Stress and Weight Loss

Is Stress Sabotaging Your Weight Loss?

Is stress and weight gain problem for you?

Ladies, in case you weren’t aware, stress and weight loss is a BIG, important topic for us as women...especially as we move closer towards menopause.

Did you know that stress can actually sabotage your best efforts for weight loss?

In fact, the excess belly fat you’re struggling with right now may likely be the result of living in a constant state of stress!

Just think of the fast paced lifestyle that’s become the norm these days and I believe it’s accurate to say that most of us deal with loads of stress on a daily basis.

I wasn’t kidding when I said that stress and weight loss are a big topic.

That’s because so many other parts of the endocrine system get effected as well - the thyroid, the adrenals, et al.

Stress triggers off a domino effect and in the end can leave you feeling depressed, exhausted, obese, hungry, and sick...unless you recognize it and take positive steps towards balancing your lifestyle now.

Stress and Weight Loss – Why am I Getting a Fat Belly?

Put simply, it’s the connection between fat producing cortisol, stress and weight gain.

Cortisol is known as the ‘stress hormone’, and it’s also a fat producing hormone.

It’s also responsible for regulating hormones, keeping your blood sugar normalized, supporting your immune system and how your body assimilates proteins, carbohydrates and fats to meet your daily energy needs.

Every time you feel stressed your adrenal glands release cortisol.

Cortisol then responds by activating your fat cells to store fat, and because we have more cortisol receptors (almost 4 times more!) in the abdominal area, it naturally prefers this area for fat storage making belly fat more resistant to fat loss.

Long term or chronic stress can keep your cortisol levels high. This eventually wears down your adrenal glands to the point where they can no longer produce normal levels of cortisol.

The end result is adrenal fatigue which is also known to contribute to chronic fatigue syndrome.

As a woman, overly stressed adrenal glands will also affect your ability to make a smooth transition into menopause as well.

During the perimemopausal and menopausal years the ovaries begin to shut down and the adrenals then become a major source of estrogen.

In the Hormones 101 mp3 of the ”Naturapause Solution Kit”, renowned Naturopathic doctor and hormone expert, Dr. Holly Lucille, along with nutrition expert Jon Benson explains why and how adrenal function causes hormone imbalance and why we then struggle with losing tummy fat.

She makes some great recommendations that can help support healthy adrenal function – one of the causes of excess belly fat.

Dr. Lucille also covers in detail the myths and facts about hormones, HRT (hormone replacement therapy) from a Naturopath’s perspective and offers up some insightful advice on this controversial topic as well.

What REALLY stood out to me personally was that Dr. Lucille pointed out that many of the menopause symptoms women are complaining about are often misread and misdiagnosed; they’re actually the result of elevated cortisol levels and adrenal fatigue and in fact not menopausal symptoms at all!

Seriously ladies, does it come as any surprise that many women these days have high cortisol levels and are suffering from some degree of adrenal exhaustion?

Just look at our fast paced lifestyles! Most of us juggle a demanding work schedule all day and then come home to more. There’s often little, if any balance in our lives anymore!

Dr. Lucille’s idea of balance goes beyond day-planners and schedules. She stresses the importance of creating "internal" balance between your hormones to help create energy, how to lower your body fat percentage, and even how to maintain a healthy libido.

I encourage you (and any woman over 35 for that matter) to read the 26-page excerpt of Dr. Lucille’s new book, “Creating and Maintaining Balance” that she has graciously provided.

As I said, stress and weight loss is a BIG important topic for us as women.

We’ve only just scratched the surface of adrenal function and how it’s related to stress and weight gain here; follow the links below to learn how you can take control of your hormone health and your weight loss.

Stress and Weight Gain – Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue

Learn to spot the signs and symptoms of adrenal fatigue.

Return to Belly Fat Blues Home from Stress and Weight Loss

Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life!

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