How does stress affect weight?

When your body is under a lot of stress, you experience the emotions typically associated with stress: anger, fear, anxiety, worry, frustration, hostility, etc. Each of these emotions produces chemical reactions in your body that usually have adverse effects on your weight.

Here is how stress affect weight?

• Stress is considered as physical threat to the body and it reacts to it by flight or fight response by sending blood to the limbs and limiting it to the visceral organs. Thus life sustaining activities like  digestion, strengthening of immune system and other growth processes take aback seat. Continued stress make the body store energy in fat cells to prepare itself for emergency tasks.
• Anger, fear, and anxiety typically cause a complete shut-down of your digestive system. That means weight gain happens as the elimination of toxins STOPS!
• Worry, hostility, and anger cause your stomach to excrete extra acids. The end results in more toxins and half-digested foods to deal with. Definitely not good! The more toxins you create and/or keep in your system, the more your body will try to park them in fat cells, leach minerals from your organs, etc., etc. So, what’s the remedy?

To get you started, here are a few quick tips to deal with stress. I use these every single day, and trust me, they work… even if they sound too simplistic (that’s the point… they are easy to do):

• Ask yourself “what difference will this make in 10 years?” If the answer is “not much”, then take it easy… and deal with the problem with a cool head.
• Ask yourself “how can I use this?” I know the first answer you give is “What the heck are you talking about? There is no way to use this situation to my advantage?” But keep asking this question, and your brain will come up with an answer. Trust me, this one will shock you!
• Ask yourself “what do I want out of this situation/event/issue?” Again, you’ll come up with a completely negative answer at first, but keep asking the question until you get a positive answer. This will change your focus from what you don’t want to what you do want… and that will help you handle the stress much better.

I promise you, with a little practice, these three questions by themselves will help you keep a cool head, and manage stress better than you ever thought you could. You probably will have even better results than you thought possible in those situations! ;)

How to reduce stress?

11 Ways to Stay on Top of Stress

1. Exercise. Believe me, they've helped me many days with my perspective. If you have to work out, then go take a brisk walk and get that blood flowing. It isn't about working out to lose weight -- it's about being healthy and staying sane.

2. Eat the real stuff. Crappy food (fast, processed, and loaded with sugar) doesn't help your chemical brain and body handle stress. Living food, real food, helps support your mind and body while it's trying to deal with the million things coming its way. Every time I reach for the chocolate, I'm looking to feel something from it. Don't get me wrong -- if it's just a little here and there because I enjoy the taste of it, great. But if I'm using it the minute I feel overwhelmed, then that's when that food is no longer OK to eat. It doesn't make the problem go away, and then I just feel bad about eating the food to pacify myself. Grab green food instead. Put things in your mouth that are going to support your immune function and keep you levelheaded.

3. Notice. Try not to let the stress overtake you. Recognize the situations that cause the stress and notice them coming your way. You have a better shot at fending off the full effects of the stress when you can anticipate it.

4. Get it off your chest. Talk to a friend or partner about the stress. Sometimes just getting it off your chest can help unload some of the burden.

5. Keep your sense of humor. If you do have the chance to talk about it, try to see the irony and humor in the wacky bits. I think someone is dead in the water once they lose their sense of humor.

6. Stay grateful. My daughter has large lungs and verbal skills she likes to display. Just when I start to wishfully think about her being quiet, I remind myself to be grateful that she can talk to me at all. In almost all of our problems are boatloads of blessings. "Oh, I don't feel like going to the gym."  Well, Amen that you have the means and the health to even be able to wrestle with the idea of going to work out. Make a habit of saying thank you. You will notice the sunny spots a lot more often, and not just the gray skies and storms.

7. Ask, "What's the hurry?"  Have some fun. We're always so busy going somewhere, we miss just enjoying the moment. If an opportunity comes your way to do something fun, take it.

8. Take a deep breath. When you feel the stress getting to you, take a moment. Get away, even if it's just for an hour, to be with yourself and your thoughts. Some people like to take a walk, meditate, lock themselves away in a beautiful bath, or go to church. Find the peace and the silence.

9. Keep it simple. Simplify where you can. Does Junior really need to be in 78 activities at the age of 5?  Do you have to go to every little party or gathering you're invited to?

10. Sleep. If you're rested, you have a better shot at handling things. Not to mention, you may not stress out as easily if you have a chance to recover at night.

11. Drink water. I have said it before: Americans consume 21 percent of their calories through liquid consumption. Hydrate with water. Help you entire system function better just by drinking enough water. Oh, and by the way, if you don't think that weight loss and proper hydration have a relationship, think again. Shift the paradigm on its side -- don't think about exercise and nutritional eating just as something you have to suffer through to get into those jeans. Instead, think of them as armor that will protect you in this crazy world, with all of the bazillion details you deal with every day.

What can I do to manage stress?

