Anyone know anything about Cortisol?

randa_behnam

Iv been noticing this word in the media quite a lot and i certainly feel that my personal stress over the last 12 months has certainly contributed to my weight gain.

I keep seeing ads for Cortisol blockers....has anyone used them and if so...do they work? what side effects did you get etc?

ehte_h

Dude you need to get to the root cause of your stress and deal with it. Essentially that's what Cortisol is. The stress hormone

Helena4

Before using pills/hormone supplements it's best to tackle the problem face on.
Adding something into your system without trying to tackle any problems will only make it harder to get off the pills and essentially you could end up getting hooked on taking them which really won't help the problem.
Stress tablets are likely to cause tiredness,anger problems and also can contribute to weight gain....not really good side effects!!
See your doctor

randa_behnam

Thanks guys. well the main problem was being made redundant last year then obviously money troubles and now being stuck in a job that isnt where i wanted my career to go so the stress is going to be there for a while.... i know i have to deal with it but i dont need to stress about my weight gain as well as everything else.

ehte_h

Sorry to hear of your job worries. Try and take some positives from your situation. For example the fact that you're in a job whilst unemployment is going up is a huge thing. Stay positive, maybe even take a couple of days off to de-stress & relax. Keep looking for other jobs at the sametime, eventually you'll get there.

Good luck

TrainingWithTonya

Some things you can do to reduce stress: Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Meditation, etc.

May not necessarily fix your problems that are causing the stress, but will help with reducing cortisol production. Also, cortisol production is elevated during periods of fasting. So, eating every 3-4 hours is important to keep from having cortisol spikes. Since cortisol is responsible for signalling the body to break down muscle for fuel and store fat, some body builders even get up in the middle of the night to eat to prevent cortisol production. As for the cortisol blockers, I would worry about the other hormones that they may be blocking at the same time. While they have been proven to reduce cortisol, I haven't seen any research on what they do to epinephrine, norepinephrine, seratonin, estrogen, testosterone, HGH, insulin-like growth factor, etc. If it messes with one hormone, there is a big possibility that it will mess with others.

sceck

Get a good night's sleep. Very important for your melatonin; stress will reduce some, cortisol will reduce some. Try not to let your job stress you out...in this economy lots of employers are trying to get the same production levels with less manpower, thus stressing out the work force. Try to see things ahead of time, anticipate stressors. Then some of them may be able to be avoided. Make today a new day, don't linger over yesterday. Good luck!!!

spiritmachine

Yeah I wouldn't focus on the cortisol. Just remember that there really isn't any pill or medicine that is going to give you good long-term weight loss results. I agree with the reducing stress. A great way to reduce stress is to exercise! If you follow the MFP guidelines you should lose weight even if you are a little over stressed.

randa_behnam

Thanks everyone, i feel sooo much better just for reading your thoughts

Cortisol is just a word that iv noticed a lot recently and was curious about it. I think ill steer away from the cortisol blocker and opt for more natural remedies to reduce my stress.

Exercise has made a big impact in my sleep and my diet is looking better and better everyday. its just the stubborn belly pouch that wont shift,....i dont even know where i came from....so tonight iv invested in some professional help and have my first training session with a personal trainer who im sure will be worth every penny!

)

rosiedoes

Make someone hug you more! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/4131508.stm

I know how you feel, though - I was out of work for a few months, two years ago and I'm now in a job that is a dead end nightmare.

Remind yourself that it will pass, in time, and don't depend on chemical help to bring you through - all that will ultimately do is add to your problems.

4theking

My advice would be to workout less and sleep more to control it.