8 Mistakes Stressed People Make That Lead to Weight Gain

If you want to beat anxiety AND prevent pound creep, avoid these missteps.

As if a racing heart, a churning stomach, and sweaty pits weren't bad enough on their own, stress can make you gain weight like whoa. Now, don't stress: Just focus on dealing with that anxiety in healthy ways. And whatever you do, avoiding making these pound-packing mistakes.

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WORRYING

A recent study published in the journal Appetite found that just thinking about a stressful event in the future can cause you to eat more by increasing your levels of ghrelin, the "hunger hormone." Focus on what you're doing, rather than worrying about what has happened in the past or will happen in the future.

FORGETTING TO EAT

Amid an endless to-do list, we've all thought, "I'm too busy to eat!" But forgoing a meal now can both slow your metabolism and set you up for bingeing later (more on that later). And to make matters worse, low blood-sugar levels can make your work seem even more difficult and stressful. When you're feeling too busy to eat, try filling up on these four foods that help relieve stress and shrink your waistline. It will just take a few minutes.

EMOTIONAL EATING

Whether you mow down a large pizza for one at 10 p.m. when you realize you haven't eaten all day or you turn to fried foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, emotional eating can make you more—not less—emotional. Try this easy trick to prevent emotional eating.

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SKIMPING ON SLEEP

Not only do you need adequate Zzzs to deal with stress the next day, but sleep can prevent weight gain by promoting a healthy metabolism, preventing your body from storing too much fat, and boosting your self-control.

MAKING RASH DECISIONS

Don't go to the supermarket when you're crazed. Stress causes you to be bad at making good choices because it keeps your brain occupied with other things, according to Harvard research. If you just have to make a trip, make a list of what you need beforehand so you’re less tempted to give in to impulse purchases.

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OVERDOING IT ON CAFFEINE

Coffee can come in handy when you’re nose-to-the-grindstone, but relying on caffeine to power through can backfire in more ways than one. Research published the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistrysuggests that consuming more than five or six cups of coffee per day promotes weight gain and insulin problems. Plus, if those coffee drinks are filled with sugar and cream, you could easily hit your recommended daily calorie intake on beverages alone.

SKIPPING YOUR WORKOUT

We know, you don't have time. But making time will lessen your stress. Even "forced" exercise can help protect against anxiety and stress, per research from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Plus, your sweat session can help torch the calories needed to keep your weight steady despite stress.

NOT DE-STRESSING

Ignoring the stress, calling it "normal," or trying to just push through it won’t make the stress go away. In fact, research from the University of Kentucky suggests that curbing stress is more important to weight loss than learning all of the best eating strategies.

Article source: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/stress-and-weight-gain/slide/9