May 10, 2024

Stress may slow your metabolism

For lots of people, grabbing a handful of chocolate or binge eating after hearing bad news are common coping mechanisms. However this bad habit of stress eating can slow metabolic process and lead to serious weight gainC up to 11 pounds in just a year, according to one recent study.

Ohio State University researchers conducted research of 58 women to see how their metabolism taken care of immediately stress. Participants completed a regular inventory of stressful events and ate a 930-calorie meal. After eating, they sat in bed for seven hours while researchers monitored their resting metabolic rate.

After analyzing the women’s inventories, researchers found that ladies who have a minumum of one stressor within the Twenty four hours before the experiment had a higher increase in insulin levels after eating. High levels of insulin contribute to the storage of fat. The stressed women also burned 104 fewer calories than women who had no stressors whatsoever within the seven hours after eating.

“This implies that over time, stressors can lead to putting on weight,” said Jan Kiecolt-Glasor, professor of psychiatry and psychology at Ohio State University and lead author of the study. “We realize that from other data that we are more likely to eat the wrong foods when we’re stressed, and our data states that when we eat the wrong foods, weight gain gets to be more likely because we’re burning fewer calories.”

How are you able to break the habit of stress eating and prevent putting on weight? Michelle Remkus, a dietician at the Good Samaritan Overall health Center advises people to stop and listen to natural cues out of your body, which allow you to eat when you really need to consume.

“Hunger is your body’s method to inform your brain it’s time to eat.? Lots of people eat for other reasons besides hunger like boredom, depression, anxiety, or stress,” Remkus says. “You may not even feel hungry, however, you catch yourself indulging in a box of cookies.”

To measure precisely how hungry you are, Remkus recommends taking a look at a hunger scale which can help you decide if you’re truly hungry.

“When you are feeling stressed and depressed, really keep close track of what you might be grabbing as your first choice. Keep healthy snacks in the fridge that you can grab easily because these are the times you’re less likely to want to prepare something,” said Kiecolt-Glaser. “People can’t easily avoid stress within their lives-but it’s recognizing it and seeking to change behavior around it.”