Emotional kilograms: how to get rid of them?

Weight gain is not always related to eating habits and lifestyle. Other factors must be taken into account, including emotions, which are amplifying factors. The mechanisms that explain emotional pounds are deep and varied. So how can we remedy them, especially if these kilos have been anchored for years? Here are some answers!

What are the emotional kilograms?

Constant stress, anxiety and negative emotions cause weight gain in some people. These are called “emotional pounds”. Faced with emotions that are difficult to manage, many people tend to want to stifle them by eating more. This may be a childhood delicacy or it may be related to certain types of fatty or sweet foods, for example. However, in reality this abrupt change in eating habits stems from the individual’s state of emotional imbalance. It is not due to hunger or cravings. On the contrary, it is rather a psychological hunger which, by greedily satisfying it, provokes shame and guilt, whereas satisfying a physiological hunger brings satisfaction and well-being.

How do emotional kilograms appear?

Be aware that there is a biological explanation for emotions through hormones and neuromodulators. Stress and anxiety act particularly through cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone released in the body in response to emotional tension. Cortisol secretion plays an essential role in the human physiological system: carbohydrate metabolism, cardiovascular, arterial, and immune function. This hormone also has a hyperglycemic action, i.e. cortisol raises blood sugar levels and promotes its synthesis by the liver. An abnormally high level of cortisol generally causes, during a state of chronic stress, progressive exhaustion of the adrenal cortex glands. This abusive secretion is at the origin of a host of health problems, including weight gain, abdominal overweight, in a word, emotional pounds. When the body is forced to produce cortisol day after day, the body constantly stores energy reserves in the form of adipose tissue. As a result, you see your weight soar! This is the consequence of stress and the anxiety of everyday life.

How to lose emotional kilograms?

If the origin of your overweight is linked to poor control of your diet, which is due to poor management of your stręss, then there is a whole emotional and dietary education to be instituted. By being more aware of your negative emotions and the behavioral signals that follow, you can learn to better control your cravings. The solution to emotional problems is a calm, Zen attitude, ideal for managing your stress. You will then have the lucidity to anticipate your cravings to eat too much through a healthy response to new eating habits. For this, it is essential to seek assistance from a nutrition professionals. The follow-up of a nutritionist will help you avoid putting yourself in a situation of the dietary deficiency by eating a balanced diet at specific times. Give priority to meals at the table, with friends or family, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. You should also take part in activities that you enjoy, if possible with people who know how to put you in a good mood. This will boost your morale. You will no longer have to take refuge in food. Finally, in times of negative emotions, it is good to eat certain types of food. It is necessary to privilege foods rich in proteins, calcium, magnesium, iron, omega 3. Then think about eating: vegetables and dried fruit, seafood, red meat, egg yolk…

Also read: When are we obese?