Stress and Weight

[Azeroffs]

I remember reading somewhere a while back that when stressed, sensors tend to gain weight and intuitives tend to lose weight.

discuss.

[MatthewZ]

No, I'm pretty sure that, relative to when I'm not stressed, I gain weight when stressed.

[1981slater]

There are more sensors than intuitives

Western societies are filled with stressed people

Western societies are filled with very fat people

Sensors gain weight when stressed

Is this reasoning a crock of shit?

[CILi]

This is kind of anecdotal, but...

I wonder if it's related to unvalued Se vs. Si.

Stressed Ne-Egos I've known more often lose weight and, of those, Se-PoLRs (EII/LII) seem to do it by force (i.e. dieting, restriction, exercise), thus losing the most.

On the other hand, stressed Ni-Egos I've known tend to gain weight and, of those, Si-PoLRs (EIE/LIE) put on the most.

[The Exception]

If I'm too stressed I tend to lose my appetite and eat less but I still don't lose weight because my metabolism adjusts itself by slowing down.

[ashlesha]

when i'm under pressure or worrying about something or dealing with significant uncertainty, i tend to experience loss of appetite and lose weight.

when i'm feeling depressed or lethargic or generally dissatisfied with my life circumstances for no looming reason, i tend to overeat and gain weight.

[Words]

I lost weight when I couldn't afford food, but I found away to earn extra money by collecting aluminium cans from the street and trading them in for cash.

[Suz]

No, I'm pretty sure that, relative to when I'm not stressed, I gain weight when stressed.

SAME.

[Bardia]

When I'm stressed I get anxious and that makes me sick to my stomach so I don't feel like eating.

[glam]

i often eat when i'm stressed and/or bored, so i gain weight.

[Trevor]

Have experrienced both scenarios. The one with losing weight is more common though.

Btw, my INFj mom turns into a pig when stressed.

[FDG]

I lose weight, but I also generally negatively alter my body composition. Thus, I both lose weight and get fatter.

[krieger]

I don't think my weight has changed, like, ever, since the start of my adulthood.

[Creepy-male]

Now that I have to sort my own meals, I struggle to go out and get myself food when I'm stressed, so I lose weight.

Back when I had my mother keeping enough food around to live out the nuclear holocaust, I would gain weight due to comfort eating a metric truckload of carbs. I tend to feel stress in my stomach as a huge pit, which makes my appetite flare up crazy.

It also feels really good eating meat again for the first time in months I don't know how vegetarians survive. Not related at all, but I HAD TO SHARE how full I'm totally feeling right now.

[Blaze]

eating soothes me when i'm stress, ergo i gain weight when stressed. not good. see my thread on manufacuring Si.

[Suz]

eating soothes me when i'm stress, ergo i gain weight when stressed. not good. see my thread on manufacuring Si.

same exact thing happens with me. That, and i just forget to pay attention to what i'm eating. And i start drinking a lot of coffee, which revs up my appetite and gives me cravings for carbs, BAD carbs! And i cut down my sleep time (or usually whatever is stressing me out is, or the fact that i'm not sleeping enough is stressing me out). And then i feel too exhausted to work out.

Combo of eating non-nutritious food and not working out and not sleeping = weight gain.

[humblepie]

i've lost wieght when stressed and gained weight when stressed. depends on what kind of stress and what stage i'm at. like if someone died i wouldn't eat for a month. then i'd comfort eat for a year or two.

[glam]

I'm IEI and this is true for me.

When I get stressed or depressed I tend to loose a lot of weight... to the point of where it can get very dangerous. Two years ago I got sent to ICU and almost died because of it.

[pianosinger]

I've lost a lot of weight in the last four years (net around 25 pounds, not inlcuding two full-term pregnancies). I am more active now than when I was younger, and I typically eat much healthier. I eat a lot less meat and a lot more fresh fruits and vegetables. My carb consumption fluctuates, depending on availability.

