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.

[Andrea]

Your body's hormonal resopnse to stress includes release of a cocktail of adrenal hormones that, in combination, cause what you're experiencing:

-Cortisol: A catabolic (breaks stuff down) hormone that, during times of stress, seems to act preferentially on the protein (muscle) in your body. Normally, this would be released during exercise and would aid in the breakdown of fat and (to some degree) stored glycogen as well as a small amount of muscle in order to keep up with ATP production.

-Epinephrine: One of the most multi-tasking hormones in the body. It's not only catabolic to fat and glycogen, it is also a powerful stimulant to the body. Excess release will result in a reduced appetite, higher resting heart rate & blood pressure, and elevated body temperature. It's mainly the stimulant properties that will cause weight loss.

I'm better at science than I am at psychology, but hopefully this helps...

[Di bear]

I think it's actually a simple explanation that most people don't comprehend for obvious reasons: we all love to eat when we're upset. I LOVE JUNK FOOD when I'm really upset.

However, there are people who don't eat as a response to stress. It's the simple calories in/calories out equation: if you don't take calories in, but keep getting rid of calories, even if it's just by breathing, then you're going to lose weight.

I had a serious problem with depression in my early 20s when I was at Michigan State. There was a short while where I spent most of my time in bed, and a lot of time crying in the car. Well, I generally don't eat in bed, I sleep. I lost 20 pounds in a very short span of time.

I've gained it all back since then. Now, I'm a happy cyclist and loss of appetite is only an issue if I have tonsillitis like I did a couple weeks ago.

[NbyNW]

I lose weight when I'm stressed, too.

My first year of grad school I went from 108 to 92 lbs. I was only getting 5 hrs of sleep a night and had to eat constantly to get through each day. A few of my classmates were gaining weight at the same time I was losing. Everyone's different. I'm pretty sure I was eating more than "normal," too . . . to my normal, healthy diet I added more yogurt, more fruit, nutella and crackers, donuts, oatmeal, instant soup, and I drank pop for the first time in 10 years . . . it actually took me a couple of years to put the muscle back on after that period of my life was over.

Sounds like you're going through a big transition . . . as someone else said it's probably a good idea to check in with your doctor . . . do what you need to do to get through this tough time, and when you're ready start taking steps to reintroduce activities/habits that are "normal" to you, or find a "new normal."

Take good care of yourself

[bikesanddogs]

I overeat when mildly stressed and lose weight like crazy when quite stressed, especially when the stress is chronic and not soon resolved. First divorce, for example. Sounds as if you might be in the second situation.

Make sure you eat healthy food so as not to compound the problem.

My blood pressure also rises with stress. Monitor it, talk to your doctor, and exercise or do whatever reduces your stress. I'm seeing the doctor as my blood pressure is spiking. She recommended an Omron upper-arm cuff model for home testing.

[Mr. Bloom]

I'm hearing all this talk of "divorce diet"...are you saying the stress of divorce caused weight loss or that you went on a diet - post divorce - because you were back in the dating game?

[makbike]

Mr. Silver,

I think it is safe to say I had a very stressful summer last year. First, my surgery to remove that softball size mass fondly known as "Junior" from my abdomen. This little health issue created a lot of mental stress as well as physical stress. Second, the end of my 3 1/2 year relationship came just days after my surgery. Yet another stress factor. I dropped 10 pounds last summer and can safely say it was all due to what transpired during my summer vacation. People handle stress in different ways. I lost my appetite and spent a lot of time on my bike. I'm positive the number of calories going in did not equal the number I was burning as I pedaled about trying to sort things out in my life. Life must be returning to normal for I've gained back five of those pounds but am hoping with the return of warm weather and all the riding I have planned that they too will disappear.

Hang in there and keep your chin up. Enjoy the weight lose.

[Tuckervill]

I'm hearing all this talk of "divorce diet"...are you saying the stress of divorce caused weight loss or that you went on a diet - post divorce - because you were back in the dating game?

The stress of the divorce caused the weight loss in my case. In my mom's and dad's case, too, and in several of my girlfriends'.

It could be that I was thrust into poverty, as well.

Karen

[tulip]

In my case, it was as if a weight had been lifted. Years of unhappiness had finally found an answer and a solution. And my extra weight disappeared, went away. I was not dieting, but I had lost my taste for certain foods (coffee and sugar) and had gained a taste for fresh fruit. Go figure.