Could high stress & bad sleep be sabotaging my weight loss even though I'm doing everything "right" ?
Hey everyone,I'm 30 F and weigh 80kgs (176lbs).
I'm at a point where I'm doing everything I can to lose weight, but the scale is barely moving and it's starting to mess with my head. I'm 9 weeks into consistent effort:
Eating in a calorie deficit
Completely cut out sugar and junk food
Drinking lots of water
Light weight lifting + light cardio 4x a week
Cleaner, whole-food based diet
No binge eating or cheat meals
My clothes are fitting a bit better, and my brain fog has seriously lifted, so I know some changes are happening but I've only lost around 1kg in this time.
Here's the kicker: I live in a very high-stress household. I’m currently living with my ex-fiancé because neither of us can afford to live separately right now. It's been almost two years of daily stress, emotional turmoil, and crying almost every day due to bringing up the past and the past hurts etc.
I also sleep super late, midnight to 00:30am is my usual. I'm not proud of that, and I know it's not optimal, but the stress has messed up my rhythms. I'm trying my best with what I've got guys.
So my questions are:
Can chronic stress and elevated cortisol actually prevent weight loss, even when you're in a deficit?
Is my poor sleep schedule also playing a big role in sabotaging fat loss?
I feel like I'm fighting against a current I can't see. If you've been through something similar or have advice, I’d love to hear it. I just want to know I'm not crazy or doing something wrong.
Thanks in advance.🙏🏼
Posted Apr 9, 2025, 8:18 PM UTC