Abbey! Could you touch on the effects of night shift work on cortisol levels? Lots of us nurses noticed the weight gain in the belly area but is there any way around it? 😢
Hello! Muslim follower from the UK here. it was really interesting what you said about Ramadan fasting. The increased cortisol at night time would actually benefit us in Ramadan as many Muslims try to dedicate time throughout the night to prayer. And of course getting up before dawn to eat before beginning the fast. On another note. I really ejnoy your videos and have benefitted so much from what I've learned about HCCs and looking at dietary changes through a lens of abundance instead of restriction. I've been slowly changing my lifestyle and loosing weght after putting it on for the past 6 years. I've been able to really enjoy this process and I can feel my hunger/ craving/ binge desires changing/ decreasing. I've learned how interconected my poor diatary choices and mental health were too, so another thank you for talking so openly about mental health. Thanks for your content Abbey!
Hi, I found your channel a few years ago while in my ED. I lost it for years and one of your old videos recently popped up again. When I was younger I was trying to trigger myself through your videos and did the opposite of what you recommend on purpose. But looking back they actually really educated me and helped me in my healing process once I was ready. I appreciate what you do for so many people. I'm now very much a healthy eater and feel surprisingly good in my body. This is also thanks to your work, honesty, knowledge, openness about your own struggles and feelings and your community.
I have been a bit in crisis mode for over a year and definitely have an increase in belly fat. I also have PCOS and have heard a bunch about that increasing corisol too.I have been interested in this topic for a while and it has almost made me nervous that trying to loose weight be diet and excuse will not work. Thanks so much for the info!
I'm in the same boat. I have been slowly losing weight though by just eating a balanced diet when I'm hungry and exercising lightly. Each meal has a fat, a fibre and a protein. I also do an exercise I like every day. For instance, I get off the bus from home a few stops early so I can walk 20 minutes a day and spend that time listening to music. The weightloss is slow going but it's going. We're all definitely different but I just wanted to let you know that healthy balanced food choices and 20 minutes of exercise a day could be a good starting place for you to try, since it sounds like we have similar problems.
@@gemmellian7698 thanks for the reply! I always appreciate it when people leave a thoughtful and kind response :) I have two kids that don't really leave me time or space to work out from home, so I try to go for a short walk or run to the gym during my lunch break and really attempt to have fiber and protein in my meals.
Hey, I also have PCOS! My doctor put me on a trial dose of Mounjaro (I also have type II), and I lost 10 pounds in a month. I was worried about the sustainability of that weight loss, because I've seen a lot of reports of people gaining the weight back after getting off the medication. I decided not to take Mounjaro, and now I'm trying to lose weight through diet and exercise alone. It's rough out here!
I was listening to a Podcaster that said to cut out HIIT training for peri/menopausal women (because of cortisol). Glad to hear that philosophy is false. What you say makes good sense Abbey.
I test hormones oftentimes in my practice and do see cortisol dysregulation a lot. Depending on the circumstances, sometimes I recommend slowing down...if someone is overexercising and perimenopausal. These issues are very nuanced. There is not a one size fits all that fits. Each individual should work with their practitioner to uncover what is driving the issue.
Yes! I'm a stats professor and I love that, at least in a roundabout way, you clearly say that study X found this connection between variable 1 and 2 but hey, this does not imply causation in any of the two directions, there's even a very probably confounding variable. Thanks for not just providing a good selection of literature and linking to it but also evaluating the results in a decent way! Any topic that is as complex as the human metabolism with all of the links to lifestyle and psychology and even socio-economic background or city planning (like availability of walking routes vs. car-centrism) demands a more in-depth exploration, while most people like to boil it down to very simple things. Some of these will inevitably work but when they don't people get frustrated and might never consider the whole picture.