This weekend, though, we took a four-hour car trip and I ate a lot of junk food I shouldn't have...

[shapeofthings]

Varies, for me. I used to just eat but nowadays I can't really eat that much anymore, and when I'm stressed / anxious I loose my appetite completely. I've done much damage to my body both ways. I wonder if it also has something to do with sp instinct being first.

[Satan]

If I'm stressed I tend to eat faster, smoke more, drink more, STRESS more, but lose weight.

usually I think when people are stressed they don't gain weight. it's when they're apathetic / don't care / depressed / lazy / sad / selfish / covering up feelings etc etc

[Suz]

If I'm stressed I tend to eat faster, smoke more, drink more, STRESS more, but lose weight.

usually I think when people are stressed they don't gain weight. it's when they're apathetic / don't care / depressed / lazy / sad / selfish / covering up feelings etc etc

You're impression is wrong. A lot of people gain weight when they're stressed. It's a little thing called cortisol. Cortisol = steroids = appetite & inhibition of fat breakdown.

You lose weight under stress probably because you smoke more. Smokers tend to have less of an appetite and have a higher metabolic rate. Which is why people gain weight when they quit smoking.

[blackburry]

idk, from reading the responses, it seems fairly spread out.

..personally, i lose weight when i'm stressed.

[April]

You're impression is wrong. A lot of people gain weight when they're stressed. It's a little thing called cortisol. Cortisol = steroids = appetite & inhibition of fat breakdown.

My thoughts exactly.

[Creepy-male]

I remember reading somewhere a while back that when stressed, sensors tend to gain weight and intuitives tend to lose weight.

discuss.

Its a sensible theory, but I don't think there is any "hard" evidence for such a sweeping generalization.

The concept would seem sensible if you consider for example sensors would turn towards sensory ways of strengthening themselves to better cope with stress, while intuitive would turn towards intuitive ways of strengthening themselves to better cope with stress.

Lets take two types of stress... emotional stress, feeling sorry for yourself, after a bad relationship ended, that's the first type. The second is work related stress, being under pressure, being in school, having stuff to do, or a major job interview or something. That's the second kind. Lets call the first one emotional stress and the second work stress.....

Emotional Stress

Sensor -- Indulges in sensory pleasures to make themselves feel better; food, pornography, shopping, sleep, comfort. All in the hopes that these sensory pleasures will compensate for the emotional pain they feel.

Intuitive -- Indulges in more mental internal ways of making themselves feel better; fantasy, philosophy, melancholy introspection, and so forth. All in the hopes of actually processing the emotional pain they feel mentally and getting it out of their system.

Work Stress

Sensor -- Prepares themselves for difficulty in grounded realistic ways; works out at the gym, sleeps, eats, and indulges between work. The idea is to sense themselves as being powerful and capable, to feel they are capable in a physical grounded way and thus alleviate stress.

Intuitive -- Prepares themselves for difficult in more internal, reflective, mental ways; searches for meaning in their work, plans, visualizes things long term, keeps focused, and mentally escapes or looses focus between tasks to relax. The idea is to kind of intuitively connect things together towards a solution, to feel that something is possible or doable and thus alleviate stress.

-----

I think emotionally, sensors may have a tendency to indulge in food and gain weight, while intuitive emotionally are more concerned about processing the pain in a more "spiritual" and less worldly grounded sense.

[Alfie]

when I depressed I lose the weight but It is not a good thing. By doing yoga we can relief from stress and make our body fit and smart.

[Leader]

I remember reading somewhere a while back that when stressed, sensors tend to gain weight and intuitives tend to lose weight.

discuss.

Really has nothing to do with it.

[Gilly]

There are more sensors than intuitives

Western societies are filled with stressed people

Western societies are filled with very fat people

Sensors gain weight when stressed

Is this reasoning a crock of shit?

