photo by Programwitch

Sometimes it seems like a mean trick that our bodies play on us. We are stressed out, we have a bazillion things to do, no time to do it all, and then to top it off, our clothes start to fit bad– the muffin top appears, and we get even more stressed out. Ahh. How do we stop the madness? Well, first let’s look at how it starts. Cortisol is the body’s “stress hormone.” It is rapidly produced in the body when you are stressed. With excess cortisol hanging around your body, it causes an imbalance in hormones and throws off blood sugar levels and metabolism. That explains how you could be gaining weight (especially around your waist) in times of stress even though you aren’t doing anything different with your diet!

You might also find yourself craving a pint of Chunky Monkey more than usual when you are stressed; blame that on cortisol too; studies show that high levels of cortisol and cravings are related.

So the best plan of action is not to just bang your head on the “here” sign. STOP. Relax. Go for a run, watch your favorite movie, get a pedicure. Whatever you can do to destress will enable your body to self-regulate better, lose fat if you want, and keep your clothes fitting well!

After all, stressed is only desserts spelled backward.