I just recently became aware of cortisol and how it was affecting me. One, I have two diagnosed psychiatric disorders, and two, I recently had some big hits to my personal life that put me in crisis mode. Besides having been experiencing belly fat for several years that was not really a thing before, I also started having extremely oily skin and hair. Which is why I researched the cause and discovered that pesky hormone cortisol is a key factor. I’ve been fully immersed in self-care since this discovery and the oils chilled out as well as some weight loss. Reading a book called Feeling Good, light exercise, mindful eating, less alcohol, and having meditative moments with my relationship to God. That has been helping me. Cortisol also made me blow up sometimes so it definitely needs to be checked.
yes! you can pry my morning black coffee on an empty stomach from my cold, dead hands, wellness influencers! but in all seriousness, it sounds like there is a benefit to eating something in the morning to help balance cortisol levels, but i just genuinely never want breakfast. it takes a few hours of me being up and about until i get hungry, and making myself eat when my body doesn't want to just seems silly.
I agree my first meal is at 1pm and my last meal is at 7pm, been doing this for the last 5 years, along with walking 4 miles a day and weight training 3 days a week. I kept myself at 10% body fat, this whole eat breakfast, eat no breakfast is so confusing to some people, some say the later you eat the longer you live and keep off body fat, others say you have to eat breakfast and eating later with have healthy risk.its difficult whom to believe. That's why you must do what works for you, and stick to it. I feel and look great 54 years old 5/10 male 160 pounds 10%body fat., she gave great information, but everybody is different
I have PTSD and escaped an abusive unit recently. In addition to a lot of improvements in my health, the things you mention at 12:38 are things I suffered from as well. PTSD takes a big toll on the body and can manifest physically, so I wonder if that's what I've been experiencing. I also experienced them during intense periods of burnout.
Yes, I have CPTSD and am convinced that it caused my PCOS. After i started trauma therapy, my pcos symptoms reduced and I lost belly fat without trying. My body is now the healthiest it has ever been!
Me 😭 my body is so messed up from dieting. I can't lose weight anymore unless I fast for at least 2 days in a row and do 10 000+ steps. Even fasting every other day doesn't work. And I've been sick 3 times this month. My body is not happy with me
@@mahnli thank you for the tip but yes I have been working slowly on it for 3 years now. I was getting lots of progress in the first year or so but then it totally plateaued
@@hadassahm3016Maybe you overeat in your eating window. I was on a plateau for months with fasting between 16-24 and it’s only when I reviewed all my way of eating that the scale finally moved. Don’t give up
@@sory8086 a lot of people say that but I lost a lot of a weight to begin with so I know I was doing something right. I tracked every calorie, weighed everything down to the 3 calories in a bottle of diet coke or the 1kcal in my mustard. When my weight plateaued I tried so many things, cutting calories, exercising more, eating a greater proportion of protein etc. Even on days where I was eating 150kcals I still wasn't losing weight.
I appreciate you so much ❤️ i recently found out i am autistic and this might be why I tend to ignore my own body needs. I need to learn how to better self manage to avoid getting cortisol off balance
I have known for awhile now that high cortisol is causing a lot of my health issues, including that stubborn belly fat! The problem is that the reason my cortisol is so chronically elevated right now, is because I am in the early stages of motherhood. My sweet baby turns a year old in a few weeks, and yet he hasn’t slept more than 3 hours since birth. I have been waking every 2-3 hours for almost a year now and it is taking such a toll on me! I know I need to sleep but I just literally can’t because my baby wakes GL so much 😐
You have my full sympathy, my son did his first night at five years old when he started kindergarten and he never napped during the day even as an infant. From five to 10 he was up at least three nights a week in the middle of the night. He's never slept much and so neither did I . He's twenty four now and moved out and I'm so well trained I can't sleep now because it's too quiet here now.😢
I spent the last four years in a moderate caloric surplus (200 cals/day) to gain muscle. Heavy strength training, HIIT, and an overall balanced diet. I ended up gaining 1lb muscle and 9 lbs of fat. Currently getting my cortisol (and other things) tested. I know I don't sleep nearly enough (5 hours/ night) and my stress has been crazy. This is my first unsuccessful bulk in ten years.
I tend to personally lose a lot of weight when stressed in the short term because I find that stress makes me more fidgety and hyper focused and speeds up my regularity . However I don't think it is a good long-term solution because I think of cortisol as a body's precious energy reserves best conserved for times of true need .
Abs are made in the kitchen - so true.. And it's much harder to lose the belly fat once we hit middle age. I'm 48, and I work the heck out of my abs, and yet it is so hard to keep the fat off :) Thank you for great tips and inspiration!
