Have you ever woken up feeling slightly horrible? Like, you could use another hour or two of uninterrupted sleep? Doom scrolling Instagram till midnight was a bad idea. You roll over, grab your phone and start checking your emails. It hasn't even been five minutes, but you already know that the only thing that can save you today is your beloved cup of black coffee. Realistically, today's going to be a two or three cup kind of a day. You get dressed, grab your coffee and laptop, jump in your car, and speed to the office. 

We live in a world where we're surrounded by stress and we don't even realize it. Today we’re going to go over the stress hormone cortisol and how it effects weight, and how to lower it for better fat loss.

Cortisol and stress are intricately connected to weight gain and fat accumulation, especially around the waist. 

When it comes to the majority of weight loss programs (e.g., calorie restriction), most people don’t consider cortisol as a possible reason for their issues with their weight. If you understand how cortisol works, you’ll have another tool in your belt to help you lose weight and keep it off forever.

Chronic stress and elevated cortisol will destroy any chance of losing weight

Today you’re going to learn:

• What is cortisol?
• How cortisol effects weight
• Signs you have high cortisol
• Tips to lower stress and cortisol

What Is Cortisol?

Cortisol, is known as your main stress hormone and is a glucocorticoid steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. 

This part is a little sciency, but cortisol is regulated through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The hypothalamus secretes corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which stimulates the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH then stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol. Conversely, high levels of cortisol inhibit the release of CRH and ACTH, which in turn reduces cortisol secretion.

Cortisol is involved in regulating a variety of physiological processes:

Cortisol has many effects on metabolism, including promoting gluconeogenesis (the production of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources), inhibiting insulin secretion, and promoting the breakdown of proteins and fats.

Cortisol suppresses the immune system, reducing inflammation and immune responses. This can be beneficial in short-term stress situations, but chronically elevated cortisol levels can impair immune function and increase susceptibility to infections and illness.

Cortisol secretion follows a circadian rhythm, with levels peaking in the morning and decreasing throughout the day. This diurnal rhythm is important for regulating sleep-wake cycles and other physiological processes.

Chronically elevated levels of cortisol are a huge problem in our society. Literally everything that we’re doing is creating stress in our lives - our poor food quality and lack of nutrient dense foods, toxic food and beverages, tap water, alcohol consumption, sitting, over-exercising, excessive blue light, social media, driving, work, family, plastics, pesticides/herbicides, food additives, synthetic fabrics, and even electromagnetic frequencies. The aggregate of all of these stressors can lead to chronically elevated levels of cortisol and ultimately contribute to weight gain and fat accumulation.

How Cortisol Effects Weight:

Increased appetite: Cortisol can increase appetite and cravings for hyper-palatable foods, typically processed, which can lead to overconsumption and weight gain.

Fat storage: Chronic cortisol release promotes the storage of fat, particularly around the abdomen, which can increase the risk of obesity

Insulin resistance: Cortisol can also impair insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, which can contribute to fat accumulation.

Reduced physical activity: Elevated cortisol levels can lead to fatigue and decreased motivation to engage in physical activity, which can further contribute to weight gain.

Impaired thyroid activity: Chronically elevated levels of cortisol can negatively effect thyroid activity, typically shifting it to an inactive state. 

Decreased testosterone: Cortisol and testosterone have an inverse relationship. It can inhibit the release of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) which lower testosterone.

Signs That You Have Chronically High Cortisol Levels

You’re overweight or obese: Cortisol intricately involved in fat metabolism, and consistently high cortisol levels can lead to increased fat storage, particularly around your stomach. 

Chronic stress: If you’re experiencing chronic stress, such as ongoing work-related stress, relationship issues, or financial stress, it can result in consistently high cortisol levels. Being easily triggered or having a short fuse can indicate chronic stress as well.

Sleep disturbances: Cortisol levels naturally peak in the morning, taper throughout the day and bottom out at night. However, when cortisol levels are consistently elevated, it can disrupt your normal circadian rhythm, leading to sleep disturbances such as insomnia, waking up multiple times a night, or difficulty falling asleep. GERD or acid reflux is also associated with high levels of cortisol and can contribute to poor sleep.

