Stress Is Harmful for Fat-Loss

Stress negatively impacts the body’s ability to lose fat. Chronic stress can cause health problems as well such as; increase the risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Stress increases cortisol. While cortisol is an important hormone and does a lot to keep us healthy, high amounts of cortisol, or chronically elevated cortisol, can make it difficult to lose body fat and can even increase body fat. Cortisol can increase sugar cravings, appetite, and decrease leptin (hormone that makes you feel full.) 

Stress affects the body’s ability to recover from workouts, especially high intensity workouts. High-intense exercise places additional stress on the body. If this high intensity activity is performed everyday it can make it difficult for the body to recover from one workout to the next. This puts the body at risk for symptoms of over-training which can lead to loss of program adherence.

Finally, chronic stress can negatively affect the immune system. If you are continuously getting sick you either have a child in daycare or your immune system is weak. Illness requires rest, hydration, nutrients, and a full recovery before continuing with exercise and a caloric deficit. If illness continues it can make progress towards fat-loss goals very discouraging. 

Every week I talk with my clients about stress-management. I offer monthly yoga flows and encourage habits that minimize stress. Monitor stress for health and fat-loss.

References:

“How Stress Affects Your Body and Behavior.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 24 Mar. 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987. 

Stress Cortisol Connection, https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/stresscortisol.html.