I'm 54 what I found that worked for me was adding 4 miles of walking a day did the trick for me. I weight train 3 times a week, full body 2 hours each day 300 caloric deficit eat 3 times a day first meal at 1pm 160 grams of protein a day. I'm 5/10 160 pounds 10% body fat being doing this for 2 years now it's my life style and it works perfect for me
I was dealing with high cortisol from work/life stress + HIIT 5 days a week and binge eating followed by calorie restriction. I was overweight but ONLY gaining in my stomach instead of all over evenly like I normally do. I also had issues with my period, ended up with low testosterone, etc. Once I got the stress in check, the weight started falling off, mostly because i wasn't in a vicious cycle or stress eating and guilt restricting
So relatable! Went for strength training to lose a couple of kilos (which I also gained because of being stressed and burnt out at work) and ended up with +10 later on
@anastasiapyrkh6156 the great news is though, we can lose it! I've switched to 3 days of strength training at the gym and trying to walk 8-10k steps daily. In 6 weeks, I look totally different already. The weight difference is only 1 pound but the appearance looks like a 10 lb difference
Thanks so much Abbey!!!🥰 I've been waiting for this one. You are the greatest and should be so proud of how many of us ( Canadian or not🇨🇦😊) you help every day!
Really gained some important insights regarding cortisol related weight gain here. Despite exercising and diet control , ive been slowly just gaining pounds instead of losing , so this freaks me out
love this! i'm actually soon a certified HA practictioner and see people with HA deal with high cortisol a lot! but I don't agree with the eating more due to high cortisol is the reason to weight gain. When I had high cortsol I had noooo hunger and had to force feed myself, but I still gained 15 kilos.
you are right I ate less 1000 cal/day and still gained weight was eating too little not hungry still became plump and with a huge belly fat (subcutaneous or not only) and arms and thights
I know you said that there isn’t much of a link between cortisol and loss of period but what about overall stress that does cause women to lose their period? Am I misunderstanding cortisol and stress? Are they different or a cause and effect type thing? Thanks for the great, scientifically backed videos and calling out the health myths being pushed on social media!
When stressed your body has a greater need for cortisol. If you can't produce enough, you will then crave sugar to replace it. My daughter has complete adrenal insufficiency. She produces zero cortisol of her own. She needs medication three times a day to replace it, but if she's sick, falls, is worried, needs an anaesthetic etc, she needs IV cortisol. The first time we realised something was very wrong was when she was 17 months old and ate a whole packet of chocolate biscuits - she was trying to replace her cortisol.
Can you make a video about basic energy needs for different people and maybe zooming in on the factor height. Because those 2000/2500 kcal needed are needed for a woman/man of average height (165-185cm), but what about woman/man
Cortisol is caused by stress, and stress makes you less motivated to workout, makes you overeat and snack, which causes weight gain. So cortisol doesn’t directly cause weight gain, but the overeating and inactivity caused by the stress does.
No, I’ve researched this. Visceral fat and belly fat are not synonymous. If you can squeeze the fat it’s subcutaneous fat. Most belly fat, especially lower belly fat, is subcutaneous.
From what I understand you should avoid stress the week before your period, but are much less sensetive to stress during the period becaus of shifting hormones.
I am an elementary school teacher...my levels stay high for 10 months. I also don't have a thyroid and have had large fibroids removed. I feel I am fighting a difficult battle. At least I have a nutritional specialist and exercise coach in the mix to help.
Thank you so much. Your videos are so helpful because I feel like someone is finally telling the truth. I have been practicing intuitive eating because of you and I am feeling so much stronger in every way
I just got my cortisol tested and they said it was low all day (not low enough to be Addison’s, but much lower than it should be.) it makes sense given my history of complex trauma.
Guilty of the overexercise and restrictive eating club here. High stress levels lead to muscle loss. Have spent the last few months trying to get everything back to normal. Takes time but seeing progress!
Thanks for bringing science to that discussion and explaining, what is nonsense and what is not :-). Could you maybe make a "what to eat on depression days" video: Let me elaborate: So on a really bad depression day, making food is not an option, sometimes eating is not an option either... Anyway... I still try to eat something on bad days, as eating literally anything is better then eating nothing... So in those cases, I usually have something ready in the freezer, that is halfway healthy and just pop it in the microwave and that's that. But on the bad days, where I have a little bit of energy left for actually making something quick, I'm looking for inspiration for healthier things, but also tasty things, that I can make in like 5 minutes, that are not a smoothie. I think that would be a great video, that would also help other people I guess.