Yes, the numbers are too big

[Slacker]

I can only speak for myself, but I was never as thin as during the time in my life when I was under a great deal of awful stress. I was so thin I became unhealthy. Stress is a great weightloss method for me.

[Hot Scalding Gayser]

A *little* anxiety is good for you because it boosts up your metabolism, I think. It's okay to be a little afraid, trying to drown out all fear and stress in your life doesn't work. Also people are meant to overcome challenges and to strive IMO.

Life can be extra scary for people who value compassion and empathy though, especially over competition and ruthlessness. But I think that should be more incentive for the good guys to get out there and fight, and make the best of life.

[Uncertainty]

I lose weight under stress. I just lose the desire to eat and sleep less.

I think a large part of it depends on whether you binge eat or lose your appetite under stressful conditions. Seems obvious enough, but I don't know if you can link that to type...

[Beautiful sky]

When I get depressed, I used to take anti-depressants and they always caused even deeper depression so I've learned to weight them out, and slowly and consciously bring myself out of them. I have devised a standard protocol program for myself. I will stay in bed for a few hours then I will take myself to the kitchen and eat something small to sustain me (cookies, etc I do this because my stomach won't leave me alone so I hush it with non substantial meager food), then I will take myself on a late night walk where no one can see me cry when I have to so I don't feel embarrassed because somethings, I feel, aren't for public eyes. I'll write and do other things to slowly get myself to do what the real world requires of me as a citizen of it and not just a member of my feelings.

I lose weight. Sensory things are not important to me because I don't indulge in eating, so it makes me more susceptible to head aches, etc, caused by lack of good nourishment.

My LSE bf does comfort food, stays in bed, clear his mind by walking...he tends to gain weight because he eats more junk food.

Yes HLD, you're right about Sensory types and indulging.

[Beautiful sky]

If I'm stressed I tend to eat faster, smoke more, drink more, STRESS more, but lose weight.

usually I think when people are stressed they don't gain weight. it's when they're apathetic / don't care / depressed / lazy / sad / selfish / covering up feelings etc etc

An LSE would feel that stress is rushed; that stress is distracting them from doing things so they tend to eat less.

[Hays]

I thought that this link about weight in today's news worthy of adding to the thread despite it not being about stress.


http://http://news.ninemsn.com.au/health/8384289/fat-maybe-dad-is-to-blame

Australian researchers have discovered that the sperm of overweight fathers appears to carry a molecular signal that causes their offspring to inherit obesity.

The preliminary study indicates that obesity in the offspring is more evident and severe in females than males.

The work by the Robinson Institute Research Centre for Reproductive Health, at the University of Adelaide, has so far focused on microRNA expression on the sperm of laboratory mice.

The next move will be to recruit people into the study of paternal dietary signals carried in sperm and their impact on offspring.

The research was presented at the World Congress on Human Reproduction in Melbourne, which has been running since Wednesday and finishes on Sunday.

Researcher Maria Ohlsson Teague said the sperm microRNAs identified are molecular regulators of gene expression in several biological processes, including embryonic development.

The study involved two groups - one of mice fed a high-fat diet, the other fed a good nutritional diet - with screening of the microRNA profile of sperm in both groups.

"In the group fed the high-fat diet, we discovered that male obesity alters the microRNA profile of sperm, resulting in poor embryo quality as well as obesity in offspring," Dr Ohlsson Teague said.

"This is the first evidence that a father's nutrition can affect the epigenome of his sperm, a non-genetic mechanism to inform the next generation of environmental change.

"We don't yet understand how this occurs and are particularly interested in why it appears to have a greater impact on the female offspring."

Because the transfer of the obesity factor is a biological process, not a genetic one, a father who loses weight and gets fit is less likely to pass on obesity to his children, according to the research

[Codie]

I'm not sure if it's type related - i've seen an alpha SF loose their appetite under hostile emotional conditions. During heavy episodes of emotional stress i'm too anxious and sad to eat.