My son wakes me up at 5:15 AM every day..Every damn day. And it's not a gentle wake up - more like toilet lid slamming and him running into my room.

He's 4.5 and I'm convinced the cortisol flowing through my body has made it hard for me to lose my belly.

Can you go for a walk when you are stressed. You know you are going to eat at 9, walk from 8:30-9:15, go home go to bed.

I’m the same way! I teach. During the school year I am exhausted and stressed out—I emotionally eat as a result. In the summer I can eat intuitively because I’m not feeding my emotions. I lose weight in the summer even if I’m having a little more alcohol/sweets than in the rest of the year because I can stop eating better than when I’m stressed.

Stress can make you gain weight more easily in certain areas of the body. But more likely you are eating kids than you realize and exercising less.

I have been there op. First therapy. Second go get a physical and have them check your thyroid.