Do you know why weight loss is hard? It comes down to the relationship between cortisol and body fat. Simply put, body fat raises cortisol and cortisol raises body fat.
But, here’s how you can break the cycle for good and how to speed up weight loss with adrenal fatigue or hypothyroidism at the same time. Learn more about adrenal fatigue weight gain, and find out how to make adrenal fatigue weight loss work for you today.
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The fact is that keeping away those extra pounds can be harder when hormones are out of balance. That is why so many people are curious about how to lose weight with adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism in the first place!
It’s true, though, that the release of cortisol in the body has an adverse effect on our ability to lose those extra pounds. Cortisol is a hormone released by the brain during different events and circumstances.
Our body releases cortisol in a “fight-or-flight”1 set of circumstances.
Preparing us to take on difficult tasks or help our bodies deal with high levels of stress. Put simply, cortisol is released to help our bodies manage intense amounts of stress. tips…
Key Insight: Cortisol naturally occurs in our bodies, but it can be dangerous to our health. That is why it is important to understand the relationship between your adrenals and weight gain, as well as adrenal fatigue and weight gain (and loss) today.
For those who are already stressed, cortisol is pumped from their adrenals to the rest of their bodies. This releases glucose, which helps them dominate their problems quickly.
The problem starts when we constantly feel stressed. This level of stress is then followed by what happens when cortisol is consistently being released into our system.
This imbalance of hormones deprives our cells of glucose. So our cells send a message to our brain to tell us that we need to eat. Let’s consider this the start of the problem.
Telling our body that it needs to eat, the cortisol and body fat cycle begins in earnest. Let’s break it down, step-by-step:
Don’t get me wrong, though. Cortisol can be helpful when you are training, bodybuilding or undergoing intense exercise. When we’re breaking a sweat, cortisol works with other hormones in our bodies to help burn calories and shed pounds.
The problem is that cortisol is not only released when we’re working out. While you want cortisol to be pumping when you’re at the gym, you don’t like it when you’re simply sitting at your desk.
Cortisol can create cravings for junk food while shutting off the part of your brain that tells you it’s a bad idea to be eating that much in one sitting. In the wrong context, releasing cortisol can be damaging and destructive to your body.
There is hope, and that is in the form of adrenal fatigue weight loss and a diet designed for adrenal fatigue and weight loss. The following is a collection of tips I can say will help you combat a cortisol imbalance and the dreaded cortisol and belly fat that comes with it.
Of course, everybody is different, so these suggested dietary and exercise tips will vary depending on the amount of effort and restraint you exercise.
If bodybuilders and athletes use cortisol to their advantage, why can’t you?
There must be a simple way to help combat adrenal fatigue, speed up weight loss, and cut those extra pounds out of your life for good. In fact, there is, so let me walk you through some of the best tips to help you reach your adrenal fatigue weight loss goals.
Can you lose weight with adrenal fatigue? Learn how to lose weight with thyroid and adrenal problems, and utilize some of the following tips…
The research is in, and carbohydrate cycling is gaining traction in scientific conversations around weight loss2. Better than ketosis3, the process of enduring periods of low-carb intake alternated with periods of high-carb intake is a way to combat your cells’ demand for more food.
Cycling carbohydrates can help you reach your goals. It is also a way of avoiding weight loss plateaus4, which can often be one of the most frustrating parts of any diet.
Limiting carbs and allowing your body to burn off that excess fat while later replenishing your muscles with carbs keeps your body in a steady rhythm when it comes to dropping that extra bit of weight.
Key Insight: Cut down on ketosis, and bring more carb cycling into your diet.
Reduce your adrenal fatigue weight loss by resetting your diet for four weeks. As long as you’re getting at least 800 calories, you won’t be raising your cortisol levels while burning body fat.
Keeping consumption low has proven to help manage weight and get started on losing weight effectively and healthy5. Four weeks—where’s the harm in that? It might take a bit of discipline, but it is going to help your body get back to where it needs to be.
This form of detox is highly instructive to your body. It seeks to kick your metabolism into gear so that you may burn fat down the road. It’s basically like putting your body through boot camp where the discipline you place upon your diet kicks your body into high gear.
Inducing this in your body isn’t easy at first, but it will go a long way in helping you cut down on those extra pounds. It’s critical to speed up weight loss in a meaningful way!
Key Insight: Jumpstart your metabolism by keeping your calorie intake low for four weeks.
The formula is simple: 2 shakes + 1 meal. The effects of meal replacement have been well-researched and are proven to safely remove those unsightly pounds from your belly6.
Two low-carb, high-fiber shakes per day, followed by a low-calorie meal, are all it takes. This will help keep your adrenaline surges in check and help you manage your cravings with ease.
Meal replacement plans help speed up weight loss and create a large amount of it simultaneously. While also improving weight management, inflammation, and oxidative stress7.
It is a way of giving your body what it needs. All done without giving into the tried-and-true cravings that keep us from cutting those inches from our waistline.
Key Insight: 2 shakes + 1 meal = an effective weight loss strategy.
Did you know that you don’t need to sweat like crazy to get a good workout? Long Slow Distance training8 relies on long intervals of low-intensity physical activity.
