Does stress make you gain weight?
Stress is bad for several reasons. It affects your metabolism and immune system and leads to depression. It also increases your cravings for food and lowers your libido. Even worse, stress makes you put on weight. To keep yourself from falling prey to weight gain managing stress is critical.
The following tips will help you stay on track and protect yourself from gaining weight because of stress.
Take Vitamins
During stressful times, we tend to put aside our healthy habits. The best way to keep yourself healthy is by taking your regular dose of vitamins. If you are a busy individual, make sure not to skimp on vitamins, once before breakfast and once after dinner. If possible, carry them with you to work. Keep them in a storage container, which should stay with you at all times.
Eat Healthily
For some time, break free from the fattening and sugary snacks like cakes, pastries, muffins, burgers, pizzas, and soda. Instead, try eating something healthy like apples, green vegetables, dry fruits, and yogurt. Make sure not to stay hungry for too long, as it will result in a spike in your blood sugar. High blood sugar can affect your mood and energy levels. Staying hungry for too long can also slow down your metabolism, thus resulting in weight gain. Stress-related weight gain results in belly fat, which in most cases is the driving force behind diabetes and heart disease. Taking chewable vitamin C can keep your health on the right track, and also keep you from gaining weight. Furthermore, eating high protein diets can make you feel full and less hungry.
Drink Enough Fluids
Make sure to drink at least 2 liters of water daily. To make it more effective, add small drops of chlorophyll to your water. It has a pleasant minty taste and is extremely detoxifying. Give up on the nice and frothy coffee, and try to substitute it with some refreshing green tea. Caffeine in tea, coffee, and soft drinks enhance the production of cortisol, which causes weight gain. On the flip side, despite having caffeine, green tea also contains theanine, which mitigates the effects of cortisol.
Manage Your Stress
The moment you feel stressed or anxious, focus only on what is happening around you. Make a list of all the things that you need to do. This way, you will feel relaxed and less overwhelmed. Every time you cross a task off your list, you will get a feeling of accomplishment.
Weight Training
Hit the gym, and you will feel relaxed and light. To maintain a healthy metabolic rate, try to combine weight training with cardio exercises. If you are too stressed, keep the workout sessions short. You can also try circuit training, which is good for several reasons. First of all, it promotes testosterone, and secondly, enhances insulin response.
To protect yourself from stress-induced weight gain, make sure not to skimp on any of the tips mentioned above.
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