Will lowering my cortisol levels have a direct effect on weight loss?

CookiesandCrunches16
CookiesandCrunches16 Posts: 41 Member
edited November 30 in Health and Weight Loss
Will lowering my cortisol levels have a direct effect on weight loss? I've been very stressed with work and I have anxiety. As a result, I think my weight has slightly increased. I've followed my calorie goal everyday and hit my macros regardless. If I naturally lower my cortisol levels, will it have a direct impact on my weight and abdominal fat? Thank you!

Replies

  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,645 Member
    Have you ever had your cortisol level tested? Without that info, it's impossible to know whether it would do any good or not.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Stress reactions can make it more difficult to lose weight

    Will it stop weight loss if your defecit is in place probably not over a sufficient time frame

    What time frame have you not been losing weight?
  • RedLipsRedDress
    RedLipsRedDress Posts: 125 Member
    Cortisol is not the only stress related hormone, but generally the answer to your question is maybe yes. If you're staying at a reasonable calorie goal- not too low, not too high; if you have a moderately active lifestyle, if you drink enough water, etc. And you're not losing it might be the stress. Here I suppose you're talking about a short period of time like a couple of weeks.
    Now, is your cortisol high? If you haven't tested it, the only possible indicator of high cortisol could be high blood pressure and/or high blood sugar. If those two haven't changed for you recently, I guess your cortisol is OK.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    edited February 2016
    It doesn't make sense though to me. Think of all the highly stressful situations like war and famine when people lose weight.
    Maybe it causes a stall, where the fat cells, and lean mass hold on to water, but eventually gets released.
    It may also slow the transit of food through the sstem, which creates the appearance of a stall.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Springfield1970 wrote: »
    It doesn't make sense though to me. Think of all the highly stressful situations like war and famine when people lose weight.
    Maybe it causes a stall, where the fat cells, and lean mass hold on to water, but eventually gets released.
    It may also slow the transit of food through the sstem, which creates the appearance of a stall.

    It doesn't override CICO but stress hormones can marginally affect the progression of weight loss

    I think the important, and very much missing, factor here is timescale ..how long have you stalled
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Yes - it will. :)

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