Wow once again a great video from you Abbey. While also i have to say, oh my god why are the doctors so bad at knowing their stuff. I been there for nearly 10 years and no doctor and their many years in med school could figure out what you summarized in like 1min. I been a pro athlete, and had anorexia because you know teenage girl delussions. And then i gained some weight so i decided to really exercise A LOT and eat nothing for days on end. I had all the symptoms you list at 12:40. I also had hypothalamic amenorrhea or something very similar, losing my period for years. Its been 10 years and i still dont have a diagnosis. I have pituitary gland issues, thyroid issues, a bunch of other health issues. No diagnosis, but im decently sure my restrictive anorexic lifestyle and my overexercising put me into this sick body. I worry i may even reached a point where i permanently damaged my body, because there are a bunch of other health issues wrong with me. And while im not recovered from my ED, i try to consume enough calories to survive and yet im litreally so sick i cannot function normally. Doctors told me to exercise even more and eat less, because exercising more would decrease stress aka cortisol; and eating less would make me lose weight. This video put some things in perspective to me, even though i may still not know what to do. I think i know what started the breakdown of my health. Please anyone listen to your body. Please do not restrictive diet / get into anorexia. Try to get out of it, as hard as it is. And i know it is. Im not recovered either. Please advocate for yourself with doctors! They often dont know what they are talking about, so get a second opinion if you re dismissed. Especially, if you re a woman. You may be sent to therapy and told to just try a new diet...listen to advice within reason. Your health is SO precious, once you lose it you realized it aint worth it for reducing bodyfat or fit into stupid social goals.
I seems to have opposite effect when my cortisol levels rises. I stop eating and only can drink water. I can go for a days without eating and end up loosing too much weight which doesn’t suits me as I’m already 50kg. I definitely have to keep an eye on my stress level.
Hi Abbey, do you have tips for helping a friend with disordered eating? The good thing is she is aware of it, but therapy is not an option right now for financial reasons.. I don't want to overwhelm her or maybe even make it worse by giving tips she didn't ask for, but then again it pains me to see her struggle and not be able to help😞 any advice?
Abbey, would you mind expanding on RED-S Syndrome? I feel like you touched on some of the impacts in this video and it might be enough to warrant its own discussion.
Cortisol isn't the enemy, really. For some it is a problem (like anything), but its not nearly as common of a problem as people would like to believe. Like you mentioned, its actually natural and healthy for these levels to rise and fall throughout the day and in response to certain physical stress.
I have a daughter who produces zero cortisol - now that's a nightmare. Every sickness, every fall, stress at school... all send her blood sugar into freefall. The amount of emergency injections I've had to give her when she became completely unresponsive, and the amount of hospital stays we've had where we thought we'd lose her....well, needless to say, I don't like to complain about cortisol .
Some people say that six smaller meals a day is healthier than three larger meals. Would eating smaller portions throughout the day have an affect on cortisol? It almost sounds like it could as it is not "stressing the system" as much as letting yourself get hungrier and then eating a larger meal, but maybe it wouldn't make that much of a difference.
I have PTSD. Spare tyre round the belly that I did not have before. No significant weight gain. What helps me is gardening, or just being out in nature, and animals. I dont have pets but love to visit SPCA and socialise with animals that are often victims of abuse and neglect
Hello Abbey! Thanks so much for another well done and informative video. Quick question! I am 48 and in perimenopause. I recently began trying intermittent fasting (to hopefully shrink my belly fat), with my eating window being 11am to 7pm. After listening to your words on intermittent fasting, would it be better to switch to 8am-4pm to aid my belly fast loss? Thanks again! :)
@abbeysharp do you have any info for us ladies on the effects of cortisol in the perio and menopause situations? We have been hearing that raised cortisol from HIIT training combined with this period of our lives can increase belly fat and hinder weight loss. I heard the part in this video about exercise but wondering your thoughts on that and menopause.
