Have you ever found yourself mindlessly eating a burger or French fries when you have a fight with someone or eating a tub of icecream when you face rejections. ? Well you are just a normal human being who try to meet his work deadlines, keep  loved ones happy and somewhere in this you actually forget that your waistline is increasing. Its also called emotional eating and have great impact over your weight gain.

How does weight gain happen?

When you’re under stress, you may find it harder to eat healthy. Also, during times of particularly high stress, you may eat in an attempt to fulfill emotional needs — called stress eating or emotional eating. And you may be especially likely to eat high-calorie foods during times of stress, even when you’re not hungry.

Have you heard of the term” Fight or flight Response”

When we have lot of pressure most of us become over eaters and this happens because of fight or flight response which leads to confusion as your body thinks you’ve used calories to deal with your stress, even though you haven’t and so you tend to over eat.

The Link between Stress and Cortisol

Levels of “the stress hormone,” cortisol, rise during tension-filled times. When you have more cortisol in your system, you may crave for sugary and fatty foods.. So instead of healthy foods like fruits and veggies you are more likely to reach to a burgers and pizzas.

More stress will lead to more cortisol and more cortisol will increase your appetite for junk food further increasing your belly fat.

STRESS INDUCED EATING HABITS

Emotional eating:-  High cortisol levels will not only make you crave for unhealthy food but will also make you over eat. You might feel that satisfying your taste buds for a while will give you relief from stress but that’s not so. Rather emotional eating leads to gain weight.

No time for exercise:- So when you are stressed you are too busy to exercise. Exercise will be one of the last thing in your to-do list. As you want to spend most of your time doing nothing which leaves a very little opportunity for physical activity.

Skipping meals:- When you have too many things to do in your to-do list you just tend to skip your  meals. You might find yourself skipping your breakfast or lunch. Or you just feel like not having anything. But skipping meal often leads to muscle breakdown which is a sign of muscle weakness.

Best Foods for Stress Relief

Avocado and Banana

DOES STRESS AFFECTS YOUR SLEEP AS WELL?

Research shows that worry is a major cause of insomnia. Our minds are overactive and won’t switch off. We may also lose sleep because of pulling overnights to cram for exams or writing until the early hours. Stress causes decreased blood sugar, which leads to fatigue. If you drink coffee or caffeinated soft drinks to stay awake, or alcohol to feel better, your sleep cycle will be even more disrupted. Sleep is also a powerful factor influencing weight gain or loss

HOW TO BREAK THE STRESS CYCLE?

It can be stressful when your clothes don’t fit well and the number on the scale creeps up. And the more stressed you feel, the more likely you are to gain weight. It’s a tough cycle to break.

Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to combat stress-related weight changes. Here are a few strategies that can help you regulate your weight:

• Make exercise a priority.
• Be mindful about what you eat
• Incorporate stress-relief strategies into your daily life.
• Find Rewarding Activities Unrelated to Food
• Write in a Journal