Stress Management : The Missing Link to Successful Weight Loss

Everyone goes through stress of some sort in daily life but chronic stress can affect your eating behaviour which is usually ignored and this, if not addressed, can lead to weight gain which in turn results in chronic health issues. Let’s know how stress and body weight are connected.

What is the link between stress and weight gain?

Studies show that there is an association between mental stress, anxiety, depression, weight gain and abdominal obesity 

For many stressed individuals more than hunger, eating is a means of de-stressing or compensation for a bad day. Under stress, adrenal glands release cortisol, a stress hormone and that is when one craves comfort food. But if you are stressed always cortisol increases your appetite this combined with gadget distraction tends to overeating. All the excess calories consumed are deposited in the abdominal area leading to central obesity. Studies also highlight that under-stress metabolism also slows down and acts against weight reduction.

To make things worse mental stress can lead to unhealthy eating patterns. Chronic stress impairs self-regulation and promotes unhealthy food choices like ultra-processed, high-calorie foods high in fat, sugar, and salt which affect the brain's reward system over healthy ones.

Emotional eaters often find short-term improvement in anxiety and depression after eating tastier and potentially less healthy foods. Also, intake of ultra-processed especially high-sugar foods may stimulate opioid release, which may ultimately lead to addiction-like reward deficits and promote compulsive eating.

Why is stress management important for successful Weight loss?

Stressed individuals starting a weight loss regime find little success if stress is not considered as one of the factors that may be contributing to the problem. There are studies which support the concept that stress management either alone or in combination with diet, exercise and behaviour modification can improve weight loss success compared to programs which focus only on diet and exercise.     

Hence it is important to be mindful of what triggers stress and how you handle yourself. Making a conscious effort to figure out the reason and ways to manage stress is crucial for the success of your weight loss journey. It is important to consult your doctor if it is severe to get timely treatment. 

Keeping yourself engaged in positive social activities, workout regimes, yoga and meditation are some of the proven ways to reduce stress. Adding ActiFiber Natural Weight Control to your healthy diet can also help in achieving your weight loss goals. You can add 1 sachet to your 3 main meals easily as it has no taste, colour or odour and is also safe for daily use.