- 1. Anxiety causes Hormonal Changes
- What to do:
- 2. Anxiety causes Food Compulsion
- What to do:
- 3. Anxiety lowers motivation
- What to do:
Anxiety can put on weight because it causes changes in the production of hormones, decreases the motivation to have a healthy lifestyle and causes episodes of binge eating, in which the individual ends up eating large amounts of food in an attempt to improve mood and reduce anxiety.
Thus, it is important to identify the presence of anxiety to be able to start your treatment and allow weight loss. Here are the 3 main changes that anxiety causes in the body and what to do to treat it.
1. Anxiety causes Hormonal Changes
Anxiety causes an increase in the production of the hormone cortisol, which is also known as stress hormone, which has the effect of stimulating the production of fat in the body.
This is because, in stressful situations, the body tends to produce more energy reserves in the form of fat so that the body has a good caloric reserve that can be used in cases of food crisis or moments of struggle.
What to do:
To reduce anxiety, you can use simple strategies such as walking outdoors daily and doing relaxation activities, such as practicing yoga and meditation. Having a good night's sleep and engaging in regular physical activity also help to relieve stress and reduce excess body cortisol production.
However, it is important to remember that some cases of anxiety need medical and psychological monitoring for their treatment, and the use of medications may also be necessary. See the symptoms and how to treat anxiety.
2. Anxiety causes Food Compulsion
Anxiety causes moments of binge eating, with increased consumption especially of sweets, breads, pasta and other foods that are sources of simple carbohydrates and sugar. This naturally causes a large increase in calorie consumption, leading to weight gain and difficulty in losing weight.
These moments of compulsion happen because sweet or carbohydrate-rich foods stimulate the production of serotonin, a hormone that generates a feeling of well-being in the body, temporarily relieving obesity.
What to do:
To control binge eating episodes, you must have a balanced diet and eat for 3 or 4 hours, as this reduces hunger and helps to decrease the desire to eat. In addition, having a follow-up with a nutritionist helps to choose meals that improve mood and decrease the desire to eat sweets. Find out which foods improve your mood.
3. Anxiety lowers motivation
Anxiety also decreases the individual's motivation to pursue a healthy lifestyle, making him / her not in the mood to practice physical activity and eat well. This is mainly due to the excess of cortisol, a stress hormone, which also leaves a feeling of tired body and lack of spirits.
What to do:
To be more motivated, one can use strategies such as going to practice physical activity outdoors or with a friend to have company, participate in groups on social networks that are formed by people who are also going through the weight loss process and asking friends and family to also try to have a healthy routine to serve as a stimulus.
Regularly consuming foods rich in omega-3s, such as sardines, salmon, tuna and nuts, and foods rich in tryptophan, such as bananas, oats and brown rice, also help to improve mood and maintain high motivation. Setting real weight loss goals with the nutritionist also helps to maintain a healthy weight loss rate and reduce the personal burden to lose weight quickly. See how to get more motivation at: 7 tips for not giving up on the gym.
Watch the video below and learn what to do to combat stress and anxiety.
