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Managing Stress during Weight Loss

We all encounter a certain amount of stress from time to time. Whether it’s due to added pressure from work, school or home life, stress can be disruptive and distracting. During your weight loss program at Clinical Nutrition Center in Denver it is important to make sure that you are managing stress in a way that promotes optimal weight loss and deters any potentially harmful habits like stress eating. Effective stress management can aid in weight loss, prevent weight regain and promote an overall happier lifestyle.

Managing Stress during Weight LossWe all encounter a certain amount of stress from time to time. Whether it’s due to added pressure from work, school or home life, stress can be disruptive and distracting. During your weight loss program at Clinical Nutrition Center in Denver it is important to make sure that you are managing stress in a way that promotes optimal weight loss and deters any potentially harmful habits like stress eating. Effective stress management can aid in weight loss, prevent weight regain and promote an overall happier lifestyle.

Stress and Your Health

Stress is the body’s reaction to demands and pressures found in everyday life. Stress can sneak up on you and can occur for a number of reasons. Regardless of cause, stress can lead to negative habits and may even negatively affect your health if not properly treated.

Prolonged stress can increase your risk for health issues such as:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Weight gain
  • Heart disease
  • Sleep problems

Additional stress may also lead to poor eating habits. You may use food to cope with stress, and eat for reasons other than for hunger. This could derail your weight loss efforts. If you learn to effectively handle your stress, you’ll feel more in control of your life, and it may seem easier to stick to your healthy lifestyle and weight loss efforts.

Tips for Managing Stress during Weight Loss

  • Recognize the warning signs and cues of oncoming stress. You may not be able to avoid the stress completely but at least you’ll be prepared to adequately cope.
  • Before you reach for a snack, ask yourself why you are eating. If it is for any reason other than hunger, put it back.
  • If you tend to lean on food during times of stress, identify “comfort” foods and try to keep them out of the house.
  • Keep a record of behaviors and eating habits so that you can better identify stressful situations and your reactions to them. You can use this to better manage those situations in the future.
  • Learn problem solving skills so that once you identify a stressful situation you can deal with it accordingly.
  • Make sure you are getting an adequate amount of sleep, as sleep deprivation may cause daytime fatigue and irritability, both of which can make you more susceptible to causes of stress.
  • Exercise regularly. Exercise is not only good for your weight loss efforts, but it also relieves stress.
  • Practice relaxation techniques. Yoga is a great form of low-impact exercising and is also extremely relaxing. You can also try meditation or massage. Listening to music is another calming activity.
  • During your medical weight loss, you may feel overwhelmed by your new daily routine. Try setting a daily schedule so that you don’t feel that added sense of urgency during your day.

One of the best ways to effectively deal with stress is by taking care of yourself and your body. It is important to stay focused on your weight loss goals and not let stress get the better of you. Stay active, get plenty of rest and when it comes to unhealthy foods, resist temptation. You can efficiently handle your stress with techniques like the ones above and continue to work towards your weight loss goals.

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