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Stress Leads to Weight Gain

Why We Overeat: Stress

If you find that you overeat throughout your day, but have ruled out excessive tiredness as the cause, then you may be reaching for fattening foods because you're stressed out. According to Health magazine, chronic stress causes your body to create cortisol and insulin. These hormones increase your appetite for comfort foods which tend to be high in fat, sugar, and salt. Eating these types of foods can make you lethargic and also lead to weight gain. If you're already overweight, fat cells produce cortisol as well, so you produce even more of this appetite-raising hormone.

To help break the stress cycle that has you reaching for a pint of Ben and Jerry's, you need to figure out the causes of your stress and work on decreasing them. Talk to your boss about your workload if it's too much, or if money issues are plaguing your brain make an appointment with a financial consultant. You can also micromanage your daily stress by exercising to clear your mind, taking a break from work to sip a hot cup of tea, or getting a tension-relieving massage. Make these stress-busters a part of your daily schedule and you'll not only feel calmer, but your urge to overindulge will wane too.

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