Anxiety and mood swings: High cortisol levels can affect your mood and emotions. If you are experiencing increased anxiety, irritability, mood swings, or even depression, it could be indicative of elevated cortisol levels.

Fatigue and low energy: Cortisol is involved in regulating energy levels, and high cortisol levels can disrupt normal energy patterns. If you are feeling fatigued, lacking in energy, or experiencing a general sense of exhaustion despite adequate rest, it could be related to elevated cortisol levels.

Decreased immune function: As previously mentioned, cortisol can have immunosuppressive effects. If you find yourself frequently getting sick or having a weakened immune system, it could be related to elevated cortisol levels.

Tips to Lower Cortisol

Long story short, cortisol could actually be the x-factor with your weight loss struggles. So here are a ten tips to lower cortisol so you can start to lose weight and keep it off for good.

Stop steady-state cardio and crazy intense workouts. Remember, we need to lower cortisol to lose weight and prolonged steady state cardio has the exact opposite affect. This is a big reason why you see people crushing it at the gym, seeing absolutely zero results. It's another big reason why I recommend that my clients, who are particularly stressed, to go for regular walks, get fresh air, and enjoy the weather. 

Focus on detoxing your liver. Being kind to your liver is critical since it is the main detoxifier in your body. Alcohol is obviously bad for your liver but worse when combined with polyunsaturated fats (PUFA). Both alcohol and PUFA increase cortisol responses due to increased stress and inflammation. 

Get more sunlight to rebalance your circadian rhythm. Start by getting out earlier in the day by taking a morning walk. Also, end the day by taking an evening or after-dinner walk. Low Vitamin D levels are also closely linked to higher cortisol levels. Side note - I’m honestly very tired of people being afraid of the sun. 

Optimize your light environment. Limit artificial blue light as much as possible, especially at night. Change the settings on your phones, tv’s, and computers to decrease the blue light and increase the warmth of the light. You can also get blue blocker glasses which will essentially do the same exact thing. I personally use the software, blue blocker glasses, and will turn on my red light if I'm working on my computer indoors.

Also, if you have the ability to work on a computer outside, do it. It balances out the full spectrum of light that you're being exposed to. This is good.

Taper your coffee/caffeine intake. If you drink coffee, do not drink it black. This is a great way to increase cortisol and adrenaline. Consume it with food, and try not to drink it past 11am. Caffeine has a half-life of about 5-6 hours. Your last cup of coffee should be in the AM hours and never in the PM hours. And even if you feel you can get sleep while being caffeinated later in the day, the quality of your sleep will suffer, which is why you probably had the afternoon coffee in the first place.

Increase GABA in the evening. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps induce relaxation and reduce anxiety. It also inhibits the release of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) from the hypothalamus. Remember, CRH triggers the release of cortisol, so by increasing GABA, you can decrease cortisol. Chamomile tea, organic/raw honey, and some lemon will increase GABA. It’s a great evening tea.

Supplementing with beef gelatin, which contains the amino acid glycine, can down-regulate cortisol. This can be blended in coffee to reduce coffee’s cortisol inducing effects. 

Walk outside in your bare feet. I'm sure you think this is absurd, but it's not. Grounding is known to reduce inflammation, improve sleep, and can shift your autonomic nervous system from sympathetic dominant state to being parasympathetic dominant - it calms you down. When was the last time you walked in grass with your bare feet? It's amazing. 

Eat more fruit. Carbohydrates directly lower cortisol levels.

Prioritize your sleep and try to get an absolute minimum of 7 hours. 8 or more hours is ideal. If you do the above steps, this should come naturally. 

Actionable Tip for the Week:

⭐️ Do everything you can to reduce stress and lower cortisol ⭐️

Cheers,

Tim

PS: I take requests and suggestions. Let me know if there's anything you want me to write about or make a video about. Would love to hear from you!

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Whenever you're ready, there are three ways we can help you:

1. 🏋🏻 Metabolic Training:  A step-by-step series of workouts for beginners that support longterm fat loss

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