can someone explain Cortisol to me.

shelliemacs · June 2013

I am hearing it and reading allot about cortisol but I don't really have a grasp on what it does good and bod for me. I work out ALLOT. I lift weights every other day and I do MMA/Combat training on the days I don't lift weights. I am short 5 feet short to be exact. I am 45 yrs old, F and I am barely hitting 1200 calories (I journal in a book, not on here).

I know I am eating too few calories, I am working on eating more. I was doing allot of protein but I was feeling bloated all the time eating that way. I now eat more carbs and feel allot better.

My weight has gone up since last summer, while my size has gone down. I was 117 at my lowest, now I am 132. I was in a size 8, now I get into a 4. I am very confused how I can weigh more and fit into smaller sizes.

I will admit I am OBSESSED with what the scale says and punish myself daily when I get on it and its not going down. I cant count how many times I have cried and hated myself for this.

I do have muscle def. now and I never did before.

Some trainers at my gym say I have excess cortisol which is hampering me in the losing weight part. So I pulled back some but the mental part of me says WORK HARDER and the weight will come back off.

I am from the time when people said eat less, move more....ok I am moving more. ALLOT more and now I am going up.

can someone just explain Cortisol to me and should I work out less?

I

hfox9707 · June 2013

I don't think this is cortisol causing you to gain weight. Cortisol is a stress hormone which can cause belly fat. We make cortisol when we are under stress. If you are losing in dress sizes, then I would consider you are gaining lean muscle mass and water weight.. The scale doesn't equal fat loss. The scale also counts for water, muscle, organs, bone density as well as fat. You are probably going down in fat loss and gaining lean muscle and bone density.

LenaCara · June 2013

Not sure about the cortisol but I do think you have a bunch of muscle and it makes you weigh more. Pick up a scale that measures body fat percentage and set / work towards a goal in respect to it. As a size 4, you seem like the perfect size but I’m also addicted to the scale and can see where you’re coming from. I just think you need a different standard to measure yourself by considering the great shape your in.

shadow2soul · June 2013

Weight – So many things can affect weight, because of this it shouldn’t be the only way you track your progress. Things to keep in mind:

Always use the same scale – Different scales can show different weights. You will get the most accurate number for tracking when using the same scale.

Don’t move the scale – Carpet, uneven flooring, different types of flooring…can all affect the weight on the scale. So when you weigh, you want it to be approximately the same spot for the most accurate number for tracking.

3500 calories – To gain 1lb of fat you need to be over maintenance by 3500 calories.

Muscle Repair – Muscles will hold onto water to repair, because of this it is not uncommon to see a gain for a little while after a workout. This weight comes right back off when they are done repairing.

Sodium – Can cause you to retain water. This can also be amplified if you don’t drink enough to flush it out of your system. This is also another reason for temporary weight gain.

Water – Not drinking enough water can actually cause you to retain water. Recommended amount is 8 cups or 64oz. I drink 64 oz to 128 oz of water a day. It doesn’t have to be plain water either. I like to flavor mine with crystal light or tea.

Time of day – Your weight can fluctuate throughout the day. So for the most accurate tracking, you want to weigh at around the same time.

Frequency – This is up to you, but if small fluctuations bother you than only weigh once a week or less.

Lightest Weight – Will be naked, first thing in the morning, after using the bathroom

Multiple times a Day – Don’t Do It. As I said before, your weight will fluctuate throughout the day. What you eat, what you’re wearing, ect will all affect weight.

Clothes – If you weigh with clothing on, keep in mind that the scale will show your weight plus the weight of your clothes. (Jeans are heavy)

TOM - A lot of women will retain water around their TOM, but its just temporary and will go away.

Weight is not a reliable number. I'd suggest getting rid of the scale all together, if the number bothers you so much.

If you took the same volume of muscle next to the same volume of fat, and weighed the two. The muscle would be heavier than the fat.

More Muscle Less Body Fat = Smaller Clothes
Less Muscle More Body Fat = Larger clothes

Edit: What's the problem if you can wear smaller clothing? Isn't that the whole point of "losing weight"? If your a size 4, no one is going to look at you and thing "Oh, she weighs 140lbs." Most people are going to see a slim & fit woman.

Personally, I want a slim & fit body regardless of what number the scale spits out.

evileen99 · June 2013

It has nothing to do with cortisol and everything to do with the muscle you've built. Muscle is much more dense than fat (takes up less space than the same weight of fat), so as you lose fat and build muscle you get smaller. And you burn more calories, so you can eat more.

The time in my life when I weighed the most was when I wore the smallest size. People would guess that I weighed 120-125 pounds, when in reality it was around 160. I didn't care about the number on the scale, I cared about how I looked and I was smokin' hot back then.

I suggest throwing away the scale and instead look at pictures of yourself. I bet you'll like what you see.

deksgrl · June 2013

You are a smaller size, so why do you need the scale to read lighter? You did what a lot of people want to do, body recomposition.

Cortisol is the primary stress hormone in your body and is produced by the adrenal glands, which are located on top of the kidneys. It plays an important role in metabolism, helping to determine the best source of energy, carbohydrate, fat or protein that your body should use. It also is the hormone that gives us our fight-or-flight response.

Chronic or long-term stress increases levels of cortisol, which plays a role in several hormonal and metabolic reactions that lead to weight gain. Diet and exercise are stresses on the body. You don't want to create so much stress that it creates too much cortisol because that is counterproductive.

shelliemacs · June 2013

Thank you all, I am happy I fit into smaller clothes, Im just old school and in my warped mind I wish I could see the scale say what my clothes say. I am (gulp) middle aged now so I guess having more muscle tissue is a great thing. I am proud of seeing those cuts on my arms and having that line down the side of my leg but its just a vanity thing I guess.

I'll pull my head out of my butt and get over this scale obsession for sure.

rmhand · June 2013

I know this link seems unrelated but it does talk about cortisol and excess exercise. Remember its all hormones: http://undergroundwellness.com/3-ways-exercise-can-ruin-your-sex-life/

edited to add:
http://www.hulsestrength.com/ - he talks about cortisol and excess exercise as well.

tigersword · June 2013

Ugh. Sorry, but I'm going to be honest. You did not build 15 pounds of muscle eating "barely" 1200 calories. Hell, 15 pounds of muscle is an incredible amount for a woman to build in a year, while eating in a surplus. It certainly won't happen in a deficit. Something doesn't add up.

shelliemacs · June 2013

Ugh. Sorry, but I'm going to be honest. You did not build 15 pounds of muscle eating "barely" 1200 calories. Hell, 15 pounds of muscle is an incredible amount for a woman to build in a year, while eating in a surplus. It certainly won't happen in a deficit. Something doesn't add up.

I didn't claim to build 15 pounds of muscle. I said my scale went up but my clothes size went down.

can someone explain Cortisol to me.

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