“Stress is Making Me Fat.”
Client Conversations with Coaches
If you’ve ever said or thought that sentence on your weight loss journey, this article is for you.
This is the third installment in our Client Conversations with Coaches series and this article lets you witness a scenario where one of our skilled Evolved coaches helps a client who is frustrated with the idea that:
“Stress is making me fat.”
Let’s get right to it.
This scenario opens with our coach and a new client meeting for their first Behavior Coaching session. In these sessions, our coaches bring the science of behavior change to the field of fitness so our clients have an easier and more enjoyable path to lasting results.
Let’s listen in.
Coach: Thanks for meeting with me.
I know it takes some courage to walk
into a gym for the first time and
I really appreciate that you took that leap.
So sincerely, thanks for coming in today.
Let’s start with the big picture.
What’s the goal?
Client: I need your help.
I keep putting weight on
and I think I know why.
Coach: Okay. Why?
Client: Stress.
Stress is making me fat.
I read an article about how stress releases hormones
that can make you store body fat.
I think that’s what’s going on with me.
My life is really stressful right now.
Coach: Okay, I appreciate that.
Let’s explore that idea a little further.
Client: Okay. But doesn’t stress make you fat?
Coach: Excess calories are what contribute
to gaining weight or body fat.
Now to be fair, stress can absolutely
be a catalyst for behaviors that lead to eating excess calories,
but viewed in isolation,
stress itself does not cause weight gain or fat gain.
Client: Wait. What?
Coach: There are plenty of historical examples
of people far more stressed than we are
who didn't put on weight because
they didn't have access to excess calories.
Think about pioneers, for example -
tons of stress and constant threats,
but they didn't put on weight because
they didn't have access to extra food.
Unlike them, we do have immediate access to more calories,
so when we get stressed we have the option to turn to "comfort food”
which in turn drives our calories up and can cause us to gain weight.
Client: That makes sense
when you put it that way.
Coach: Good.
And I appreciate you sharing how stressful your life is right now.
While we’re working together, we're going to find other ways
to manage your stress that don't involve overconsuming calories
so we can start seeing the scale move in a direction you’re happy with.
Client: Okay, like what?
Coach: We'll explore different ideas
like improving sleep, gratitude journaling, and “me-time”, to name a few.
Together we'll find that one that resonates with you
that we can consistently implement to better manage stress.
With that done, you'll feel less of a need to turn to food to escape your stress.
Does that make sense?
Client: It makes perfect sense when you put it that way.
Coach: Brilliant.
I’m here to help
and now that we are both on the same page
when it comes to stress's role in weight gain,
let's start creating real-world strategies for you.
