Stress, due to the body's stress response system and cortisol release, has been suggested as a factor that could lead to weight gain [2]. In addition, some studies have found relationships among cortisol levels, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance, suggesting that stress can lead to weight gain [3].
When you're stressed your cortisol levels are off. Your body chemistry can't do what it's designed to do and you hang on to the weight. And so when you're taking on other people's energy, you will be susceptible to weight gain, eating too much and your body chemistry can't support getting healthy.
Relationship problems can have a direct effect on your physical health. If you are in an unhealthy relationship, you may be more likely to gain weight due to poor eating habits caused by stress, anxiety, or depression.
Interestingly, research co-authored by Novak determined that, among those who had been married for more than four years, happy couples were twice as likely to put on weight than couples who reported not being as content with their relationship. It wasn't a dramatic amount: about five to 15 pounds over four years.
Research shows that many happy couples tend to gain weight, beginning in the early stages of a relationship and lasting into commitment. But it's not inevitable; you can take steps to avoid relationship weight gain.
Mental health
Intense feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, and other forms of mental health decline can play a major role in weight loss success. It has been observed that even people who record success in weight loss may lose all their progress when they experience mental health issues.
Emotional weight is something you can put on whether you're physically skinny, or physically overweight. It's the weight of the words, the sayings, the thoughts the actions and experiences you have in your life that you carry on you just as much as you carry physical weight.
There are many reasons why people might want to lose weight: improved fitness, dissatisfaction with their looks, a health scare, societal expectations, and the list goes on. People might want to lose weight at any age, and they may choose to diet or exercise (or both) to achieve their goals.
Additionally, improving dietary choices, increasing physical activity, getting more sleep, managing stress levels effectively, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol are all ways to decrease and avoid hormonal weight gain.
In psychology carrying extra weight has been referred to as a 'protective shield'. It is generally accepted that individuals with past trauma can use food as a maladaptive coping tool and so weight gain tends to follow. These theories overlook the physiological processes that occur in individuals who experience trauma.
The depression and weight gain cycle
Depressed individuals can experience the changes in appetite, stress, and energy levels discussed above, begin to gain weight, and then experience increased symptoms related to low self-esteem.
Exercise helps you lose weight, but a research review also showed that it reduces physical and mental symptoms of anxiety and improves mood and sleep — all of which will help you lose weight. It's like a positive feedback loop that will leave you feeling better mentally and physically.
As you age, your muscle mass decreases and your fat mass increases. Fat is less metabolically active than muscle—you don't need as many calories to maintain fat as you do to maintain muscle. Hormonal changes can also lead to weight gain.
Factors such as stress, overwork or eating on the run can be at the root of weight gain, and so can some serious physical or psychological health issues. Affirm your love for her, and reframe your desire to help her regain a healthy body as loving concern.
The study uses a mean attractiveness score to calculate attractiveness. A survey given to random people generated the mean attractiveness score. All but 4 of the subjects were more attractive after losing weight in their face. These results suggest that losing weight in the face does make people give you a second look.
"Lack of motivation can be a symptom of other factors, such as fatigue, high stress levels, and feeling overwhelmed," says Clark. Explore why you're feeling unmotivated and create strategies to help you fight back. For example, you can use what's holding you back to define the parameters of your goals.
One study found that adults with excess weight had a 55% higher risk of developing depression over their lifetime compared to people that did not struggle with obesity. Other research linked being overweight with significant increases in major depression, bipolar disorder, and panic disorder or agoraphobia.
The key is to burn more calories than you intake, so at the end of the day, you have a deficit of at least 500 calories, which averages out to losing about a pound per week. Keeping track of your calories also allows you to think twice about making a food choice that may work against your goals.