Weight Gain From Stress

My first go-to recommendation for stress is sugar, Progest-E and grounding. For losing the weight she needs to go on a lowfat no starch diet, Ray Peat inspired of course.

I have a couple ideas, most of them very easy, and basically cheap or free.

Obviously, the best thing to do would be to remove the stressor.  Easier said than done, and sometimes, it can’t be (like a divorce or death in the family).  Still, even in the most extreme circumstances, you can minimize the effects.  First, whatever it is, don’t compound the problem.  If she’s watching things like Law and Order or CSI, she is simply adding more stress, and it’s completely unnecessary.  Better to watch something uplifting or funny.  I would watch a goofy comedy like Top Secret! or Clue over those shows, any day, and certainly in a time of stress.  Just make sure the comedy itself isn’t “negative,” there is a lot of that, especially with recent movies and shows.

Next, break up the stress.  It can feel like a runaway train sometimes.  Some simple techniques are to reach for a better mood, the Callahan tapping technique, and force a smile or laughter.  A better mood could still be a negative one, but higher up.  If someone is depressed to the point of contemplating suicide, trying to be joyful or blissful is simply too big a jump.  But, they might be able to get to anger, and while negative, it is better than depression.  If you can keep reaching for a bit better mood, you will improve over time.

I’ve tried the Callahan tapping technique, and it does seem to blow out negative moods.  There are videos on youtube on how to do it yourself.  It only takes a few minutes, so with no money cost, and very little time cost, it’s certainly worth a shot.

Forcing a smile and laughter is good, too.  Those help create better moods, instantly.  The objection is “But I don’t feel like smiling.”  That’s exactly the point!  Try forcing a smile for 30 seconds to start the day, and then randomly when you think of it throughout the day, and see if it improves moods and minimizes stressors.  Norman Cousins decided to laugh his way to health, after some nasty diagnoses, that’s a story or book she might want to read.

I think Pregnenolone and maybe Tyrosine are good supplements to try, and in that order.  Haidut posted a study on the old RPF (which you can prolly still find with a search) where Preg lowered Cortisol by 60%.  I’ve been taking it at night, and it did help improve my sleep.  There is also a study on that forum showing that Testosterone supplementation in men can lead to massive and sustained weight loss in overweight men.  Haidut again suggested it was all about lowering cortisol (or improving the test/cortisol ratio), so progesterone might work as well (or better) in women, and it’s OTC.  Either Preg or Prog or both could be very useful.  I’ve found Tyrosine in the AM can sometimes boost mood (probably by increasing dopamine), but this usually only happens if I’ve been under stress for a while.  But then again, that sounds like exactly what she has experienced.  There is also the possibility of some pharaceuticals, like cyproheptadine or selegiline, and I think those could be useful, but the other things are worth a shot first.

Another thing is full body red light exposure.  Lots of tanning salons now have red light beds, and wow, is that an experience.  It was so much more relaxing that I thought.  They usually seem to charge 15-20 for a session, some other “wellness” places might charge 50-75 for something like the Novothor pod.  But the red light beds at tanning salons are still great.  That could be something to try.

And if you want a really out there idea…… has she thought about spending a day at a nudist resort?  I have heard a lot of people suggest that it’s a great way to get comfortable with your body, and hey, it would be a great way to get lots of red and infrared light.  Am I serious about that?   Or am I just suggesting that one as a jump start to laugh therapy?

I have been doing Peat for a long time and I have only recently caught on to the following. But if someone can zero in on mood responses to what she eats, it could be a big help.

A while back, I noticed that after eating pork and cabbage (not Peaty, I know) two days in a row, I was in a gray, gloomy mood. I haven’t eaten pork as a main dish or a side of cabbage since.

This past week, I ate wild salmon (not Peaty, I know) two days in a row and had another gloomy, suppressed-energy day. That’s it. I am not going to cook salmon at home anymore.

I think the two-days-in-a-row factor was the revelation. The poison is in the dose. That said, I am going to avoid even one dose of those foods.

Then try to identify foods that improve move. Ice cream is great for lowering stress, but it will not be helpful if someone is upset about weight gain.

Very interested in this topic, we have a young family member (late thirties) who has experienced traumatic stress and has gained 50 pounds in the past two years.   Just in case I have the opportunity to offer some ideas to her, I listened to a Strong Sistas YT video with Dr. Peat and also re-read many of Cari’s excellent threads on the old forum. Dr. Peat emphasized how full fat milk has higher PUFA which can tip the balance toward lactate cycle for someone who is already overweight, so low fat milk is key for weight loss.

In thinking about the options, we don’t have raw milk available here in FL and  low fat milk is supplemented with D and A vitamins.  Since it’s a trade off are there ways to mitigate the added synthetic vitamins….eggshell calcium/low fat cheese perhaps instead of milk?   I opt to drink the whole milk but notice I have to carefully balance fats to maintain weight so doubt that’s a good choice for her.  Always grateful for all the kind suggestions offered.  🙂