An inability to burn excess fat when you are stressed is more common than many people think. Sadly, you can be diligent in adhering to your weight loss guidelines and still the kilos don’t budge. Understanding how stress and excess weight interact when you are trying to lose weight can be the difference between frustration and success.
If you are experiencing stress your hypothalamic pituitary adrenal function, which is also known as your HPA system is activated. When this system switches on, or in the case of long-term stress, stays on, you are releasing the stress hormone cortisol. In your body, cortisol has an important role organising systems and organs in various situations and it also has a role in regulating your metabolism. Another aspect of the HPA system is that it releases a number of chemical neurotransmitters, and one of these is adrenalin. The chemical neurotransmitters activate an area inside your brain called the amydala which controls your emotional response to the stress you are experiencing. This emotional response could be fear, sadness, overwhelm and other feelings including anxiety. In addition, when you are stressed your brain releases a small protein called Neuropeptide S that is designed to regulate your stress by increasing your alertness and sensitivity, increasing your anxiety and urgency and reducing your sleep.
If you are experiencing stress your hypothalamic pituitary adrenal function, which is also known as your HPA system is activated. When this system switches on, or in the case of long-term stress, stays on, you are releasing the stress hormone cortisol. In your body, cortisol has an important role organising systems and organs in various situations and it also has a role in regulating your metabolism. Another aspect of the HPA system is that it releases a number of chemical neurotransmitters, and one of these is adrenalin. The chemical neurotransmitters activate an area inside your brain called the amydala which controls your emotional response to the stress you are experiencing. This emotional response could be fear, sadness, overwhelm and other feelings including anxiety. In addition, when you are stressed your brain releases a small protein called Neuropeptide S that is designed to regulate your stress by increasing your alertness and sensitivity, increasing your anxiety and urgency and reducing your sleep.