Stress and fat loss

[AmyPie38]

Please forgive me if this topic has already been beaten to death...I searched the forums, but couldn't find anything that actually answered my question.

I'm concerned about the impact stress has on fat loss. After searching through threads, I repeatedly saw that stress hinders fat loss. Ok, but to what degree?

I guess I'm looking for a little more detail. Does stress actually stop fat loss or just make it slower? Does it add fat?

For example, I'm in a calorie deficit and working with weights (NROL fat loss) 3-4 times a week with some cardio (intervals) in there as well. When I did this routine a few months ago, the weight came off no problem. However, now the weight isn't budging. I'm much more stressed than usual right now. Obviously the lack of fat loss isn't helping.

So before I make any adjustments to my diet or training, I'd just like to know if stress could have this big of an impact?

[Deserve]

I have nothing scientific to back it up but I believe stress has a big impact.

In most cases when I've been stagnate where I can blame stress it comes off eventually with a couple of week lag.

[Ian Kay]

Well, stress can hinder a lot of the elements that contribute to a healthy fat-loss environment, especially quality sleep and strong workouts.

Are you the same weight now as you were the first time you began to lose weight? I'm sure you know this already, but don't forget that the first pounds are going to be the easiest, and if you're in damn good shape (like your picture indicates) the fat gets harder and harder to get rid of.

[Alextown]

I will say, from recent experience, that stress cotributes to weight loss. I'm a bit lighter than I was a few weeks ago, but the area around my gut sure isn't any smaller. In fact, it seems larger. Without anything to back it up, I've heard that the body tends to store fat during stressful times, using more muscle for energy. Now there's someone here, I'm sure of that after reading through the Milk thread I posted, that can verify that.

[getgot211]

stress would raise cortisol. vit C helps control cortisol and its cheap(sams/costco) so you can start taking that if you don't already and consider cutting back w/o frequency a bit.

[drs]

Please see my post in the General Health section (last two paragraphs)which very indirectly is related to your question. The comments by Ian Kay, above, may be the most pertinent but also remember that the first time you did NROL fat loss, it was a new stimulus where-as now it's not exactly new.