4 Ways Body Stress Affects Your Weight

4 Ways Body Stress Affects Your Weight

Body stress can result from numerous factors causing different ailments. When homeostasis (body equilibrium) is unbalanced, the body reacts by launching an immune system assault or by shutting down specific components, such as injured musculature. These responses may present some challenging symptoms. One such symptom is weight gain. Being aware of how your body responds to body stress may offer you a preventative choice to reduce or avoid excess weight. Here are some ways in which body stress affects your weight:

1.Trauma                                                                                                                                                                 

Sustaining the results of a traumatic event is always a test. Dealing with how the body reacts takes time and patience. If injured, the muscles and bones may need immobility to give them time to heal. The body remains in a shocked, stressful state until homeostasis can be achieved. Often, because of this immobility, weight gain can happen. When forced into a sedentary state, boredom can lead you to eat. Force yourself to keep nutritious, low-calorie foods in the house. If the donuts are not there, you will not eat them.

2. Exercise Stress

Although an hour or more at the gym gets your blood flowing, the body is feeling something else. Muscles are in frantic repair mode; the periosteum, which surrounds the bones and attaches to muscles, has been strained. Toxins are swirling around your bloodstream, so antibodies are released to attack these free-radicals. The body is in full blown stress and may easily cause your brain to walk you to the nearest order of a milkshake and fries.

Even if you have self control and eat organic, live food, you may very well eat larger amounts. In this case of body stress, carbohydrates are the food of choice and healthy or not, they will potentially pack on the weight. Eat or juice raw fruits and vegetables for a low calorie intake that will tide you over until mealtime. It will ease a stressful response from working out.

3. Work

Depending on what you do for a living, the body is going to be stressed. Repetitive use syndrome (RUS) is the result of doing the same thing over and over for years, such as sitting for hours or hauling boxes all day. Two popular stressed locations are the lower back and the trapezius muscles, which are located on either side of the base of your neck. When these and other locations become affected by RUS, the body’s stress factor slowly rises. Eventually, this results in weight gain due to constant pain.

When in pain there is a lack of exercise, combined with long working hours, which often leads to depression that can drive you to eat. Look for ways to release stress while getting exercise. Long walks, bike rides or even daily stretching while on speakerphone in the office will help.

4. Childbirth

It is no surprise that body stress due to childbirth is inevitable. It can take six to eight weeks and even longer for the female body to recover. Combine that with long hours of no sleep, and eating anything becomes habit. Before you know it, the weight is packed on. Work with trying to set up fast nutritious low calorie meals for yourself and your mate whenever possible, and try to exercise when you can.

For more information please call Dr. Ashley at 630-554-9991