Can Stress Cause Weight Gain?

Hey, J.J. here. Can you believe how fast the holidays are knocking at the door this year? One minute it's pumpkin spice season, the next you're getting your guest room ready and wondering where their wrapping paper went. And that's when I turned to Wayfair. From bedding and towels to holiday decor and last minute stocking stuffers, Wayfair has everything you need to get your home and holidays together fast. And for way less. With Wayfair, I know I can refresh my guest room in no time. Maybe I'll add a soft new comforter or a few holiday throw pillows. With Wayfair, it's so easy and everything arrives super fast. Plus, there's free shipping for any order over $35 easy and total peace of mind. So whether you're hosting, gifting, or just adding those final festive touches, Wayfair has your back. And when the holidays wind down, Wayfair has everything you need to tuck it all neatly away. Smart storage solutions for every room from the kitchen to the closet. Get organized, refreshed and ready for the holidays. For way less head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair Every style, every home. That's W-A-Y-F-A-I R.com hey, it's JJ here. You know, I've been talking about environmental toxins forever, and laundry detergent is a sneaky one. A lot of them contain harsh chemicals like dyes, preservatives, and even UV brighteners. Those brighteners don't actually clean anything. They just coat fabric so your eyes think things look whiter or brighter. That's more chemicals I don't want on my family's sheets or skin. And if you've got sensitive skin or allergies around the house, this can be a big problem. That's what got my attention about Earth Breeze. It looks like a dryer sheet, but it's actually laundry detergent. You toss one in the washer and that's it. No pouring, no mess, and no heavy plastic jug. Their packaging is lightweight cardboard, which helps reduce plastic waste. And if you choose the fragrance free option, it's gentle, hypoallergenic, non irritating and non sensitizing. I really like how simple it is and how fresh and clean everything comes out without those unnecessary chemicals. Right now you can try Earth Breeze for up to 40% off with free gifts@earthbreeze.com virgin that's earthbreeze.com virgin for up to 40% off plus free gifts on.

Your first order this episode is brought to you by Pacifico. Here's a story you've probably never heard. Legend has it, decades ago, a couple surfers went down to Mexico in search of epic swells. But they found something unexpected instead. It it was still crisp, lively and smooth, but it had nothing to do with waves. It was Pacifico, a delicious Mexican lager. It's like it was brewed to be discovered. Pacifico find your own way. 21 Discover Responsibly Pacifico Clara Beer imported.

By Crown Import, Chicago, IL can stress cause Weight Gain? This is JJ Virgin, four time New York Times Best selling author, celebrity nutrition expert and Fitness hall of Famer. I've been on a lifelong quest for answers to the toughest health questions, and now I'm sharing what I found with you. Welcome to Ask the Health Expert. Deanna Parkins from Facebook asks, could stress cause weight gain? My husband has been unusually stressed and despite 80% good diet, he's continued to gain 14 pounds and need help immediately. I will be right back with that answer.

Hey jj Virgin here. Okay, real talk. So often the holidays sneak up on me. Travel, gifts, hosting, you know, all the things and suddenly it's like, wait, who spent what and where? And I know I'm not the only one who's looked at a bill in January and thought, wow, that escalated quickly. If you want to keep your finances under control this holiday season, you need to be using Monarch. It's rated the Wall Street Journal's best budgeting app of 2025. Monarch is the all in one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean interface on your laptop or on your phone. Monarch lets you link everything and gives you real time visibility so you're not shocked later. Right now, I've been checking the holiday spending category so I don't accidentally start the new year with that dreaded debt hangover. And honestly, just seeing everything laid out is already helping me stay more aware. This season, Monarch does the heavy lifting. It links your accounts in minutes, gives you smart categorization and super clear visuals. Yes, that end of year reset could be a real goal. This time. Don't let financial opportunities slip through the cracks. Use the code virgin@monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year@monarch.com with.

The code Virgin Ray Ban Meta glasses come with open ear audio so you can listen to your favorite music without blocking out the world around you.

Hey Meta Play Gorgeous. Here's Gorgeous by Doja Cat.

