We all know that a stressful situation can alter now much we eat. Dealing with grief, for example, causes some people to lose interest in eating, so they lose a lot of weight, whereas others use food to comfort themselves and subsequently gain. In both cases, poor food choices can come into the picture. While an occasional upset can definitely affect your weight, it is chronic stress that one must be careful to avoid, as it can make sustaining a healthy weight or achieving weight loss very difficult. Here are the ways stress can undermine your weight loss:
- Stress affects digestion. With ongoing unmanaged stress, your body will experience digestion issues, including a dysfunctional digestive system or a slowed one.
- Emotional stress can throw off your eating patterns. We talk about being “regular” or “irregular” when it comes to elimination, and leaning more toward the first means having a regular nutritious diet. When you eat more or less than usual as you battle stress, it is going to affect how your body removes waste, which can lead to health concerns.
- Stress can make you eat things you normally wouldn’t. When life is so stressful that you cannot even take a moment to plan a healthy meal, the drive-thru at a fast food chain sounds appealing. You do that too much, and your weight loss isn’t going to happen.
- Chronic stress can weaken your thyroid. Your thyroid supports much of the rest of your body, so when it isn’t functioning correctly because it is being suppressed by chronic stress, it then goes on to affect so much more that directly and indirectly hinders weight loss.
- Chronic stress can result in a leaky gut. As already mentioned, stress affects digestion, but it can go much further than that when the stomach is adversely affected.
Dealing with stress isn’t easy for most of us, but when you find your digestion and other issues are adding fuel to the fire, it is time to reach out for help. Whether your goal is weight loss or just getting healthier overall, turn to me at Herbal Nutrition with Lisa. I can provide you with nutrition supplements that will help you avoid those quick drive-through meals. Let me help you put your weight loss goals within reach and lower your stress in the process. If you feel like you are at the end of the rope, know that I am here to help. Call today to learn more.