What is cortisol?

Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal cortex (kidney) in response to stress. It helps us to cope with stresses in our everyday lives.

Purpose of cortisol

Cortisol is not a bad hormone. It performs crucial bodily functions such as regulating and mobilising energy, activating immune system and it’s an anti inflammatory.

However, too much of cortisol can be detrimental to our health and weight loss. It is a catabolic hormone that breaks down tissues in the body and throws the body out of equilibrium.

Stress is the main cause of elevated cortisol levels. Physical and mental stress can occur due to :
- excessive training (intense or long exercise)
- insufficient sleep or rest
- work, personal and relationship matters
- severe caloric reduction
- lack of nutrition
- illness

Effects of too much cortisol:
- fat storage in the stomach (visceral fat)
- increased food intake in emotional eaters
- muscle loss
- increased blood sugar levels
- suppressed immune system
- irregular menstruation
- mood disturbances
- fatigue
- reduced libido

The association between cortisol and weight gain

Elevated levels of cortisol are associated with weight gain as they:
- increase appetite and cravings for carbohydrate and fat.
- increase fat accumulation in the stomach (belly fat).
- increase leptin and insulin resistance.
- reduce metabolism from muscle loss

How to control cortisol for weight loss

Learn to take control of stress before it takes control of you.

1. Determine the stressor.
What’s stressing you out? If you can get rid of the cause of stress, that’s great. If you have no power to change the source of stress, you can control how you react to it. Either ignore it (why worry when the situation is beyond your control) or face it (getting stressed does not resolve the situation).

2. Don’t over exercise
Regular exercise and proper nutrition can improve heart health and assist in weight loss. However, excessive exercise can cause stress and weight gain. Don’t exercise for too long or too hard without enough recovery. 45-60 minutes per session, 3-4 times a week is more than enough. Make sure you get enough recovery so your body can recover.

3. Good sleeping habits
Develop these good sleeping habits:
- Get 7-8 hours of quality sleep at night.
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday.
- Avoid consuming stimulants such as caffeine or alcohol before bedtime or in the later part of the day.

4. Mind and body solutions
These include meditation, deep breathing, pilates, yoga, tai chi and hypnotherapy.

5. Other stress relief techniques
Watch a comedy movie, listen to music, take a walk, have a massage, go on a vacation and hang out with friends.

If you cannot lose weight even with exercise and diet, stress can be making you fat. A totally effective weight loss program should include management of stress for weight loss.

Chronic stress is a silent killer as it leads to serious health issues such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Stress management is not only crucial for weight loss, but also for attaining overall good health.

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