The Hidden Weight of Stress: How Stress Hormones impact weight

If you’ve ever blamed yourself for lacking willpower, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken.

In honor of Women’s Health Month, let’s look at the science and of what’s really happening when weight won’t budge (despite your best efforts).

Stress is a major player. When the body is under chronic stress, it produces more cortisol—a hormone designed to help you survive. But when it stays elevated for too long, it can:

• Signal the body to store fat, especially around the belly
  • Disrupt your sleep, digestion, and hormone balance
  • Trigger emotional eating or sugar cravings
  • Make you feel like you’re constantly in “fight or flight” mode

So no, it’s not just about what you’re eating. It’s about how you’re feeling—and what your nervous system believes it needs to do to protect you.

hifting the Mindset: From Control to Compassion

What if you stopped asking, “What’s wrong with me?”
And started asking, “What does my body need to feel safe, nourished, and supported?”

This question may seem simple, but it’s actually a powerful strategy. Asking ourselves thoughtful, curious questions is one of the most supportive ways we can deepen our understanding of ourselves. When we ask—not with judgment, but with compassion—we open a door to insight rather than self-criticism.

Questions like this invite us to tune in, rather than tune out. They help shift us from autopilot (where we may be stuck in habits or old programming) into a more conscious, connected state. It’s a practice of self-awareness and self-trust.

This is where tools like hypnosis, breathwork, and mindset coaching truly shine.

Hypnosis helps quiet the outer noise so we can hear the deeper truths within. It allows us to access both our inner wisdom and, yes, even our inner critic—not to silence it, but to understand it. Often, that critical inner voice is trying to protect us. Through hypnosis, we can learn what it’s afraid of or what it needs to feel safe… and then gently reframe that message so it becomes supportive instead of sabotaging.

Breathwork calms the nervous system. It gives the body a felt sense of safety. When we’re in a state of chronic stress or anxiety, our body holds on—sometimes to weight, sometimes to tension or inflammation—because it doesn’t feel safe to let go. A regulated nervous system is a receptive one. Breathwork creates that opening.

And then there’s mindset coaching, which helps you stay grounded in possibility. With a healthier, more self-affirming mindset, the choices you make feel more aligned. You begin to treat yourself with more care. You create space for weight release to happen naturally, without relying on willpower alone.

Ultimately, this is about more than just weight. It’s about building a relationship with yourself based on safety, calm, and trust.

Because when the body feels safe, it lets go. Of stress. Of shame. And, often, of weight too.

If this resonates with you—if you’re ready to explore a gentler, more effective path to releasing weight—I invite you to take a closer look at my Foundational Weight Release Program. This isn’t a quick fix or another diet plan. It’s a holistic approach that brings together hypnosis, breathwork, and mindset coaching to support your nervous system, shift your inner dialogue, and create lasting, natural change from the inside out. You don’t have to do this alone. I’d be honored to walk with you.

Let’s Take This Deeper:

Ready to Release Weight—Without the Pressure?

My Foundational Weight Release Program is designed to help you release more than just pounds. Using the powerful tools of hypnosis, breathwork, and mindset coaching, this program helps you calm your nervous system, reset your relationship with food and your body, and tap into lasting transformation.

•  Feel safe in your body
•  Soften your inner critic
•  Release stress and weight—naturally

This is about sustainable, empowered change—not willpower or restriction.

If you’re tired of chasing quick fixes and ready to feel aligned in your body again, I invite you to explore what it’s like to work together.

You don’t need more pressure—you need more peace.

Click here to book a clarity call.

Here’s what one of my former clients has to say about her experience!

“It’s scary to embark on the journey of self-discovery, but Jackie makes it so easy. She has a gift for listening and asking questions that help you uncover the answers already hiding inside you. If you’ve struggled to make changes in your life, I highly recommend Healing Hypnotherapy. You might think you’re there for one issue—but after a few sessions, you realize it’s like peeling an onion. There are many layers, and you’ll feel so much better once you’ve done the work to peel them away.” JS

Call/text: 425-941-2051

Email: Jackie@JackieFoskett.com

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