Cortisol Conflicted

vegasslacker
vegasslacker Posts: 5 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi Guys,
I've been lurking on the message boards for a few weeks and have been very impressed at how friendly & helpful everyone is. I thought I would finally wade into the waters and create my own post with some confusion I've been having as it relates to approaching *healthy* weight loss.

My background: Female 35 5'7" 160lbs
My entire life, I've *always* collected my weight in my waist, with deceptively fit arms and legs. I realize that collecting weight in your waist can be a negative predictor to future ailments and want to address this as part of my journey to fitness.
I am comfortable taking the time to loose weight properly.

I understand the basic relationship between input and output to lose weight. You can either stick to watching your calorie intake and only eat the calories you budgeted for or you can exercise as a means to increase your available calories for the day through exercise. I find it much easier to exercise each day to increase my calorie budget. As a result of my new routine, I've become a little fatigued and had some trouble sleeping, but I've started looking forward to my exercise routine each day

My current routine is that I walk for an hour in the morning every day through my neighborhood (250 calories per HRM), then catch a cardio class (Zumba, Kickboxing, etc)6 days a week for 60 minutes (about 650 calories per HRM).
I have no concerns that I am managing my food intake correctly. In fact, I increased my BMR after reading the many posts on TDEEE and BMR from 1200 to 1370.

In the past I have worked out, both with a trainer and without, with similar intensity. I would find after a month that I gained three pounds, get frustrated and discouraged, then quit. I have decided this time around that I genuinely want to culture good eating habits and an active lifestyle for long term success, so I refuse to quit this time even though I've gained weight the same as I've done in the past.

I read many posts on MFP and elsewhere about gaining weight initially after starting a workout routine when you haven't been active for a while. I know it isn't a gain in muscle and I know it isn't a gain in fat. In the past month, I've seen a marginal change in my thighs and stagnation in my waist measurements. As I've learned from these many posts, the cause of this increase in weight is a result of water retention/glycogen and a release of cortisol from my adrenal glads.

All the posts on MFP tell the OP that he/she should continue working out with the intensity that they are working out and in a few weeks or a month or two you will stop retaining water, gaining weight, and eventually start losing weight.
I've also read other posts that have said that if you continue to push yourself (almost) each day with 60 minutes of cardio you risk developing hypothyroidism, immune system deficiencies, significant increases of cortisol (which collect in your abdomen), and insomnia.

So with all that said, I have a few questions:
1. What should be the workout plan if you don't want to fatigue your adrenal glands and still lose weight and get in shape?
2. How do you know when you are "over exercising" or just increasing your fitness abilities?
3. Is it ever okay to do 60 minutes of cardio 6 days a week?

Thank you ahead of time for your feedback.
I look forward to reading your responses!

Replies

  • bexcobham
    bexcobham Posts: 107
    Hi there, I'm not an expert, but I think it's possible to do 60 mins of cardio 6 days a week if you are reasonably fit and healthy. Even brisk walking is cardio.

    I have had the kind of bloating you describe when I have stopped exercising and have started again. I just kept going and got a weird whoosh effect when I dropped pounds all of a sudden.

    I had an exercise addiction when I was younger. If you start feeling jittery when you can't exercise, you force yourself to exercise when you are ill or injured, you are doing too much. You start to get lots of colds and chest infections becuse your immune system suffers. You feel constantly drained, but can't sleep and you ache all over.

    I might be wrong though. There are people here who know more about it than me. I think you have to work on the mind/body connection so you know how hard you can push yourself. You also have to be honest with yourself about what you shouldn't do.
  • xesixb
    xesixb Posts: 165 Member
    Hi,

    I've had lots of conflicts with cortisol and insulin over the years (as I have PCOS) . I did lots of research about it and I decided to reduce my carb intake. I also stopped drinking coffee, as it throws my cortisol levels over the roof. If you love coffee too much then try only drinking it at around 2pm. I saw a bigger weight loss after limiting my carbs. However, this is smth u should discuss with ur doctor. My advice is: eat lots of vegetables, fish and organ meats (liver, heart). Exercise is important if you want to keep urself healthy and toned, but you seem to overdoing it. Have you tried Power Yoga? It's pretty good for your body and your mental health. Hope it helps and good luck!!!!!!!!
  • bexcobham
    bexcobham Posts: 107
    Hi,

    I've had lots of conflicts with cortisol and insulin over the years (as I have PCOS) . I did lots of research about it and I decided to reduce my carb intake. I also stopped drinking coffee, as it throws my cortisol levels over the roof. If you love coffee too much then try only drinking it at around 2pm. I saw a bigger weight loss after limiting my carbs. However, this is smth u should discuss with ur doctor. My advice is: eat lots of vegetables, fish and organ meats (liver, heart). Exercise is important if you want to keep urself healthy and toned, but you seem to overdoing it. Have you tried Power Yoga? It's pretty good for your body and your mental health. Hope it helps and good luck!!!!!!!!

    This could be new agey stuff, but I sometimes do a bit of Kundalini Yoga and it has exercises for the glands. I feel so much better when I do it, but I'm embarrassed of my neighbour hearing me chanting the mantras. It does make you feel really great though. A totally natural high.
  • vegasslacker
    vegasslacker Posts: 5 Member
    @xesixb: Thank you for the feedback! I have been struggling with infertility for 2 years now, so my diet is already pretty "clean".I gave up caffeine and limit my alcohol to maybe 1 glass a week. I was previously vegan, but changed to eating eggs, fish and animal protein to see if it would make any difference. Eating veggies is the easiest part for me. :-) As a result of all of the thorough testing that has been done, I do know that I don't have PCOS. I will check out Power Yoga. It's hard for me to gauge what "over doing it" is because I am having fun at my classes and am definitely feeling better.

    @bexcobham Thank you for your feedback! I enjoy hearing from other people and how they achieved their own successes. I hope that I will experience the "whoosh" effect soon.
  • vegasslacker
    vegasslacker Posts: 5 Member
    It sounds like the consensus so far is to add in Yoga. I will definitely pepper that into my schedule.
  • bexcobham
    bexcobham Posts: 107
    I hope you do have the whoosh effect and it is likely if you are not overeating. My weightloss is never linear. I like to train hard and when I up the anti, the water retention comes back. It goes after I have persisted for a few weeks and then goes whoosh again.

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