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Many of us who have tried to lose weight – one, two, three, or 25 times – understand how difficult it can be just to lose anything. Then, what makes it even more challenging is how to keep the weight we’ve lost off…much easier said than done! You may feel like all the health eating and exercise in the world just isn’t making a difference for you! But let me ask you, have you spent much time working on your stress levels while you are trying to lose weight? Have you paid any attention to how much sleep you are getting? Let’s take a look at the effects of sleep and mental health on weight loss.
Sleep
It’s hard to believe that sleep time can have anything to do with weight gain and loss, unless you’ve been reading a lot. But it does. For instance, clinical studies show that if you don’t get enough sleep, you may have issues with the hormones that regulate hunger, potentially leading to overeating. You may experience cravings for foods high in sugar, fat and salt. You’re then not only looking at weight gain or sabotaging your weight loss efforts, but you may find your body heading in the direction of diabetes, cardiac related issues, and yes, even cancer. If you find yourself thinking food-mood, you’d be on the right track, so it’s not hard to understand that lack of sleep can also change how you feel (and think). It seems like it’s easier to grab some less-than-healthy convenience foods, often high in sugar, fat, and salt, not to mention caffeine (and let’s not forget the unhealthy carbs), so you can just get through your day. Getting enough sleep means you’re going to stay healthier longer, it helps your mood and ability to reason, you will have better concentration and make better decisions, among other things.
Stress
Most of us are no strangers to stress – it’s part of everyday life. And yes, it can and does have a strong impact on dieting and weight loss/gain. For some, stress has the effect of weight loss. But, for so many of us, the opposite happens and we find the scale going up. We may feel like we’re out of control. We know that when we’re under a great deal of stress, we don’t always make the best food choices. This can lead to inflammation throughout our bodies and the end result is weight gain. Evidence-based studies show that stress can trigger the release of epinephrine (a/k/a adrenaline) from our adrenals. This can turn on our fight-or-flight response, while altering how the gut digests food and changes blood sugar levels. Evidence-based information shows that the pituitary gland tells the adrenal gland to release cortisol (a hormone), which also helps regulate immunity and inflammation. Even more important, stress affects how the gut and brain communicate, and this makes our tummies less than healthy. This process can cause heartburn, gas, tummy pain, nausea, and more. Stress often leads to poor quality sleep, appetite increases, cravings, and then we don’t always feel like moving our bodies. Time management may help lower stress, meditating, exercising, listening to music, avoiding illegal drugs and alcohol, etc. You may already know what works best for you!
Mental Health
Two of the largest mental health manifestations that nearly everyone on this planet experience are depression and anxiety. These feelings often drive people to overeat – I know because for me, overeating buffers pain and uncertainty. So using food as a coping mechanism may have serious repercussions, including affecting weight loss and weight gain. Some people who have received a diagnosis of, for example, bipolar disorder, may also use food as a coping mechanism. Here’s how it all can fit together: serotonin (a neurotransmitter) deficiency, which has been scientifically linked to depression, can cause poor sleep patterns. Higher levels of anxiety have been scientifically linked to cravings for carbs, often causing weight gain. (You’ve probably heard the expression that we may self-medicate with food.) People who are depressed may not feel very energetic, so they are less likely to move their bodies, which may also impact that number on the scale. If you have grown obese, you may also be facing some stigma, which can also drive depression and anxiety, and this becomes a vicious cycle. If you go to the doctor and are put on antidepressants, some of these can cause weight gain. A few tips to improve your mental health are to work with someone on eating foods that are healthier, get a little bit of exercise in your day, try counseling/coaching, and improve your sleep habits.
