
Were you told that your cortisol level is too high, and it’s the cause behind you not being able to lose weight?
Have you read on the socials about all of the hormone-hack, cortisol lowering diets?
And, aaaallll the posts about the many symptoms of high cortisol (constantly exhausted, can’t lose weight, feeling rushed, feeling uneasy when you have free time, scrolling on social media mid-task, always checking your phone, comparing yourself to others and feeling like crap about it). Seriously…these are common experiences for many people, and not because they have high cortisol!
As always, there is nuance to this. Let’s break it down.
To begin, if you haven’t had bloodwork done, see your family physician to get that ball rolling. If you had bloodwork done, and it showed high cortisol, ask this question: At what time of day was your bloodwork done, with the results showing high cortisol?
It’s normal for cortisol to be high in the morning - it’s what helps wake us up. So, if your bloodwork was done in the morning, high cortisol might not be an abnormal result.
However, cortisol is supposed to gradually decline as the day goes on. It should be low by the end of the day, which helps us drift off more easily at bedtime. So, if your bloodwork was done later in the day, and cortisol was high, that could be something to follow up with a family physician or endocrinologist about.
It’s not super common for someone to have chronically high cortisol levels. There are lots of reasons why cortisol might spike during the day - a highly intense workout, medications, stressful situations, lack of sleep, and some medical conditions. Some of these need follow-up with a medical professional, and some, like chronic stress, may require work with a therapist.
That said, some highly stressed individuals can have challenges with weight gain, but not necessarily because of high cortisol. Chronic stress can result in:
Increased food cravings
Numbing emotions with food
Difficulty making food choices that are supportive of weight management
Poor sleep, which influences appetite hormones and makes decisions around food more challenging
Lower training intensity and frequency
AKA Lifestyle Factors.
In the end, consuming more daily calories than we require is what causes weight gain or resistance to weight loss. But, there are factors at play that affect how many daily calories we consume, and that’s what we need to whittle away at.
So, what to do? Here are a few ideas:
Prioritize protein, fruits, and veggies at every meal.Rework your bedtime routine to prioritize sleep - shut down TV/Netflix/social media/laptop earlier, gradually adding 15 minute earlier bedtimes until you can get a full 7-8 hours in each night.
Use apps like Calm or Headspace to promote bedtime relaxation.
Delete, delegate, delay, or do less of things on your to-do list. Ask for (and accept!) help.
Schedule time with a therapist.
Set aside time to plan meals and groceries.
Rework your pantry so that your trigger foods aren’t so readily available.
Block off time in your calendar for exercise, and treat those times as you would any other important meeting or appointment; rescheduling instead of cancelling if something else comes up.
Surround yourself with people who support your wellness.
Are there supplements that can help with sleep? Potentially, although many don’t have enough evidence based data to support their use. Also, no supplement will outperform your lifestyle.
Start with the basics of sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction before reaching for supplements. And, of course, if you suspect something more than lifestyle factors is going on, set up some time with your trusted physician.
Keep coming forward - Coach K
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