We’ve all had our fair share of stressful moments in life. Looking back, some events may seem silly now (a grade 10 science exam, who cares about memorizing the periodic table?) while others were monumental like a driving test or your first job interview.

It doesn’t get any easier as we grow older with financial burdens, relationships, or a loved one’s illness making life particularly challenging and frustrating along the way.

[Oh my god... this poor girl is so stressed her tongue turned into a...remote control? What the hell is that thing?] 

The idea for this article was conceived during my last trip to the grocery store and walking by the magazine stands. September is “back-to-school” season in most parts of the world and there was no shortage of article headlines talking about stress: how to cope with stress or try these stress blasting workouts or the best stress busting exercises uncovered and well… you get the picture.

The Reality of Stress and Weight Gain

There is a fundamental misconception when it comes to the topic of stress and weight gain. It’s not so much the stress itself that causes us to put on extra weight but it’s how we choose to respond to stress that really is the culprit.

When we feel “stressed”, we’re actually experiencing what is called a “sympathetic nervous response” to a challenge (mental, physical, etc.) in our life. This nervous system response could be something as simple as an elevated heart rate or as complicated as a hormone called cortisol being released by our body.

During stressful times people usually miss out on sleep and regular meals because our body’s nervous system is out-of-whack (I can see Dr. House describing it in these terms) and masks the feeling of hunger. Once our system comes back to its senses, we then make up for it by binging typically on unhealthy food like processed meats, breads, and high sugar items because they require less time to prepare and are readily accessible.

Strategies to Minimize Stress Now and Later

Now that we have a better understanding of how stress can lead us down a path of nutritional self destruction (how we choose to respond), we can improve our chances of minimizing stressful situations and most importantly prevent more of these moments in the future. Here are some strategies to review and consider for your lifestyle:

1. Bring Calm to your System
Yoga, Pilates, tai chi, meditation, breathing techniques, biofeedback, music, journal writing and other forms of self-expression have been talked about here and other publications for their multiple benefits including dealing with stress. Pick one and stick with it for 30 days to see if it works for you.

[Speaking of music, I had to dig up "Changes" by Tupac Shakur. Always inspires me to do better especially with lines like this: Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live, and let's change the way we treat each other...]
 

2. Exercise Regularly
Exercise is a powerful proactive approach to stress management. A fitness program that includes cardio-respiratory activity and strength training can help you lose body fat, build confidence, alleviate anxiety and depression, and boost self-esteem. (There are some great programs out there so check out our reviews if want to make an informed decision.)

Notice how I said proactive approach above? If your feeling stressed, don’t add more with a high intensity workout because you’re simply compounding the issue. You can’t fight stress with more stress. Instead go with light physical activity such as the ones mentioned above or low intensity cardio such as walking.

3. Eat Healthy
Eating healthy meals and snacks will keep your blood sugar levels in check and prevent hunger. Research from the University of California has also showed foods high in fat and carbohydrate may actually fight stress by reducing cortisol levels in the body. Moderation and portion size are still critical here so put the Doritos bag away please! Also, occasional intermittent fasting or indulging in your favorite treats is a strategy that has proven to work very well for myself and others.

4. Monitor Your Eating
Self-monitoring is an effective way to manage and lose weight. The benefits of calorie counting are numerous but also try to keep tabs on what you eat and when you eat when stressful situations are upon you. Becoming more aware of how and when your emotions affect your eating patterns and food choices can lead to some very telling discoveries.

I’m a proactive person so I really believe in exercising regularly using strength and interval training. Turbulence Training is one of the best programs out there using this style of exercise. Check out our review for this popular fitness program to see if it’s right for you.