My journey into gradual weight loss was triggered by the stresses of life from job transitioning to dealing with the ramifications of a public health emergency. Since this journey began, I’ve used good nutrition and fitness as a mechanism to fight against stress, but it hasn’t been easy path to wellness. From the beginning, there have been some bad days with stress related to finances, childcare, homecare needs, etc. Occasionally these issues have led to long walks, scenic route drives or sleepless nights. Prior to this journey, I tended to cope with life stresses through binging on comfort foods and late-late night TV.
This approach wasn’t unusual. These activities have been considered an ill-advised, self-prescribed cure to worries for years. The COVID-19 pandemic seemed to have caused more folks venture on this path for stress relief. For example, a 2021 study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, found that people increasingly relied on food and eating to cope with stress induced from the varied effects of the pandemic. The past few years have taken a significant toll on peoples’ health and fitness.
Awakening to the Health Risks of Stress
It wasn’t until I began my gradual weight loss journey that I started reading and listening to material about the connection between stress and nutrition. I had prior knowledge about the relationship between stress and increased adrenaline, which could trigger high blood pressure over time. However, I hadn’t researched how stress released something called cortisol, a steroid hormone which is actually quite important for the communication between your body’s organs, muscles, tissues, skin and blood. However, too much cortisol can trigger higher blood sugar levels, weaken muscles and potentially cause weight gain. This helps to explain the link between stress and the yearning for not-so-healthy comfort foods in times of duress. If left unchecked, raging levels of cortisol could lead to all sorts of poor health scenarios.
Well, it’s certainly unrealistic to expect a stress-free life, especially in the current times. But it’s possible to manage stress levels to some reasonable degree – I think. Most health experts recommend a good night’s sleep (7-9 hours) to complement good nutrition and exercise, but good sleep has been one of my challenges for a variety of reasons. Chief of among them is the regular interruptions by a very young-one that needs to be comforted at different points during the night. Additionally, there are the very real concerns related to career, finances, and the future. It’s not impossible but can be quite difficult to shut out all this noise on a nightly basis.
I’m not a sleep expert nor a health expert. I’m another person sharing their lived experience for someone who might be looking for ideas on how to navigate their health journey in these crazy times. Despite my gradual weight loss success, I’ve battled countless sleep-deprived nights and stress-induced days. How? By taking it one day at time. Sometimes falling and picking myself up off the mat. Wiping my eyes if I have to. Yet, always remaining determined to move forward. I’ve embraced the challenge of fighting for my health and well-being by focusing on what’s in my control. It hasn’t been an exact science. I’ve had days where I fell apart, but I refuse to quit.
Healthy Compromises in Stressful Moments
For instance, the other day I had a falling out with my eldest around dinner time. At some point, I just left the house and went for a walk. After taking some time to cool down and think, I ended up at a supermarket. I was prepared to buy a 6-pack or 12-pack of some flavored alcoholic beverage to help me drown out my sorrows. Deep down, I knew that it wouldn’t accomplish anything but ruin my gains from a workout I’d done earlier in the day. After a few moments of glum reflection, I decided that it wasn’t worth killing my momentum, so I compromised and opted for a sugar-free, stevia-based soft drink. I also picked up some popcorn as a lighter form of junk food. These weren’t optimum health choices, but healthy compromises in a moment of frustration.
This is the sort of change in my thinking, in my habits, that has occurred as a result of my gradual weight loss journey during this pandemic. While I haven’t found solutions to all of my challenges, I think I’ve developed ways to navigate stress to lessen the potential harm to my health and fitness. This is a part of the journey that is truly a day-to-day effort.
Share Your Story
How have you managed stress in these crazy times? I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to comment in this post or drop me a line at jermaing@thepandemicpushup.com. If you like this post, please check out previous from the blog and suscribe for future content. I also welcome to listen to my podcast, which is available on Anchor, Spotify and Google Podcasts. You can also follow me on Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.