Weight Loss Surgery Blog

By Dr. Seun Sowemimo, Medical Director, Prime Surgicare

One of the most critical health concerns that worries me is the debilitating effect chronic stress has on my patients’ emotional and physical health.

Since the majority of the people I treat are battling excess weight, stress can also play a role in inhibiting successful weight reduction.

It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, how old you are or how much money you have in the bank—everyone has to live with stress.

Looking for stress release in all the wrong places

Our ancestors ate solely for the purpose of survival. Today, we eat for a multitude of reasons, many having nothing to do with genuine hunger or the need to fuel the body in order to perform.

Many of the wrong reasons we eat are due to the mind and body looking for a resource to reduce the stress and bring on inner calm.

We’re sometimes drawn to the wrong things to lessen stress—tobacco, alcohol, narcotics and—food.

Stress is a key trigger that causes the most trouble for people battling metabolic disease (obesity).

Many of my weight loss surgery patients live with high levels of chronic stress, whether it’s from workload, relationship challenges or to-do lists that are longer than Route 9.

How stress can threaten your weight loss

Our bodies respond to this stress the way our ancestors’ bodies did: triggering “fight or flight” chemicals in the brain that lead to calorie accumulation and fat storage.

But the difference is that we have plenty of food at our disposal; they didn’t. So we end up continually upgrading the size of our storage unit. Before you know it, you are shopping at the Big and Tall shop.

When you have chronic stress, your body steps up its production of cortisol and insulin.

Your appetite increases, and so do the chances you’ll engage in emotional eating in the form of “comfort foods” like addictive empty-calorie sweets and fats.

As a result, you store more fat, pumping even more of it as well as inflammatory chemicals into the liver.

When you’re stressed, reach out to foods and activities that will provide a steady state of satisfaction so that you never experience those massive hormonal highs and lows that make you search for good-for-your-brain, bad-for-your-waist foods.

Here are some stress reduction tools I share with my bariatric patients, even after they’ve achieved their goal weight:

Six Tips to Get the Stress Off Your Back

1. Protein-rich foods like beans, eggs and Greek yogurt can increases serotonin, improving your mood and combating depression. They also help you reduce your appetite for simple carbs.
2. Fish and most nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have long been known as brain boosters and cholesterol clearers.
3. Green tea contains catechins, thought to inhibit the breakdown of fats as well as the production of an inflammatory substance that can trigger hunger. One study shows that drinking three big mugs of green tea a day can help you reduce body weight, waist circumference and boost metabolism.
4. When you’re stressed, your quality of sleep I advise patients to exercise even more during tough times. It helps calm you down and enhances the ability to sleep better. You may not sleep through the night, but you’ll be significantly less exhausted the next day.
5. Refresh your food routine. You probably have a list of healthy foods you eat regularly. Rather than deal with the temptation of eating the wrong foods, widen your food horizons and visit a different grocery store or restaurant to discover some new options. These items will feel like ‘treats’ and focus your mind away from empty calorie choices. If you always shop at Stop & Shop, visit Trader Joe’s or Wegmans for a fresh look at fresh food.
6. Leave stress at the door or office and get out to exercise, no matter what. Devote just 30 minutes to fast walking, biking, lifting weights, swimming or taking a Zumba class. (If you’re my patient, you have probably already experienced the good feelings derived from boosting your heart rate). Use these good feelings to combat the stress, even for a few minutes.

SOS for Stress Support

Finally, reach out for support during stressful times: talk (don’t text—actually speak live!) to a trusted friend, family member, health professional, or clergy person.

Stress is a part of all our lives—don’t be embarrassed to say, “I’m having a tough time right now.”

People who care about you want to help and will always be ready to listen.

And sometimes that’s all you need.

Find out your Body Mass Index (BMI) score in 3 seconds or less

If you have more than 75 pounds to lose, or have obesity-related medical issues including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, check your BMI here and confirm where you stand.

Then call Prime Surgicare at 732-982-2002 to talk about your results or learn more about a surgical weight loss solution.

We make sure to confirm your consultation with one of our board-certified bariatric surgeons within 2 weeks of your call.