Common Stress Relief Practices That Derail Menopause Weight Loss [Ep 23]

You've been working hard to lose extra pounds, eat healthy, and exercise regularly, but the scale just won't budge.  Frustrating, right?  Stress could be the culprit behind slow or stalled progress for weight loss. Understanding the connection between coping with stress and weight loss is vital for reaching the finish line of your desired weight loss journey.

In this episode, Lisa explores how seemingly effective stress relief practices can sabotage our efforts to lose weight in midlife. She talks about three common ways used to relieve stress, only to have it backfire and throw weight loss off track and what to do instead to find real relief from stress and still lose weight.

Shared in this episode:
1. Using food as a coping mechanism to deal with stress
2. Drinking alcohol to numb stress and emotions
3. Using social media to escape stress
4. Effective stress-busting strategies to end the stress cycle that don’t sabotage weight loss

Download your free resource that  includes 7 simple, effective strategies to manage stress without compromising your weight loss journey. 

Thanks for listening!

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Chapters

• 3:05 Using food as a coping mechanism to deal with stress
• 6:09 Drinking alcohol to numb stress and emotions
• 9:40 Using social media to escape stress
• 12:08 Effective stress-busting strategies to end the stress cycle that don’t sabotage weight loss

Transcript

You've been working hard to shed those extra pounds, eating right, and exercising regularly, but the scale just won't budge.  Frustrating, right?  Stress could be the culprit behind slow or stalled progress for weight loss. 

As we go about daily life, we encounter stress in various forms—be it work-related, personal, or financial. Turning to quick-fix stress relievers might offer temporary relief, but they can also result in negative consequences for our waistlines. Understanding the connection between coping with stress and weight loss is vital for reaching the finish line of your desired weight loss journey!  

Today, we'll dive into a topic that many of us struggle with — losing weight in our forties and fifties — and how seemingly effective stress relief practices can sabotage our efforts. I’ll be going over three common ways people attempt to relieve stress, only to have it backfire and throw them off track with weight loss and what to do instead to find real relief from stress and still lose weight. 

Picture this: You've had a long day at work, sitting in meeting after meeting, deadlines are piling up, and more things keep getting added to your plate and your stress levels are off the charts. What do you do to unwind? 

Many of us have developed a few go-to coping mechanisms that we do automatically - without even thinking about it.  Things that seem “normal” and have become habitual can provide temporary relief in the moment but also exacerbate our overall stress levels later on rather than actually resolving it. 

It's a common misconception that over-indulging in pleasures or distractions alleviate stress - things like over-consuming food, alcohol, or social media are what I tend to see most often.  While these things provide momentary gratification or divert our attention, the stress relief is fleeting and often ends up de-railing weight loss efforts, while not adequately dealing with the external stressor or our internal stress response. After all, the allure of just not having to feel, not having to process, essentially not having to deal with whatever is stressing us out is really strong!

Let me illustrate with an example. Sarah is a dedicated and ambitious professional, working long hours for a big corporation. Lately, the mounting responsibilities and constant pressure have left her feeling overwhelmed and stressed. One evening, after a particularly taxing day at the office, Sarah returns home, mentally exhausted and emotionally drained. Seeking comfort and relief, she heads straight to the kitchen and opens the refrigerator. In a state of stress-induced hunger, she grabs a tub of ice cream, eating it while absentmindedly scrolling through work-related messages that keep pinging on her phone. The cold and creamy texture of the ice cream brings a momentary sense of comfort, buffering and diverting her attention from the work stress. But as she continues to eat, the emotional eating takes over, and she loses track of the amount she consumes. The act of indulging in ice cream provides temporary relief, numbing her stress and emotions. However, once the last spoonful is gone, Sarah is left with feelings of guilt and disappointment for succumbing to her stress-induced cravings. This pattern of overeating as a coping mechanism happens frequently, and Sarah finds herself grappling not only with the negative consequences of emotional eating but also with the unresolved stress that continues to weigh her down.

This is an example of a hyperphagic response to stress.  A hyperphagic response refers to the increased consumption of food as a coping mechanism in response to stressors. When individuals experience heightened stress levels, they feel more physiological hunger along with a psychological response that triggers a desire for calorically-dense, highly palatable "comfort foods."  This reaction is an attempt to buffer the negative emotional effects of stress. Certain foods, especially ones that are concentrated sources of sugar and fat can activate reward pathways in the brain, leading to feelings of pleasure and temporary relief. The consumption of these foods releases neurotransmitters like dopamine, providing a sense of comfort and soothing emotional distress. However, relying on food as a stress buffer quickly leads to overeating and consuming many more calories than needed. 