You can Also ask Meta AI questions.

Hey, Meta, when's Doja Cat's next concert?

Doja Cat is playing at the Los Angeles theater next Tuesday.

Sweet Ray Ban. Meta glasses available at Ray Ban stores and other authorized retailers.

Stress. Well, here's the answer. Stress can make you gain weight and age faster. So absolutely stress can cause weight gain. What I'd really like to know here is what an 80% good diet is. Now, I'm going to look at it this way. And over what period of time did he gain 14 pounds? Those are important little markers here, but because the first thing I'd say is 80% good diet, how about we go for much more of an A minus on the diet instead of what I would call a C plus on the diet there with the 80%. Right. Or, you know, A minus, B plus. So I guess that would be a straight B or a B minus there with the 80%. So let's tighten up the diet first off, so we don't have that as a outlier causing the problem. So the deal is, though, stress absolutely can cause weight gain amongst a lot of other problems. So let me walk you through what stress can do to cause weight gain, how that actually happens. So when we get stressed, our cortisol goes up. When our cortisol goes up, a couple different things happen. None of them good. Number one, we get a little bit of a more permeable gut. When you have a more permeable gut, then you are more likely to have food intolerances. When you have more food intolerances, these can cause inflammation, gas and bloating, joint pain, headaches, fatigue, food cravings, I think. Did I say weight gain? Weight gain and weight gain. So that's definitely an issue there. That's one of the key things that I see with food intolerances is food cravings and weight gain. So that's number one. Number two, your blood sugar goes up. And when your blood sugar goes up, your insulin goes up. And then you tend to store more weight and it's all around your waist, so you'll tend to get a belly. And how do you know if it's more of a stress weight gain versus, say, another type of weight Weight gain is where are you gaining the weight? So if you're gaining the weight mainly around your waist, quite often the culprit is stress can also be insulin. The two tend to play together. So there's the next one. The next thing that chronic stress does, and this happens acutely, but really for most of us, this happens and it stays around it's not just like, you know, you got in a car accident and everything went, your adrenaline went up and then you were like, you recovered. This is like having that chronic stress, kind of like what everyone's been going through for the last six weeks with coronavirus, the time of this recording. So when you're under stress, the other thing that happens is that you tend to deplete serotonin. This then makes it a challenge to make melatonin. So a couple things happen there. You tend to get more cravings, food cravings, more sweet. You also, it tends to disrupt your sleep. And so now when you got sleep disruption, now you've got more insulin resistance. And then when you've got more insulin resistance, you tend to be better at storing fat rather than burning it. Also, when you're not sleeping well, ghrelin is elevated during the day, so you're hungrier. So the bottom line is stress does everything to make it easier for you to store fat, harder for it to burn it off, harder for you to build muscle, because especially with men, our testosterone, their testosterone tends to go down. So now you can't build muscle as well, tend to break down more. So you've got a metabolism that could be going down due to less muscle. You've got more insulin resistance, you've got more inflammation, you've got more food cravings. All of this together is, yes, stress can make you gain weight and, and make it harder for you to. To lose it. This is JJ with Ask the Health Expert. I do this five times a week, so make sure you never miss a show by going to subscribetojay.com.

FOREIGNERS this is Anne Bogle, author, blogger, and creator of the podcast what Should I Read next? Since 2016, I've been helping readers bring more joy and delight into their reading lives. Every week, I check all things books and reading with a guest and guide them in discovering their next read. They share three books they love, one book they don't, and what they've been reading lately. And I recommend three titles they may enjoy reading next. Guests have said our conversations are like therapy. Troubleshooting issues that have plagued their reading lives for years and possibly the rest of their lives as well. And of course, recommending books that meet the moment. Whether they are looking for deep introspection to spur or encourage a life change or a frothy page turner to help them escape the stresses of work, school, everything, you'll learn something about yourself as a reader, and you'll definitely walk away confident to choose your next read with a whole list of new books and authors to try. So join us each Tuesday for what Should I Read Next? Subscribe now wherever you're listening to this podcast and visit our website what Should I read next podcast.com to find out more.