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Is STRESS Making You FAT?!- My 5 Step Method to Improve your stress and lose more weight TODAY!

November 2, 2022
Is STRESS making you Fat?

Is STRESS Making You FAT?!- My 5 Step Method to Improve your stress and lose more weight TODAY!

In todays article I want to take you through a secret formula;

One that you may not even be aware of!

Something that can hold back ALL your weight loss efforts...

STRESS - and how it can totally STALL your weight loss progress.

But fear not! My easy 5 step method to manage your stress will help you start taking action TODAY to improve your weight loss.

 

A recent study in April 2020 recognised that with elevated stress levels but 19% people lost up to 55% less body fat than their counterparts who did not recognise levels of elevated distress!

 

 

The Basics of STRESS

Levels of "the stress hormone," cortisol, rise during tension-filled times.

This can turn your overeating into a habit.

Because increased levels of the hormone also help cause higher insulin levels, your blood sugar drops and you crave sugary, fatty foods.

Most of us think we know what stress is and how it feels:

  • A pounding heart when we’re awakened at 3 a.m. by the sound of breaking glass.
  • The need to pee five times before we deliver a presentation.
  • A temper bomb that explodes when our entire day goes sideways.

But another, more subtle kind of stress can lurk beneath the surface...

 

Hidden Stressors

It’s what happens inside our bodies when we’re continually exposed to the din of construction noise, the uncertainty of a pandemic, the scars of childhood trauma, or the never-ending pressures of parenthood, work, and finances.

These hidden stressors can be so constant that we don’t register them. They’re a part of the backdrop, woven seamlessly into our “normal.”

Over time, however, as they accumulate, hidden stressors can wear us down— leaving us feeling foggy, listless, tired, bloated, and sore.

 

SO ... What is Stress Bod?

When we have a Stress Bod, we might not feel rested, even after sleeping more than 8 hours. So we turn to caffeine, sugar, salt, and fat as energy-sustaining (and coping) substances.

And if we ignore our body’s messages to “take it easy” and instead try to power through an intense workout, we’ll likely find that we can’t pump out as many reps or lift as heavy or run as quickly as we used to.

We might even get injured or sick.

Now, heres the good news...

This is important:

If you’ve been beating yourself up for skipping workouts, gulping down boxes of toaster pastries, or mindlessly scrolling social media when you’re supposed to be, a-hem, working, we’ve got four words for you:

Give yourself a break.

 

You might be in a situation that happens to be incredibly common, especially this year, given the general state of uncertainty and unrest unfolding all around us.

For example, in April 2020, the percentage of people living in the UK who were experiencing significant mental distress rose to 27 percent of people surveyed, up from 19 percent the year before.

You’re not stuck. You can do something about this.

 

First up we need to IDENTIFY THE EFFECTS OF STRESS

The guys at Precision Nutrition do a great job of illustrating this one:

Do any of these resonate with you?

Tips your stress levels are too high
But WAIT! Theres more hidden stressors:
Hidden stressors
So whats this all CALLED Nikki?

YOUR TOTAL COMBINED STRESS LOAD IS CALLED YOUR ALLOSTATIC LOAD- IT HAS TO BE MANAGED TO GET THE WEIGHT LOSS RESULTS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR!*

*Just a side note- allostatic load is NOT just the negative stressors on your life; exercise whilst beneficial is a stressor and has to be managed to get you the results you're looking for. You cannot become your Best Version Yet whilst juggling an overload of stress.

 

The 6 Step Method to Fix Stress Bod:

1- RULE OUT OTHER HEALTH ISSUES

Your GP or Dr can rule out any underlying health concerns such as anemia first and foremost.

 

2-LOOK OUT FOR HIDDEN STRESSORS

That might take the form of;

  • frequent use of social media
  • Obsessive news consumption
  • Excessive noise
  • Intense Exercise
  • Food sensitivities or intolerances
  • High Caffeine intake
  • High Alcohol intake
  • Always 'On" emails and texts
  • Long commute
  • Unhappy relationships
  • Poor Boundaries
  • Unmet Needs
  • Lack of confidence

3-LOG YOUR STRESSES 

At the start of your day: Wake time, how you feel, how you slept, heart rate and temperature

During the Day- What you eat/drink, how you feel, exposure to hidden stressors

At the end of your day; How you feel, time you go to sleep

4-MINIMISE STRESS

  • Talk to a therapist, coach or mentor
  • Limit new exposure
  • Time box worrying
  • Work from home 1 day per week
  • Seek support from friends, supervisors or colleagues
  • Time box social media use (7-8pm)
  • Outsource tasks you hate! (cleaning and ironing for me!)
  • Establish healthy work boundaries- no emails after 6pm
  • Automate as much as possible- same lunch daily? great! less to thing about.

5- FOCUS ON MAKING MICRO PROGRESS 

Quality nutrition, sleep and self care can minimise the impact of stress on stalling your weight loss nut like with anything in life, an all or nothing approach is counterproductive!

Focus instead on your health practices like dials; experiment with turning them up a notch at a time:

Health Dials

 

If you'd like to watch my FREE Webinar on the topic click here: WATCH ME

Love and Light

 

Nikki x

 

 

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