Everyone suffers from stress from time to time. But did you know that stress can also affect weight loss? And - unfortunately - not for the better. Health expert Bart explains how that works (and what you can do about it). So in addition to being annoying, stress is also detrimental to your weight.
Burning fewer calories
It happens to all of us from time to time: an hour, a day or a period of stress. You are busy at work, have some issues at home or just don't feel so good about yourself. And this is not only unpleasant for yourself (and those around you), your metabolism suffers as well. You burn about 104 fewer calories per stressful day. That doesn't seem like a lot in one day. But if you have a period of prolonged stress, this can add up considerably. A waste of all that hard work while losing weight.Fatigue and lower libido
But there's more. Stress doesn't just mess with your metabolism; other body processes suffer as well.- Energy: stress causes fatigue. Not only by keeping you up at night brooding, but also because your heart rate is higher due to the amount of cortisol in your body. As a result, your brain automatically starts producing less and you feel sluggish and tired.
- Libido: stress causes a lower libido. This is because your estrogen levels start fluctuating from stress. Moreover, there is often little room in your head to think about sex at all.
- Nails: stress can cause nail biting. And nail biting, in turn, can cause infections. It can help to give your nails an extra coat of paint during stressful periods.
- Skin: you are more likely to get pimples. Cortisol makes your skin more susceptible to bacteria. Resulting in blemishes. Drinking extra water can help, because your skin also gets less moisture when you are stressed.
- Hair: hair can fall out. A stressed body produces the hormone androgen, which can cause hair loss.
