it all over and your strategy would help me i think. Thank you for replying and helping.