What about stress causes weight loss?

[Mr. Bloom]

OK, for most of my life, I've differentiated between pressure and stress:

• Pressure = Your circumstances
• Stress = How you respond to your circumstances and metabolize them into your body

For the last month, I've been under STRESS!

And although I don't believe I've curtailed my eating and time/weather has precluded regularly scheduled exercise, I've lost 10.5 pounds.

Under normal circumstances, this might be good, but I'm not excited when it doesn't appear to be a result of conscious effort.

The only thing that is different is that I'm eating more apples...otherwise, I feel like I eat a lot.

My BP is elevated as well - it's at 140/90...typically before, it averaged 110/70.

What about stress metabolizes into weight loss?

[Crankin]

I am not sure of the metabolic process, but the same thing happened to me last fall, when I was stressed from my mysterious illness; I lost weight and I had high bp. Mine is also usually 110/70. There was no medical reason for either of these things.
I understand what you mean. I was secretly pleased with being so skinny, but really, I was worried about losing 5 pounds (which on a five foot one inch person is a lot).
Maybe, after all of the stress with your parents and your dad's passing, it is starting to hit you physically?

Robyn

[OakLeaf]

I'm sure other people who know more will chime in, but the way I understand it is that when everything else is controlled, stress actually causes weight gain, because of the way stress hormones affect blood sugar.

But stress also has a strong effect on your appetite, which can go either way depending on psychological factors. Me, I'm a stress eater, I'll stuff my face to literally try to keep emotions inside. But you could have lost your appetite just below the level where you're aware of it.

It's probably the apples. No really, remember a couple of years ago the Apple Council sponsored some research that claimed to show people lost weight when they ate more apples. Apples are so high in soluble fiber that they give people a feeling of fullness way beyond their actual caloric content, so you tend to eat less.

Also, unfortunately, when I'm inactive, particularly if I'm slacking off strength training, I'll initially start to lose weight from muscle loss, for at least two or three months before the increased fat starts to show up on the scales.

Stress and inactivity alone are enough to account for the BP, I think. They would be for me, but my BP tends to be pretty reactive.

[Tuckervill]

I think you should start exercising right away, no matter what. That will help with the stress. That BP needs to come down quick.

Maybe your heart rate is elevated, too, which would mean more calories burned? I dunno. It sounds similar to when I was on the divorce diet and shrunk down to my pre-puberty size.

I question whether "stress" causes weight gain across the board. In my family we don't get fat under stress. We get smaller. In DH's family it is the opposite, but they are all apple shapes (carry their weight at the waist and above) so that physiological difference could have something to do with it. (It does make them at higher risk for diabetes, so it would make sense that their body reacts differently to other things.)

I wouldn't discount a delayed, or maybe accumulating, reaction to the grief of losing your father. It took my son a year to fully recognize the effects on his psyche of being in Iraq and all that happened at home while he was gone.

I hope whatever the stress is clears up really soon for you.

Karen

[LBTC]

Mr.S. I'm sending you butterflies of calm and gentle awareness. I hope that your stress is reduced soon!

I'm no pro, but I think when the adrenal system, which is involved in stress, is elevated, the metabolism speeds up. While this can lead to weight loss, even more energy, it can not be maintained and can lead to other problems. Be careful and aware of how you feel - I think all of my illness was really caused by adrenal stress. I'm taking a variety of herbal, homeopathic and botanical remedies, including one that directly supports the adrenal system with a precise combination of B vitamins, some herbs I've never heard of, and even bovine adrenal gland.

DH recently lost a whack of weight due to stress. The stress was reasonably short term - maybe a couple of weeks - and he took advantage of the way he was feeling to ramp up his exercise program, so the weight loss has maintained and even continued. He looks great, now!

Do try to get back to your exercise program - it will help you feel better in so many ways!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[tulip]

I was on the divorce diet over a 1.5 year ago and I lost alot of weight. I was eating more apples, too, so maybe that was it.

I think stress affects people in different ways. Some gain, some lose, some sleep, some get insomnia. Mr. S, it seems like you've had a rough few months with your dad and your mom, and then with the kiddo getting ready to go to college...Take time to take care of yourself.

[Starfish]

Hi Mr.,

I can't help with your actual question...I am among those who overeat and gain under stress (compulsion, cortisol, etc.).

But, I know that in the months around and after losing my folks last year, my brothers and I were in quite a fog...didn't even realize how much...despite keeping going with work, training, estate stuff. I guess what I'm saying is...you might be taking in fewer calories than you realize. You might try jotting down your intake for a week, and just seeing if you aren't eating less than you think?

And...a sudden weight loss is also worth checking out with a doc, maybe?

All around, you and Silver and family have remained in my prayers.