4 Reasons Your Stressed-Out State Is Stopping You From Losing Weight

Most of my clients know more about nutrition than your average dietician. They've read countless diet books, research articles, and blogs. They've tried everything from juice cleanses, to low-fat diets, to high-carb diets, to no carb. They could probably even tell you just how many calories are in the meal you're eating for breakfast.

So what’s wrong? Why can’t they lose the weight? They know what to do, how to apply it, all the tricks to distract them from the sugar, and yet, the weight stays on.

The majority of my clients are also incredibly stressed about their weight. They’re stressed about counting calories, changing their diet, weighing in, fitting in their workouts, and not eating the cake on their counter. They often tell me if they could just lose the weight, they'd lose the stress.

They just need to find that one diet that will finally get them to where they want to be.

What if I told you they’re doing it backwards? The reason they can’t loose weight has absolutely nothing to do with their food. They can’t lose weight because they’re stressed and because they’re dieting all-day and panicked about their food, their bodies simply can’t stop stressing.

Still don’t believe me? When we become stressed our bodies react by having the adrenal glands release cortisol and adrenaline. When we are in a constant state of stress, we also have a constant flow of cortisol, which can lead to these four problems making you gain weight.

1. You're in a fight-or-flight state.

Your body isn't able to focus on anything other than getting you out of your stressful situation. This means that you don’t digest food properly or burn calories properly.

2. Cortisol releases extra sugar into the bloodstream.

This leads to constant levels of high blood sugar in the body.

3. Cortisol also stops insulin production.

Insulin is another hormone that removes sugar from the bloodstream. When insulin becomes impaired, the sugar doesn’t get stored in your cells, and your blood sugar levels remain elevated.

4. Because insulin production has been halted, your cells are not able to get the sugar they need.

This leads to the feeling of hunger even though you are already in a state of high blood sugar. Excess sugar that does not get used will end up getting stored as fat.

Bottom line: Work on finding ways to de-stress and you will likely loose weight naturally, simply because your body is able to function properly.

Want to learn about another reason why you just can't lose the weight? I'm hosting a FREE teleclass all about How to Kick Sugar and Not Hate Your Life. To sign up for FREE head here.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

1. Prev:11 Tips To Eat Like A Skinny Woman (If Thats Your Goal)
2. Next:6 Beliefs That Are Preventing You From Losing Weight