It’s also common to rely on alcohol for stress relief.  Imagine this scenario: Emily is a hardworking, ambitious, juggling a demanding job and family responsibilities. Lately, the pressures of balancing her career and personal life have been taking a toll. One evening, after an especially hectic day at work and dealing with household chores, Emily finds herself feeling overwhelmed, anxious and emotionally drained. Seeking a way to unwind and escape from her stress, she reaches for a bottle of wine from the wine rack. Pouring herself and her partner a glass, she settles on the couch, hoping that the alcohol will offer some respite from what she’s feeling and she can enjoy the evening. As Emily sips the wine, she begins to feel a sense of relaxation and relief from the weight of her responsibilities. The alcohol's sedative effects briefly calm her nerves, making her feel less tense and anxious. For a while, Emily can forget about her worries and focus on the pleasant sensations induced by the wine and conversation with her partner. However, as the evening progresses, she continues to pour glass after glass because she is seeking to prolong those feelings of escape, not realizing that the alcohol is not only affecting her emotional well-being but also sabotaging her weight loss efforts. Alcohol is calorie-dense and provides little nutritional value, so consuming multiple glasses can add a significant number of empty calories to Emily's daily intake. Moreover, the alcohol disrupts her body's metabolism, making it less efficient at burning fat. Over time, this can sabotage weight loss and even lead to weight gain, especially if she does this several nights a week. 

Many people turn to alcohol as a means of coping with stress because it quickly induces a sensation of relaxation as well as numbing difficult emotions. When faced with overwhelming stress or intense emotions, alcohol can provide a temporary escape and a feeling of relaxation. It is believed that alcohol's depressant effects on the central nervous system can dull emotional responses and temporarily alleviate feelings of anxiety or sadness. Additionally, alcohol disrupts the natural sleep cycle, leading to fragmented and restless sleep. As a result, individuals may end up feeling more fatigued and irritable, exacerbating their stress levels. 

It’s worth noting that the social aspect of drinking can also play a role in coping with stress, as it may provide a sense of camaraderie and connection with others, making it even more enticing to drink to relieve stress. 

Let’s look at another way of coping with stress that has a social aspect. Meet Linda, a fitness enthusiast who is juggling a full-time job, family commitments and trying to maintain a social life. The stress from her hectic schedule has been building up, leaving Linda feeling overwhelmed and anxious. To cope with the stress, she often finds herself resorting to distraction through excessive social media use. One evening, after a particularly challenging day, Linda is feeling mentally exhausted and instinctively reaches for her phone. Scrolling through her favorite apps feed, Linda becomes engrossed in the lives of others, momentarily forgetting her own worries. However, what was meant to be a brief escape turns into hours of mindless scrolling and tapping on the screen. The social media distraction effectively numbs her stress, but it also takes a toll on her weight loss goals. She skips her evening workout session and mindlessly munches on snacks while browsing through photos and updates. The constant distraction also leads her to lose track of time, causing her to stay up late and disrupt her sleep schedule, which can further interfere with her weight loss efforts. The lack of exercise and increased calorie intake from mindless snacking begin to impede her ability to shed unwanted pounds. Additionally, the sleep deprivation hinders her body's natural ability to recover and regulate metabolism, further hampering weight loss.

When people turn to drinking, overeating or over indulging in social media in an attempt to relieve stress, they often don't realize the compounding of negative effects these behaviors can have. 

So, where does this leave us?  Well, the first step is awareness and recognizing if these stress relief methods are backfiring and then, explore healthier alternatives. So if you are going – yep, I do tend to deal with stress in the ways just mentioned and my weight loss is being affected - I’m going to give you three ways to complete or stop the stress cycle and I’ve also created a free resource for you that  includes 7 simple, effective strategies to manage stress without compromising your weight loss journey. The link to get your free copy is in the show notes. 

The first effective stress buster is to engage in regular physical activity that you enjoy to complete the stress cycle. Exercise is highly effective because it provides a physical outlet for pent-up stress and tension. Engaging in physical activity triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals, which help reduce stress and improve mood. Exercise also promotes better sleep, which is essential for recovery from stress and helpful for weight loss. By incorporating regular exercise into your routine, you can effectively manage and release stress, leading to a more balanced and healthier lifestyle.

Next is mindfulness and meditation. Practicing mindfulness and meditation techniques allow you to acknowledge and process stress in a non-judgmental way. By focusing on the present moment and observing your thoughts and emotions, you can release pent-up tension while calming the mind. When practiced regularly, meditation reduces the production of stress hormones like cortisol, leading to a decrease in overall stress levels. It helps individuals become more self-aware and enables the ability to respond to challenging situations with better clarity and composure. By incorporating a short meditation practice into a daily routine, you can break the cycle of stress and cultivate a sense of inner peace and resilience.

Lastly, practice quick relaxation techniques. This is effective when you need fast relief and are tempted to grab the ice cream, glass of wine or click on your favorite social media app.  Incorporating relaxation techniques like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or even taking a warm bath or shower can trigger the body's relaxation response. These practices help reduce muscle tension, slow down the heart rate, and ease the mind, promoting a sense of tranquility and stress relief.

Everyone's stress response and weight loss journey is unique, so it's worth it to find the combination of techniques that work best for you personally. Don’t forget to download the free resource linked in the show notes for more ideas to consistently integrate effective stress-relief methods into your routine. And embrace the weight loss process with self-compassion and patience to improve resilience to stress and meet your weight loss goals. Thanks for listening and bye for now!