Can Stress Lead to Weight Loss or Gain in Weight?

When you are under stress, you eat more and put on weight .This increases your weight. Your weight loss efforts depend on your stress level. Stress can cause both weight loss, or weight gain. If your weight is affected by stress, it is not good for your health. You should not ignore your stress. It is better to finding ways to relieve the stress you feel.

Unplanned sudden weight loss can be due to stress. Stress is a known risk factor for heart disease, high blood pressure and strokes. When we are under stress, cortisol, a stress hormone is affected leading to the release of various hormones. Chronic stress and cortisol can contribute to your weight in the following ways:

1. Emotional Eating & Craving
   Stress causes emotional eating. Increased levels of cortisol can cause you to eat more and also make you crave unhealthy food like salty, sugary and fatty foods. This causes weight gain.
2. Fat Storage
   Continued stress can increase levels of abdominal fat, increasing health risks.
3. Metabolism
   Too much cortisol can slow metabolism, causing weight gain.
4. Blood Sugar
   Continued stress can alter blood sugar levels, causing conditions like hyperglycemia.

Fortunately, you can reverse the weight gain and waistline.