Ruffling a few feathers is a GOOD thing because it creates conversation and deeper thought...Yesterday, I posted that cortisol is not the cause of belly fat: it is too much food and too little movement. There was alot of push back.It's a popular theory, and easy to say 'oh you have a stressful life, it's causing your cortisol to go up
and that's why you have belly fat."Easy peasy. Done like dinner. We ALL have stress. It IS a part of life. And once again, it's an easy way to place blame, one-stop blaming ritual or sorts.In fact, those trainers, coaches and nutritionists that are circulating today have plenty of resources that state that cortisol IS
the cause of belly fat. If you look, it's all over the internet.Hormonal changes cause excess cortisol too...it must be menopause....So in both cases, what you're saying is it's inevitable, it's outside your control, it's life.Sure, just do a Google search and you will find tons of articles to support cortisol's creation of
belly fat. Most are from products and from sites that are again, following mainstream leanings.Then there are the researchers and specialists, like this one from Orlando Health that states:"Cortisol stimulates your fat and carbohydrate metabolism, creating a surge of energy in your body. While this process is essential for survival situations, it also increases your
appetite. Additionally, elevated cortisol levels can cause cravings for sweet, fatty and salty foods. This means you’re more likely to indulge in french fries and a milkshake than you are a well-balanced meal. " Cortisol, which is excreted from the adrenals (fight or flight) increases appetite and cravings for not-so-healthy foods. It goes on to say...."In recent years, the diet industry has tried to capitalize on findings from studies about cortisol and weight gain. Perhaps you’ve come across advertisements promoting dietary supplements claiming to lower cortisol and enhance weight loss. Most medical professionals advise patients to avoid these products as no independent studies published in respected, peer-reviewed medical journals
have shown that these supplements have any value in cortisol reduction or weight loss. "Overall, it’s important to remember that there’s no miracle cure for elevated cortisol. Exercise, eating right and relaxation are the best methods for lowering these harmful hormone levels that have risen in response to stress."Now, you do another search and you will find articles that support
the opposite...many sell products to you to combat this vicious thing called cortisol (cortisol is not BAD, it is a necessary part of our existence and good health) like Provitalize, the suggested magic probiotic that will take away all your ills that they are marketing to women over 40 (we ARE the largest population on the planet now...)In my 35 years of experience, I STILL claim that most fat gain is due to lifestyle, full stop. It's
not hormones, age, slowed metabolism although all of these things can be at play, but they are not the root cause in the majority of weight loss challenges.It's still energy in, energy out. Too much going in (food) and too little going out (movement, activity, exercise...activity and exercise are different, yes).I can often spot how long someone has been in the industry and what
they are reading or where they are getting their info when I see their beliefs.And many people are ticked off because they want or assume their belly fat is something that 'just happened' or that it's not due to their excessive food or too-little movement or changes in their life / career / partnership...it MUST be because of stress. Sure, stress causes an unbalanced body in
many ways. But what about those people who are under stress and don't gain weight?When my son was diagnosed, I was in turmoil in my head over his condition, for years. I got skinny. I didn't get fat (and you see this in many people who suddenly get hit with unexpected trauma, they lose weight). There was no belly fat and yes, I was tired and depressed for a long time, so am I a 'unicorn' in a sea of horses?Hardly. We blame way too much on stress. And we blame cortisol on bodyfat increase. I remember when working at the Health Food Store for years, and in those days (early 2000's) the big buy was ABS+, a pill you could take to combat belly fat. Man, they piled in buying that product (which was on the heels of recent studies around this magical,
mythical hormone called cortisol and how IT was responsible for your increased girth). But none, NOT ONE client who took it ever lost the belly fat, or came back to glow about it. And the product slowly disappeared over time...Stress.....I always say take the work 'stress' out of the dictionary and get to the real point of why you are living with chaos in your head...you don't practice healthy boundaries, you say yes when you should say
no, you are a People Pleaser, a Fixer, you don't speak up.....Or you hate your job, ageing, your partner....you've lost your spark, you don't know what your purpose is...All of this is a constant stress in your body and brain, and can lead to other things...not moving as much (you don't have the motivation, you're drained, after all from your head full of stressful thoughts!), you
sit all day for your work (and walking around all day in a classroom still is not enough to induce metabolic changes in the body or in burning more fat....not really).What I have learned over the years is that when a woman is in 'stress', her thinking is under water. She is not living from a place of ease and grace. She is in toxic thinking overload and looking at what's not working, rather than creating fresh.And her body will not lose the weight as it is supposed to because when the brain is full with negativity, sometimes the body says 'heck no, it's not safe to lose the weight, there is too much energy being wasted in the head, we better stay put because we must survive'.Then, when she finds her 'light', her joy again...WOOSH!It's soo cool to
watch.But this doesn't always happen. And often that woman stressed with her unconscious beliefs and habits that are not supportive of a full, joyful life 'inside her head' (we're not talking having a great car, an expensive house, nice clothes...sure, those are great but we are talking internal happiness and ease here, despite her financial or social circumstances) will succumb to more wine, more Starbucks treats and designer coffees,
more 'relaxation time' watching Netflix because it is kind of like a reward in a life where she is not living authentically and joyfully, so she 'checks out' with other things to try and fill the void.We all do this. Every one of us. But the ones who are willing to wake up, smell the coffee and get real with their health, their bodies and their lives, make the best clients in my work.They no longer blame or complain, they are willing to take hold of their choices, warts and all, because their days on this planet are numbered, and they are ready to dig in. They don't follow mainstream BS anymore. I always say if you're following mainstream, turn in the opposite direction of what they suggest....THERE....NOW you are living and doing differently from the majority. NOW you can start
making real change and progress.And they accept that where they are is due to the choices they have made, and they are now ready to choose differently.Beautiful. It makes for a committed and highly successful client who loses the weight, regains her life and her authenticity and she is living with integrity and honesty.And her
belly fat disappears, NOT because her cortisol has disappeared, but because she is accepting and changing on many levels, and her body is reflecting that change in its level of health, strength, vitality and leanness.Food. Movement. Mindset. 🙂 Those are my tenants for living a healthy, lean, stress-free life...Book a call. Let's chat. Losing the belly fat and body fat IS do-able. And 2023 has different energy it seems...people are READY for change! It's
time...it's YOUR time! Let's make the shift! Together! (It's what I specialise in!)
My name is Karen McCoy and I teach women over 40 a fresh, sustainable way to lose weight, reverse ageing, reclaim her health and get in head-turning shape
and look and feel amazing again! www.warriorwomanfitness.com
Book a FREE 45-minute Wellness Call with Karen at www.warriorwomanfitness.com/apply and start moving forward in your health and fitness goals today!
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