Great question, we keep getting told to cut the cardio and just lift weights, I switch off every other day, I like whole body workouts so can't be doing that everyday...also I don't change my diet for any reason so the eating more doesn't apply. I'm afraid if i cut back on exercis-e that I would gain weight...thoughts?
I haven’t heard to cut cardio. But, that shouldn’t be the main focus. Zone 2 training is good and increase weight training for a plethora of reasons besides weight.
I used to restrict so much and intensely work out to the point i lost my period and its been months of trying to get it back but i still dont have it, does anyone have any tips?
Be patient with your body coz it will take time to recover. At the moment, your body will divert everything to the most essential areas as dictated by your brain. My friend lost her period for a whole year but it came back.
So informative, as always. I just did the dexamethasone bloodwork as my endocrinologist suspected high cortisol (I also have Hashimoto's). Results came back that my cortisol was out-of-range low, though (0.7 mcg/dL). The reference range for 8 a.m. is 5 to 25 mcg/dL. I'm not finding as much to research on low cortisol and how I'll be managing it when I finally hear from my doctor. I'm confused and frustrated. Maybe a low cortisol video would be nice in the future? Only if you'd like or have time. Again, thank you, Abbey. As someone who's struggled with an eating disorder and now these other issues, I am so happy I found you. Can't believe it's been over a year now. 🩵
Hi Abbey my doctor wants me to go liver reduction diet, I just had cholecystectomy. Can you please you please do video explaining a healthy approach? She’s recommending 200 mg of fat per day which seams impossible I don’t want put my self at risk for an ed.
I know my ADHD meds increase cortisol and I noticed a jump in my weight when I started taking these like 2 or 3 years ago. But everywhere just says the meds make you lose weight because of appetite suppression. Sigh
As someone who taking corticosteroids since the age of 4 life is so damn hard. I've multiple autoimmune disorders including autoimmune hepatitis along with pcos and hypothyroidism. But somehow still I'm surviving
Cortisol isn't hated, nor feared in my case. I just want to learn. My criticism has been real or perceived over use of coffee. My body is releasing cortisol for days after every cup which makes me fat, don't I know... until now. I definitely notice better sleep quality from exercise (as long as I don't move my bed time by more than one hour, and as long as I don't exercise right before bed time). Doesn't take much alcohol for me to wake up at 3 AM. She's got that fancy mattress I don't want to pay for.. that's fine. I think intermittent fasting is silly though it may work for the morbidly obese.
I love your videos and how you explain everything so easily. I wish I was confident enough to put my face out there. I shared a story on my channel on how I struggled with weight loss for years until I finally lost 42 pounds in less than 3 months after I found a solution that targets weight loss in 5 different ways
people are constipated esp if they eat eggs etc, eat more fruit and keep it simple, salad and veg at night, then blood gets better and feeds all organs with the best blood ! #Prof A Ehret
I have Addison’s Disease and my body doesn’t make cortisol. The thing that irritates me about this topic is that without cortisol, you die. End of story. Good night. Cortisol is arguably the most important steroid hormone our bodies make. It does a lot more than just affect weight. Also triggers your immune system, controls appetite, blood pressure, so many things.
Same. It seems all the research focuses on how to lower cortisol whether through diet, yoga, or herbs. Yet I never hear anything about how to naturally raise it.
Thanks for clearing up the "exercise/cortisol spike" correlation. Im a long distance runner and ive had this worry at the back of my mind for a while, i.e. what if im fucking up my hormones.
Mmmm Cortisol. I am about to go in for ANOTHER hospital procedure. I have an AVM in my brain and my life is Ship High In Transit. I am gaining ALL the weight. I'm also trans and all the weight is in my chest and thighs which is NOT fun and making me stress even more. I can't wear my chest binder with all the tests and such going on. I'll also be out for the next couple of weeks recovering and in PAIN and stress. FuNnNnNn. Also I'll be staying at parent's place and although they have one of those beds that I can lift my leg up, it is sooooo uncomfy, especially sleeping on my back (which is already so difficult to do) Edit: I'm also on 2 meds both linked to weight gain...
This is such a helpful video and is giving me flashbacks to the time I reached out to a therapist and they said I should stop running as it increases cortisol and therefore was giving me anxiety 🙃
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