Maintaining Healthy Weight Under Stress.

Everyone of us experiences stress at some point in our life. Relationships, Work, finances, and life changes can all cause stress. The ongoing chronic stress may even induce serious health-related problems and may even harm your mental-wellbeing. Not only this, if you are someone who is trying to lose weight then stress can ruin your entire weightloss journey. Here are three stress-induced unhealthy habits that are harmful for your body.

• Exercising less: There must be a lot already on your plate and exercising may be one of the last things on your to-do list. Well, you’re not alone. A long commute and hours of sitting behind a desk can leave little or no opportunity for physical activity.
• Skipping meals: When you juggle a dozen of things at once, eating your meal at time can drop down in the list of priorities, isn’t that so? You might find yourself skipping the most important meal of the day, breakfast, because you are running late or not able to eat lunch because there’s too much on your to-do list.
• Sleeping less: Many people have trouble while sleeping when they’re worried or stressed about something. And many researchers have linked sleep deprivation to a slower metabolism. When you feel overtired you also reduce willpower and this contributes to unhealthy eating habits.

Here’s How to Break the Cycle of Stress and Weight Gain

• Drink more water.
  Sometimes we get confused between our thirst and our hunger. Confusing these two cravings may lead to eating more calories than your body actually needs, prompting to weight gain. When you eliminate any mild dehydration it gets much easier for your mind and body to identify hunger. If it’s only been a couple of hours since you’ve eaten and yet you go hungry, try drinking water first. If you still feel hungry, go grab a healthy snack.
• Incorporate stress-relief strategies into your daily life.
  Whether you savour yoga or you find happiness in reading a good book, try adding easy stress relievers like going on a walk, taking a deep breath, listening to music into your daily routine. Doing so may reduce your cortisol levels, which later will help you manage your weight.
• Eat healthier comfort foods. Why do you need carbs or fats to make you feel better when you have healthy alternatives? So make sure your pantry is stocked with these types of foods. This way it will make it easier to grab a healthier alternative during times of high stress.
• Make exercise a priority. Exercising is a crucial component of weight management and stress reduction. It can help you address both problems simultaneously, so it’s very important for warding off stress-related weight gain. Whether you go for a walk during your lunch break or hit the gym after work, incorporating regular exercises into your routine is very important.
• Practice mindful eating. You may have heard this before that focusing on what you are eating without any distractions can help lower your stress level, promote weight loss, and avoid weight gain. One study found that overweight generally happens due to the distraction of your phone or the TV. Which is true!! So next time when you are eating your meal, try to enjoy every bit of it without any distractions.

Over to You
These were some crucial tips that you must follow to maintain a healthy weight if you’re undergoing stress. These tips will ensure balancing your overall health and keep you fit.