Here are 4 issues that
occur when cortisol is elevated for long periods of time that will
kill your results. - Insulin Resistance
When cortisol is elevated all the time is dumps glucose into the
bloodstream. Insulin is then secreted to remove the glucose from the
bloodstream (as it is toxic in there). Over time, insulin receptors
will stop working which means glucose stays in the bloodstream. This makes fat loss very difficult and means more fat will be stored
around the hips / midsection.
- Digestion Issues
Cortisol decreases the permeability of the gut wall. This means food
particles can ‘leak’ through the gut wall and into the bloodstream.
Causing a lot of digestion problems. If you struggle with digestion issues it may
be due to stress. When digestion issues are present fat loss will be stalled.
- Emotional Eating
Stress influences us to satisfy the pleasure centers in our brain in
an attempt to reduce stress. Cortisol can also work to increase
appetite, to ensure there is enough energy for our body to deal with
the stress. A study found women with high cortisol consumed more
calories on days of higher stress, with most of these excess calories
coming from sweet foods. So high levels of cortisol mean increased
hunger and cravings for foods high in sugar and fat.
- Abdominal Fat
Studies have shown over and over again that highly stressed women
have higher levels of abdominal fat than low-stress women. If you are
struggling to lose fat especially around the mid-section that is
tell-tale sign stress is an issue for you, whether you know it or not. This is when you need to take a step back to think about the potential stressors you have going on - or care to admit them.
Basically, stress does weird
things to peoples’ bodies. It can affect anything from your menstrual
cycle, digestion, muscle recovery, fatigue, your skin, thyroid
function, and much more. Any of these underlying issues will directly
affect your ability to get results.
I hope this gives you a rough understanding of how stress can be
holding you back from getting the results you want. I know how
frustrating it can be to think you are doing everything right but it
still isn’t working. 95% of the time I find by addressing stress with
my clients we can get them the results they want! But remember..! If you are eating less and exercising more or too much - you will not lose fat and plateau. We need food to recover the work that has been done from exercising. If you don't fuel your body it will only stay under consistent stress to repair itself and you will not gain any more muscle or lose body fat!
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