What is cortisol?

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

Function of cortisol

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

However, excessive cortisol can be detrimental to our health and weight loss. It is a catabolic hormone that destroys tissues in the body and throws the body out of balance.

Stress is the main cause of high cortisol levels. Physical and emotional stress can occur due to :
- over training (intense or long exercise)
- insufficient sleep or rest
- work, personal and relationship problems
- severe caloric restriction
- lack of nutrition
- sickness

Effects of too much cortisol:
- fat storage in the abdomen (abdominal fat)
- increased food consumption in emotional eaters
- muscle loss
- elevated blood sugar levels
- reduced immune system
- irregular menstruation
- mood disturbances
- fatigue
- reduced sex drive

The link between stress and weight gain

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

How to manage cortisol for weight loss

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

1. Identify the stressor.
What’s stressing you out? If you can get rid of the stressor, that’s great. If you have no control over the source of stress, you can control how you respond 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. Avoid excessive exercise
Regular exercise and proper nutrition can improve cardiovascular health and aid in weight loss. However, excessive exercise can cause stress and weight gain. Don’t train for too long or at high intensity without sufficient rest. 45-60 minutes for each session, 3-4 times a week is more than enough. Be sure to get sufficient rest so your body can recuperate.

3. Good sleeping habits
Cultivate these good sleeping habits:
- Get 7-8 hours of quality sleep at night.
- Go to bed and get up at the same time everyday.
- Don’t consume stimulants such as caffeine or booze before bedtime or in the later part of the day.

4. Mind and body solutions
These include meditation, breathing exercises, pilates, yoga, tai chi and hypnosis.

5. Other stress control solutions
Watch a comedy movie, listen to music, go for a walk, get a massage, go on a vacation and chill out with friends.

If you fail to lose fat even with exercise and diet, stress can be making you fat. A totally effective fat loss program should include management of cortisol for weight loss.

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

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