Picture this: life throws you a curveball—a stressful job, a loss, an unexpected crisis. You’re just trying to get through each day when you notice the scale creeping upward. It’s frustrating, disheartening, and, let’s be honest, a bit demoralising. But here’s something important to hold onto: it’s not your fault.
Weight gain after a stressful life event isn’t because you’ve done something wrong. It’s not because you meant to put on those extra pounds. It’s a physiological response to stress. Your brain is hardwired to protect you, and sometimes, that protection involves holding onto energy—in the form of stored weight.
The Role of Cortisol: Your Brain’s Misguided Helper
When stress hits, your body flips into survival mode. This is your fight-or-flight response, driven by a small but mighty part of your brain that operates behind the scenes. Its primary mission? To keep you safe. And one of the ways it does this is by releasing cortisol, a hormone that tells your body to stockpile fuel for the challenges ahead.
From a biological standpoint, it makes sense. Stressful situations often demand more energy—physical, mental, and emotional—to navigate. Your body’s response to retain fuel is a survival mechanism. Unfortunately, this survival mode doesn’t discriminate between the kind of stress that requires physical action (think running from danger) and modern-day stress (think deadlines, grief, or relationship struggles). The result? Your body stores energy in the form of fat, particularly around your midsection.
Of course, for those of you who have been through a traumatic experience, the survival mechanism was not so misguided - it just doesn't stop too easily, especially when you're still feeling the impact of the trauma (memories, avoidance, dreams, mood, etc.).
Why Losing Weight During Stress Feels Impossible
If the stress is ongoing, your body keeps the cortisol tap running. Trying to lose weight during this time can feel like swimming against a riptide. Your brain is still signalling that you’re in survival mode and, as such, holds tightly to those energy reserves. This can be particularly problematic if you feel any sense of shame about your body image with this extra weight - which is a very common response.
So what can be done about it? Well, firstly, if the stress hasn't been resolved and you're still caught up in all the emotions, trying to lose weight in the middle of that storm is quite the challenge indeed, it's like pushing the sauce back into the bottle. You're trying to push the cortisol back into where it came from when the brain is saying "but hey, you still need it! You're still stressed!" This is when you need some super-power stress management techniques, and you'll need to diligently practice them daily. Ask around if you need some help with working out what would work for you- friends can help, podcasts, or self help books (or of course, unburden yourself with a good therapist if you need that expert help).
Next, once you’re practicing your stress management and have things pretty much at the levels of daily stress most people would need to grapple with, we’d want to consider what was the past event and does it still have a hold over you. If it was quite traumatic, it could be that your brain is still trying to process it.
When the Past Lingers: The Impact of Trauma
If you find yourself replaying past events, avoiding reminders of a situation, or experiencing recurring nightmares, your brain may still be processing the event. Research has shown that traumatic memories are stuck in a different part of the brain from regular memories, keeping your cortisol levels elevated.
Addressing trauma might require more than self-help tools. Therapy, whether individual or group-based, can be a powerful way to reprocess these memories and signal to your brain that it’s safe to let go of the cortisol response. Shifting these memories doesn’t just benefit your mental health; it also paves the way for your body to release stored energy.
Resetting Your Body’s “Set Point”
Finally, once we’ve got that cortisol under control, it’s time to focus on strategies to help reduce the weight. Unfortunately there are a few challenges at this point. Firstly, if you are caught up with body image shame, it can keep the stress - and therefore the cortisol - flowing. Finding a way to better appreciate your body right now, will help reduce the stress and refocus your attention on health. A challenge, yes, but a good one to address if you're serious about getting to a healthy weight.
Secondly, depending on how long you’ve been sitting with the extra weight, your body might have readjusted what it thinks is the natural “set point” for you. That is, whatever your “usual” body weight used to be, that was your “set point” back then, and it is natural for that to fluctuate around a 5 kg range. Holding extra weight might have adjusted the "set point" to a higher weight. Not impossible to get past this, but it may test your patience along the way.
A good supportive confidant during this time, someone who wont judge or shame you, is one of the best strategies to help through this time. This part of the journey ideally involves understanding and implementing intuitive eating practices, mindful eating, a focus on the nutrition, and oversight of a weight-sensitive GP. For most people this is quite the change in thinking and behaviour, and we recommend you find a team that includes a weight-sensitive GP, an accredited Dietician, and a Psychologist who has been trained in Intuitive Eating, trauma therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.
Finding Support and Moving Forward
If weight gain is impacting your mental health, take it seriously. Explore options like: Medicare plans that offer team-based support to address both the physical and emotional aspects of weight management; group or individual therapy to get support; and which of your friends would be the most loving and non-judgemental to lean on. Remember, your health journey is unique, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
Most importantly, don’t let your weight define you. You are more than a number on a scale. Those who love you see beyond it, and you deserve to see yourself in the same light. If you can't see this in yourself, come and see us, let us help you find your happiness. Prioritise your well-being, take one step at a time, and trust that progress—no matter how slow—is still progress.