3-stage weight management to eliminate stress-induced obesity

(Text/Yang Qilin)

Weight management for stress-induced obesity

According to my outpatient experience, including the interpretation of weight and body fat data and understanding of the individual's diet, exercise, and lifestyle, people with stress-induced obesity can be divided into three stages. In addition to providing a reference, I share with you the physical and mental states of these three stages and hope to help you consciously take care of your own lives. This is the true meaning of weight management.

◆ Stage 1‧ Short-term puffiness caused by stress

When the body feels threatened, it will secrete adrenaline to improve the body's response ability to cope with the crisis. At this time, the muscles will tense up and start working on a large scale, increasing the metabolic rate and putting the body into a state of readiness to fight stress.

However, these physiological changes will cause the body to consume more energy, and the glucose level in the blood will drop rapidly. If the stress continues and protein is not replenished in time to repair the muscle system, the muscle groups will be consumed for a long time, and the body will begin to feel tired, unable to concentrate, and even depressed.

When the human body faces stress, the physiological mechanism automatically mobilizes the protein stored in the muscles to respond, while storing fat. Usually within a month of stress, body fat percentage will increase. I call this situation "short-term stress-induced puffiness." If stress is relieved in time, body fat will usually be reduced quickly.

◆ The second stage‧Stress and obesity

Of course, when the human body encounters stress, it is impossible for the protein in the muscles to continue to be consumed. As long as the stress continues to exist, the physiological mechanism will prompt the body to consume more calories, causing the body to feel an increase in appetite.

At the same time, serotonin in the brain, which is related to human emotional stress regulation, will also decrease due to stress, causing anxiety. In order to relieve anxious emotions, the fastest way is to consume sugar, such as sweets, cakes, ice cream, rice, bread, etc., which causes excessive fat to accumulate in the body and weight gain.

If a person lives under stress for more than one to three months, the fat accumulated will increase, causing the body fat to remain high. This kind of actual body fat accumulation caused by food is what I call "mid-term stress fat." At this time, diet planning, spiritual companionship and stress relief suggestions are needed.

◆ The third stage‧ Stress and long-term obesity

The synthesis of serotonin requires the intake of complete proteins and high-quality carbohydrates. Next, in order to maintain sufficient serotonin, the brain will increase its appetite, thereby increasing the stomach capacity and the amount of gastric acid that needs to be secreted. At this time, if there is not enough protein supplemented and sweets are always relied on to promote serotonin synthesis, the body's protein will become less and less, the red muscle mass will decrease, and the white fat mass will increase. By the time the pressure disappears and the crisis is resolved, the body shape will have been distorted.

If stress continues for more than three months and one's appetite does not decrease, and one even has to eat midnight snacks frequently, the obesity caused is called "chronic stress obesity." At this time, some nutritional supplements must be used to block calorie absorption.

This article is excerpted from "Manage your weight yourself and enjoy slimness for a lifetime" published by Benshi Culture