High Cortisol? Weight Gain? Stubborn Belly Fat and Constant Fatigue? These are some of the side effects of our stressful routine. As it turns out constant stress triggers the secretion of the the so called "stress" hormone-cortisol. Elevated cortisol, in turn, results in weight gain, accumulation of belly fat and chronic fatigue. The presence of high cortisol levels in the body makes losing belly fat almost impossible. Here are a few reasons why:
1. Dieting and cortisol. The vicious circle.
Proper diet and strict exercise regime are important for long term weight loss. However, dieting is a stressful phenomenon for most people. The physical and emotional stress that comes with dieting results in the oversecretion of cortisol. Elevated cortisol increases blood sugar level and triggers the deposition of visceral abdominal fat in the midsection of the body. In other words dieting complicates the weight loss process by adding more stress in the picture and increasing the cortisol present in the body. People who have dieted on and off for years often get caught in that vicious circle. No matter how strict their diet is, they find losing belly fat almost impossible.
2. More cortisol equals bigger waistline. Why does cortisol affect the belly area and spares the rest of the body?
Higher cortisol levels are associated with weight gain. However, cortisol fat is not evenly distributed in the body. It is concentrated in the abdominal area. Abdominal fat differs from other types of fat found in the body. One of the major differences is that it has far more cortisol receptors and is easily influenced by fluctuations in the level of cortisol. Real health risks accompany excess fat in the abdomen-like increased chances of developing diabetes and heart disease.
3. Weight gain is just one side of the story. High cortisol affects your body in numerous other ways.
Weight gain is just one of the side effects of elevated cortisol. The effects of adrenal dysfunction can be profound: fatigue and weakness, suppression of the immune system, muscle and bone loss, moodiness or depression, hormonal imbalance, skin problems. The list of possible damage is long.
High cortisol, weight gain, belly fat accumulation, fatigue -they all seems to be interrelated in a complex puzzle. While the medical world is still learning about the high cortisol-weight gain relationship, one thing is certain-proper diet doesn't always solve our weight loss problems. A smart dieter should always consider lowering cortisol levels first.
Author: Irena Bocheva
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