Emotional stress and overeating

Watching my friends, I noticed a feature that only a friend of mine lost appetite when under pressure of life circumstances, the rest (including, probably, and I) are trying to achieve peace of mind with food - and very often - even at the slightest signs of stress.

A recent study found that women may be at particular risk of weight gain from excessive consumption of food during emotional stress. Of course, if you've ever eaten a few cakes at the end of the day especially difficult, you probably do not need scientific proof of this fact.

Another study found that a high body mass index (BMI) was typical of those who prefer to overeat in response to stress, particularly women. Higher BMI, may possibly be associated with products that are used in the acute period of stress. The researchers found that the stress-eaters often lean on products fast food, pizza, chocolate. In addition, more alcohol than can be explained by a large number of extra, empty calories.

Interestingly, in this study analyzed the main reasons accompanying the emergence of emotional stress and a desire to "seize" the problem - for men it is job loss or divorce, for women the main reason was the lack of emotional support.

Stress and the role of the hormone cortisol

There is a natural, stress-related hormone - cortisol, which can contribute to weight gain, especially abdominal fat. A large amount of cortisol released into the blood when you are under emotional stress. Cortisol receptors are located in the stomach, and cause accumulation of fat there.

In 2000, researchers found that women with high waist-to-hip ratio - both overweight and thin - more cortisol is released during stress and have higher levels of stress in their lives than women with a low ratio.

In addition, excess cortisol can actually cause your metabolism slows down. This may mean that even if you do not consume extra calories than your daily allowance, you can gain weight. But as the emotional stress stimulates the appetite, it is likely that you do overeat more calories than usual, in a surge only compounds the problem. As a result, during times of stress you receive a "double whammy" - in the form of a slow metabolism and nervous increase daily calories.

It is not known exactly how cortisol can affect your food "behavior" or increase in appetite directly, but research is ongoing ... Regardless of their results, we already see the trend that women who eat a diet high in fat, increased cortisol levels and they preference for sweet food.

How to handle and maintain your weight?

As the absence of emotional support for women is directly linked with the tendency to overeat, it is important that you have focused on the solution of this "problem". This means that you can apply for support and motivation to your friends or family members when you start to eat in response to emotional stress. Use e-mail, phone, or take a trip to visit those who have not seen. Do not hesitate to ask for help - it is crucial to get the emotional support you need.

Instead of "snack" its tension food and "flood" of alcohol, go out for a brisk 30-minute walk or walk up / down the stairs a few times. Splash of physical activity can help you to reduce your appetite . Simple movements will enable alleviate stress, for example, if you are a long time sitting at your desk or on a call, just get up and slightly move.

Receive regular exercise . Experts agree that regular physical activity is one of the most effective ways of dealing with emotional stress. It helps to regulate the level of cortisol, it can help you relieve depression, and it helps you improve nighttime sleep (just do not exercise for a few hours before bedtime).

Note the relaxation exercises , it will ease your anxiety without food, such as visualization,breathing exercises and meditation. Try the directions that combine relaxation with physical activity, such as yoga or pilates.

Get plenty of sleep . If you do not sleep well when you are emotionally overwhelmed, it can also have an impact on your efforts to lose weight. (Studies have shown that it can be a link between lack of sleep and weight gain.

One of the best ways to manage and analyze the amount of "emotional eating" is the use of a food diary . Simply by writing to your computer eaten food and beverages with the notation of his feelings before and after eating, is an excellent method. View your blog every few days to get a picture of what feelings push you to overeat, and think about their alternative to replacement.

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