Acts to manage stress:
Explore stress management strategies, such as:
Massage is almost a form of enforced physical relaxation. Physical relaxation in turn almost always leads to mental relaxation and therefore, to stress reduction.
Yoga is a popular physical discipline that not only is an effective method of toning your body physically, but requires a certain mental discipline and focus that effectively simplifies life, even if only for short period. A yoga session several days a week can be helpful.
Meditation is another form of bringing the mind to focus on one’s essential being which will, as with yoga, make life simpler. It’s the change in perspective that creates the reduction in stress. It is also a lifestyle choice that needs repetition in order to be most effective.
Exercise can be a great stress reducer, Engaged in physical activity sufficiently strident so as to result in the release of endorphins. It will change one’s outlook, and the day, will seem far less tense.
Breathing is a commonly used relaxation technique, and it’s the main focus of meditation and mindfulness. And, since one already knows how to breathe, it’s an easy and efficient way to manage stress.
Assertiveness is the ability to express one’s feelings and assert one’s rights while respecting the feelings and rights of others. Assertive communication is appropriately direct, open and honest, and clarifies one’s needs to the other person. Assertiveness comes naturally to some, but is a skill that can be learned. People who have mastered the skill of assertiveness are able to greatly reduce the level of interpersonal conflict in their lives, thereby reducing a major source of stress.
Sometimes people confuse aggressiveness with assertiveness, as both types of behaviour involve standing up for one’s rights and expressing one’s needs. The key difference between the two is that assertive individuals express themselves while respecting the other person. They assume the best about people, respect themselves, and think “win-win” and try to compromise. In contrast, individuals behaving aggressively will tend to employ tactics that are disrespectful, manipulative, demeaning, or abusive. They make negative assumptions about the motives of others and think in retaliatory terms, or they don’t think of the other person’s point of view at all. They win at the expense of others, and create unnecessary conflict. Assertiveness affects many areas of life. Assertive people tend to have fewer conflicts in their dealings with others, which translates into much less stress in their lives. They get their needs met (which also means less stressing over unmet needs), and help others get their needs met, too. Having stronger, more supportive relationships virtually guarantees that, in a bind, they have people they can count on, which also helps with stress management, and even leads to a healthier body. 

Which are the best stress busting foods?

Stress-Busting Foods - How They Work:
Stress: We all have it, and how we handle it can make all the difference. Stress management can be a powerful tool for wellness, since too much stress can affect physical health. There are many strategies, and one of them is all about what you eat. Foods can help tame stress in several ways. Comfort foods, like a bowl of warm oatmeal, boost levels of serotonin, a calming brain chemical. Other foods can cut levels of cortisol and adrenaline, stress hormones that take a toll on the body over time. And a healthy diet can counter the impact of stress, by shoring up the immune system and lowering blood pressure
Stress buster foods:
Complex Carbs
All carbs prompt the brain to make more serotonin. For a steady supply of this feel-good chemical, it's best to eat complex carbs, which are digested more slowly. Good choices include whole-grains, breads, and pastas, as well as old-fashioned oatmeal. Complex carbs can also help you feel balanced by stabilizing blood sugar levels.
Vit C
Oranges make the list for their wealth of vitamin C. Vitamin C can curb levels of stress hormones while strengthening the immune system. In one study of people with high blood pressure, blood pressure and cortisol levels (a stress hormone) returned to normal more quickly when people took vitamin C before a stressful task.
Spinach
Too little magnesium may trigger headaches and fatigue, compounding the effects of stress. One cup of spinach goes a long way toward replenishing magnesium stores. Not a spinach eater? Try some cooked soybeans or a filet of salmon, also high in magnesium. Green leafy vegetables are a rich source of magnesium.
Fatty Fish
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish such as salmon and tuna, can prevent surges in stress hormones and may help protect against heart disease, mood disorders like depression, and PMS. For a steady supply of feel-good omega-3s, aim to eat 3 ounces of fatty fish at least twice a week and in case you are vegetarian opt for flax seeds or discuss with your doctor regarding supplementation.
Nuts
Pistachios, as well as other nuts and seeds, are good sources of healthy fats. Eating a handful of pistachios, walnuts, or almonds every day may help lower your cholesterol, ease inflammation in your heart's arteries, make diabetes less likely, and help protect you against the effects of stress. Don't overdo it, though: Nuts are rich in calories
Raw Veggies
Crunchy raw vegetables can help ease stress in a purely mechanical way. Munching celery or carrot sticks helps release a clenched jaw and that can ward off tension. De-Stress With Exercise Besides changing your diet, one of the best stress-busting strategies is to start exercising. Exercise boosts oxygen circulation and spurs your body to make feel-good chemicals called endorphins. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise three to four times a week.

What is the most effective way to handle stress instantly?

Quick Calm is a simple deep breathing exercise to rapidly relax you during and after acutely stressful events such as arguments, anxiety episodes and flying. Stress management expert Jordan Friedman teaches you the technique that also restores concentration and reduces a pounding heart, muscle tension and sweating.Quick Calm is a simple deep breathing exercise to rapidly relax you during and after acutely stressful events such as arguments, anxiety episodes and flying. Stress management expert Jordan Friedman teaches you the technique that also restores concentration and reduces a pounding heart, muscle tension and sweating.

1 take a deep beath
2 hold it for 3-4s and
3 think i am warm
4 exhale and
5 think i am calm

diaphragm stimulates the vagus nerve(frm chin to heart) n sprays chemicals on the heart n tells it to slow down so

1 reduce heart rate
2 breathing rate decreases
3 sweating goes down
4 muscle tension lessens
5 so feel better