Stress and Weight loss....The Cortisol Factor

stress and weight loss....the Cortisol factor

Did you ever wonder why you did not lose weight?
Did you know that stress can be an obstacle undermining even the best weight loss program?
Permanent mental or emotional stress causes a high adrenalin level and this in return releases a hormone called cortisol.
In normal amounts cortisol is necessary for your body, but an excess of this hormone triggers a lot of harmful side effects, many of which can cause weight gain, including:

*activation of fat storage hormones and enzymes
*conversion of protein into unwanted sugar and fat
*accumulation of dangerous abdominal fat
*increase in appetite
*increase of cravings for sweets and fatty food
*progressive insulin resistance which can lead to diabetes type 2
*hypertension
*cardiovascular disease
*other health risk factors associated with obesity

Thus weight loss is not only about calories consumed and calories burned. There is also the stress factor to be taken into account and the weight management plan needs to be extended to stress management too. A positive mind set and a good choice of foods will also help in this area.