Through these activities, you’re building aerobic strength and endurance that can help stimulate the loss of body fat in your body. All you have to do is one session per week, moving for over one hour at an extremely low intensity.
Take a light walk, go for a hike, and benefit your body. This form of training is an opportunity to introduce a consistent hum of fat burning in your daily/weekly/monthly regimen—the more exercise, the merrier, so long as you take it slow.
Key Insight: Take it slow, across longer distances, to keep your exercise routine humming.
I’ve already discussed the benefits of low-intensity workouts for adrenal fatigue and weight loss. This is an even more practical suggestion: After dinner, take some time to walk.
Think of it as walking for weight loss! If you take a 10-minute walk after dinner, you will effectively lower your cortisol for the evening. Not only will this help you sleep better9, but it can also help you combat adrenal exhaustion in the morning.
It also makes your muscles more insulin responsive10, which allows for more fuel to go to your muscles and less to your body fat. This is all part of the bigger picture: working on healthy habits and lifestyle choices into your average day.
A little bit of walking for weight loss is all it takes, and you’ll be on your way to cutting out the excess fat in your life in no time.
Key Insight: Take a walk and take care of your post-dinner cortisol levels.
Losing weight when you have adrenal fatigue all starts with a simple potato. As I always say, a potato a day keeps the inches away!
I know. Everyone is afraid of potatoes. They are nightshade veggies; they are high in carbs. But these are ideas. Ideas matter less than clinical trials in living humans.
Studies have shown that boiled potatoes are in a class of their own regarding foods that curb appetites11.
Working more of these ingredients into your diet quickly and simply can help you combat adrenal burnout for good. The resistant starch in potatoes, in particular, will also help to heal your gut lining12.
There are so many superfoods, but potatoes can be called one of the original ones. They have many health benefits and can help you jumpstart your weight loss or adrenal fatigue. They’re easy to prepare and enjoy, and you’ll be reaping the benefits in no time.
Potatoes are a great place to start when it comes to balancing the relationship between cortisol and body fat. Here’s how it could look as part of your day-to-day routine…
Your Diet and Potatoes for:
Holy basil, or Ocimum sanctum, is another step in helping combat the cortisol and body fat issue. Studies on humans using holy basil have shown that the leaf lowers stress13.
Therefore, the less stress, the less cortisol your body produces to combat that stress. Adrenal fatigue weight loss can start in your diet, and holy basil might just be one of the pillars combating this imbalance of cortisol.
Key Insight: Integrating basil into your diet is simple, whether using it as a pesto or simply topping it on some of your favorite recipes.
Even in 2017, it appears that we might be more stressed than ever. Whether it’s the pressures of work, family, or something else, we’re always feeling pushed by the world. That doesn’t mean that we should run out of hope, though, because the answer is right in front of us.
All we have to do is make healthy living a routine, with habits that we can easily work into our lives to combat the negative effects of stress and cortisol in our bodies. This is all the simple answer to how to lose weight with adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism at play.
Have you been feeling stressed?
So, how do you speed up weight loss? Especially with adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism, it’s about making a change that is not only effective but also sustainable on a long-term basis.
Changing how you diet and exercise can make stress a thing of the past. Or, at least, how your body reacts to stress can be eliminated entirely.
Adrenal fatigue weight loss starts with injecting healthy habits into your diet and lifestyle. Whether that means boiling a potato a day or walking for weight loss, you’ll want to consistently adhere to a set of standards to better your life.
The stress that produces cortisol is manageable if you take the right steps to manage it.
As I mentioned before, the cortisol and body fat cycle can be dangerous. It’s hazardous to your body, but there is a way to combat it.
Key Insight: Follow these tips and you’ll break this vicious cycle for good.
Finally, take a moment and ask yourself the following questions:
Find out now with my super handy Adrenal Quiz. It will give you a good idea of where you’re at with your adrenal fatigue, and what you can do to combat this problem and lose weight today.
1 – https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/111609p38.shtml
2 – https://wholehealthsource.blogspot.ca/2015/08/a-new-human-trial-seriously-undermines.html
3 – https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/type-1-diabetes-guide/what-is-ketosis#1
4 – https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss-plateau/art-20044615
5 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14763916
6 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12704397
7 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2851659/
8 – https://www.sportsci.org/2009/ss.htm
9 – https://bodyecology.com/articles/reduce_your_cortisol_levels.php
10 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23669880
11 – https://www.mendosa.com/satiety.htm
12 – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0308814695002227
13 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26571987
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Dr. Alan Christianson
Alan Christianson is a Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD) who is a board-certified Naturopathic Endocrinologist with a focus on thyroid disorders. He is the author of The Metabolism Reset Diet and the New York Times bestselling book The Adrenal Reset Diet.
He founded Integrative Health, a physician group dedicated to helping people with thyroid disease and weight-loss resistance regain their health.
He has been named a Top Doctor in Phoenix magazine and has appeared on national TV shows and in numerous print media.
Dr. Christianson resides in the woods by a lake in Northern Minnesota with his wife Kirin.
