The three are directly connected. And probably more often than we realize.

I did not have a lot of trouble losing weight until my 30s.  Then it seemed like my metabolism STOPPED. I learned very quickly that if I changed the amount of food I was eating and started replacing a lot of the junk with the good stuff, I could lose weight more quickly and maintain a healthy BMI.

I was fortunate…or maybe unfortunate (because I REALLY struggled to incorporate clean eating and exercise later on) to be able to always be able to exercise and eat whatever I wanted to and not gain weight. And if I did, it came off easily when I put any effort into weight loss.

But when I hit 33, my body started working against me…and I really had to begin working at maintaining a healthy weight.

But God put some pretty amazing people and systems into my life, and for the past 3 years, I have improved my health dramatically!  I am so thankful for that.  And it is why I coach and help other women. 

But in the past few months, I have put on about 10 lbs that I am having great difficulty losing. 

I have maintained my exercise and healthy eating, but I was on birth control for a few months and I ate more than I should while on that. The weight gained definitely came on quick enough, but it isn’t shedding as quickly as I’d like. 

It may be related to stress. It may not. But I decided to do a little more research on the subject in hopes of shedding some light for other women….

Why Does Stress Affect Weight Gain?

Of course, as women, we can all relate and understand “stress eating”.  I think we use that as an excuse too often, but it’s a fact.  When we’re tired, depressed, hurt, angry….we EAT!  We find comfort in food that only really makes our situations worse. 

Have you ever found yourself wallowing in an entire bag of Oreos or a tub of ice cream because of your emotions?? I know I’m not alone.

But more than that, there is a chemical effect of stress on the body.  

From Prevention.com :

And cortisol encourages your body to store fat.  It also decreases your muscle mass, which we know burns more calories.  As women, we tend to find stored fat in our bellies, which is the most unhealthy place to store it.  

So, what can you do to combat stress and weight gain associated with stress?

1. Eat a healthy breakfast.  Do NOT skip it.  Actually, don’t skip any of your meals.  This only increases hunger and when we are hungry, we tend to make more unhealthy decisions in regards to our meals.
2. MOVE when you feel stressed.  It is second nature to just want to sit down or sulk when we’re sad or stressed.  But doing the opposite can do a world of good!  Take a walk.  Do some push ups. Lift some weights. Exercise gets your blood pumping and pushed the cortisol through your kidneys and out of the body. 
3. Get enough sleep.  When our bodies are tired, cortisol increases, as do our appetites, and we naturally gain weight.  We should get a good 7-8 hours of sleep at least every night.  
4. Stop “DIETING”.  That is such an ugly word in my house.  I dieted for years….yo-yo dieted I should say. I started and stopped. Started when I wanted to gain weight and stopped when i reached my goal.  It was unhealthy, inconsistent and a total STRUGGLE when I tried to do this as my metabolism slowed.  Too often, as women, we go for the quick fix. Cutting carbs, restricting major calories and just sabatoging our health over all.  Find a way of eating that is for the long term. Something sustainable that’s not going to make you hate life and food altogether!