Today I’m talking about fat loss.

Cortisol or more commonly known as stress is more important for fat loss than you may think.

Let me make it clear I’m not disregarding the validity of the input/output of calories — this is basic physics.

However, I do think stress is an underlying factor which determines much of the success in any fat loss program.

This is very clearly seen in a disease like Cushing's disease, where patients have excessive cortisol levels. One very evident side effect of this disease is diabetes and a protruding belly. (97% experience weight gain).

To contrast with Addison's disease cortisol secretion is very low, and surprise surprise fat loss is the most common side effect.

Increased cortisol -> Increased insulin = Increased risk of obesity.

Increased cortisol drives you risk of binge eating on foods which are usually going to be unhealthy; especially if you live in an urban area. So essentially stress contributes to fat gain on a psychological and physiological level and becomes a caveat for many failed attempts at fat loss.

Through increasing how often you meditate you can actively control your cortisol levels.

By that logic, being more relaxed, chilling out more (in the appropriate sense) may help you get through a fat loss plateau and allow you to live a healthier life overall.

SLEEP MORE (but not too much) - I've slept too much before and it's horrible, it's a difficult cycle to escape (if you're a student etc...)

Video Explanation

NOTE: Yes I understand it gets a little more complex with enzymatic expression. But to be simplistic, this is the interaction betweeen the hormone and physiological expression in most.