Weight Loss: Here's how fat leads to stress related weight gain cycle

If you are a weight watcher then I am assuming that you must be aware of how stress should be managed effectively to keep fat aka weight off. For the unversed, stress can drive you to overeat and can lead to emotional eating which means more fats. But are you aware that it is actually the body fat that starts the vicious cycle of stress-related weight gain cycle? As per a new study which was conducted by the researchers of the University of Florida shows that even fat can lead to stress-related weight gain but we are aware of the vice versa. 

As per the study, body fat affects the way you deal with worries. And if you have more, it means you will be more stressed out in your everyday life. Body fat aka adipose tissue sends a signal to your brain that starts a vicious cycle of eating because you're stressed out and weight gain heightens the alarm response which leads to more stress eating. According to the study published in Psychoneuroendocrinology, emotional eating is not all in your head as bio feed showed a loop between body fat and cortisol levels. 

James Herman, Ph.D., a co-author of the paper and a professor at the University of Cincinnati said, "Before this, everyone thought that the regulation of stress was mainly due to the brain. It's not just in the brain. This study suggests that stress regulation occurs on a much larger scale, including body systems controlling metabolism, such as fat."

Herman added, "The big question is the nature of that signal to the brain. We need to learn how to go in and break that cycle of stress, eating, and weight gain."

In short, less body fat means less anxiety, so get rid of the fat stores by lifting heavy weights at the gym.

If you are overweight then make sure to break the stress-weight gain cycle by taking measures to control and manage both fats and worrying.  

Some of the effective ways to manage stress are:

Exercise

Reduce your caffeine intake

Keep a Journal 

Learn to say no and avoid procrastination

Practice yoga, meditation, mindfulness

Listen to soothing music

Deep breathing

Spend time with family, friends and pets

Some of the best ways to lose fat are:

Strength Training

Try High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Increase your protein, fibre, good and healthy fats  and iron intake

Add probiotics to your diet

Try Intermittent fasting 

Get enough sleep