Why Am I Gaining Weight When I'm Eating Less and Working Out?

You’ve been stressed lately. Work deadlines are piling up, the dishwasher broke, and you still haven’t cleaned up the garage after that flood. In the evening, you unwind by watching Love Island (a guilty pleasure — everyone needs one) and pouring a glass of cabernet (which has become a nightly habit). While scrolling through your phone, you notice your favorite fitness retailer is having a sale — yay! You order a pair of workout pants in your usual size, but when they arrive, you’re in for a shock: you can’t squeeze into them! Did they change the sizing, or have you put on a few pounds?

You step on the scale and confirm it — your weight has gone up. You wonder, “Why am I gaining weight when I'm eating less and working out?” It’s possible that stress and alcohol are teaming up to sabotage your fitness goals. Let’s explore the connection between stress, alcohol, and weight gain, and learn how to outsmart this tricky duo.

What Is Stress?

Stress might feel like a nuisance, but it has an evolutionary purpose. Back when saber-toothed tigers roamed and neighbors might chase you out of your cave with spears, being ready to respond instantly was crucial. The stress response is your body’s built-in alarm system, putting you into “fight-or-flight” mode at the first sign of danger:

• The amygdala sounds the alarm. The stress response starts in the brain, with the amygdala — responsible for emotional processing — triggering a cascade of hormonal reactions. Key hormones include epinephrine (adrenaline) and cortisol, the main “stress hormone.”
• Your body reroutes resources to handle the threat. With the sympathetic nervous system acting like a “gas pedal,” your body prepares to fight or flee. Your heart rate and breathing speed up to power muscles and organs; lung airways open to maximize oxygen to the brain; and nutrients flood the bloodstream for quick energy.
• Other functions are put on hold. Processes like digestion are temporarily paused until the danger passes.

While this response is useful in real danger, it backfires when an all-systems-go approach isn’t needed. Not all stress is the same, and some types harm us more than others, especially over time.

Not All Stress Is the Same

Here’s how different types of stress appear in our lives:

• Acute stress is short-lived. This is what the stress response was designed for — facing immediate danger. It helps you run from a fire, stay alert during a break-in, or duck into a store if you feel followed.
• Chronic stress drags on. Modern stressors like disagreements, deadlines, or money troubles don’t need a full fight-or-flight reaction. But we’re wired to respond physiologically, leading to health issues like heart disease, mental health problems, and immune deficiencies.
• Episodic acute stress is more damaging. Like chronic stress but more intense, it erupts periodically and harms health significantly.
• Traumatic stress lingers from the past. Related to a traumatic event that may have required fight-or-flight at the time, it can lead to PTSD symptoms even after the danger is gone.
• Environmental stress comes from surroundings. Adverse conditions like noise, overcrowding, or unsafe living spaces affect both physical and mental health.

Any stress can take a toll, often showing up in eating habits and weight changes. In fact, an American Psychological Association study found that 70% of participants said stress significantly influenced their diet. While stress can sometimes cause weight loss (if you eat less when anxious), it more often leads to weight gain — especially with alcohol in the mix.

Stress and Weight Gain

Even without alcohol, stress can cause weight gain in several ways:

• It leads to cravings for “comfort foods.” Short-term stress releases dopamine (the reward chemical), but chronic stress depletes it, leaving you lethargic. High-sugar, high-calorie foods boost dopamine, making them hard to resist.
• It changes hunger hormones. Stress increases ghrelin (the “hunger hormone”) and can disrupt leptin (which signals fullness), making overeating more likely.
• It disrupts digestion. Stress hormones like epinephrine can cause digestive issues like diarrhea or constipation, impair nutrient absorption, and leave you tired and more prone to overeating.
• It disrupts sleep. Lack of sleep raises ghrelin levels and messes with insulin sensitivity, promoting fat storage.
• It saps energy for exercise. Stress makes you feel drained, reducing the likelihood of working out.

Alcohol and Weight Gain

Alcohol alone can also lead to weight gain:

• Empty calories add up. Alcohol has seven calories per gram (second only to fat), with no nutritional value. A few drinks can equal the calories of a large slice of pizza or bowl of nachos.
• It lowers inhibitions. Under the influence, you’re more likely to make poor food choices.
• It boosts ghrelin. Alcohol increases hunger, often leading to late-night cravings.
• It causes sugar cravings. Both alcohol and sugar trigger dopamine, strengthening cravings for high-calorie foods.
• It messes with metabolism. Your body prioritizes processing alcohol as a toxin, slowing the metabolism of other nutrients and increasing fat storage.
• It disrupts sleep. Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but it fragments sleep cycles, reducing REM sleep and leaving you groggy with higher ghrelin levels the next day.

When Stress and Alcohol Team Up

Together, stress and alcohol create a vicious cycle that amplifies weight gain:

• Alcohol increases stress. Instead of relieving stress, alcohol raises cortisol levels and strains your body.
• Hunger intensifies. Combined effects on hormones make you feel ravenous.
• Sleep suffers more. Both stress and alcohol rob you of restorative sleep.
• Sugar cravings spike. The duo drives stronger cravings for calorie-rich foods.

The result? A negative feedback loop: stress leads to drinking, which worsens sleep, anxiety, and hunger, leading to weight gain and more stress.

Stress-Busting Strategies

How can you break the cycle and fit into those pants again? Try these science-backed strategies:

• Find your relaxation “switch.” Activate your body’s natural relaxation response with deep breathing, yoga, tai chi, or visualization. Research shows these techniques can reduce blood pressure and stress.
• Start an exercise routine. Exercise releases endorphins and dopamine while lowering cortisol, reducing stress and cravings.
• Track your intake. Keep a non-judgmental log of food and alcohol to identify patterns and triggers.
• Revamp your diet. Focus on whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats (like salmon and avocados), and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Include antioxidants to reduce inflammation, tryptophan-rich foods to support dopamine and serotonin, and fermented foods for gut health.
• Get enough sleep. Establish a regular sleep routine, avoid caffeine and screens before bed, and prioritize quality sleep to regulate hunger hormones and reduce stress.

And remember, Quitemate is here to support you every step of the way! Our vibrant community of like-minded users who’ve been in your shoes is a great place to share stories, advice, and encouragement. Our science-backed tools for changing your relationship with alcohol and reducing stress make the journey to a happier, healthier you easy, sustainable, and fun!