Stress and weight are closely linked. When your body is stressed, it releases cortisol, a hormone that can increase appetite, promote fat storage—especially around the belly—and make weight loss more difficult. Managing stress is therefore essential for effective and sustainable weight control.

What is cortisol?

The body’s main stress hormone is cortisol. While inhibiting processes that would cause pain in a fight-or-flight scenario, it raises blood sugar, improves the brain’s utilization of glucose, and increases the availability of substances that repair damaged tissue. In stressful situations, when cortisol is working and you encounter something, it allows your body to use energy quickly. There are numerous bodily processes that are affected.

Weight gain may result from cortisol alone, but it may also be exacerbated by elevated insulin. Furthermore, a breakdown in your muscles can result from high levels of stress and increased cortisol production.

The body’s stress hormone, cortisol, has a significant impact on how we react to day-to-day situations. However, prolonged elevated cortisol levels can cause sleep disturbances, increased appetite, and fat storage, especially around the abdomen. This is frequently referred to as “cortisol belly.” The hormone is necessary for our day-to-day activities. It starts our day and then decreases at night to give us time to rest; it has an inverse relationship with melatonin.

When we receive too much or too little cortisol, or the wrong amounts at the wrong times, we can experience problems. Cortisol has an ideal biorhythm to help us sustain our daily activities and respond to stress. Bed fat can result from an excess of cortisol. Your blood sugar rises in tandem with your cortisol levels. Additionally, our pancreas will produce insulin when our blood sugar levels rise.

Stress-induced elevated cortisol Versus Hypercortisolism

It’s critical to differentiate hypercortisolism, commonly referred to as Cushing’s Syndrome, a dangerous medical condition, from elevated cortisol caused by stress. Although they are quite different problems, both entail high cortisol levels.

Elevated cortisol due to stress

Frequent emotional and physical stressors, poor diet, and even lack of sleep can all contribute to elevated cortisol levels. Symptoms include: This is frequently reversible.

• Anxiety or agitation
• Weariness
• Problems with sleep
• Cravings for sugar
• Gaining weight, particularly around the abdomen
• Excessive cortisolism
• A tumor in the pituitary or adrenal glands is frequently the cause of hypercortisolism, also known as Cushing’s Syndrome. Long-term steroid use may also be the cause. Among the symptoms are:

Elevated blood sugar and blood pressure

• Due to accumulated fat on the sides of the face, “Moon face,” also referred to as “cortisol face,” is a condition that makes the face appear round and swollen.
• Weakness in muscles
• Stretch marks in purple
• Quick weight gain, particularly around the face or trunk
• The term “Buffalo Hump” refers to a fat accumulation on the back of your neck between your shoulder blades.
• Skin thinning and bruising easily

Weight Gain May Be Caused by Cortisol

Your body gets a boost of energy when cortisol increases the metabolism of fat and carbohydrates. This process makes you more hungry even though it’s necessary for survival. Additionally, cravings for fatty, salty, and sweet foods can be brought on by high cortisol levels. This implies that you are less likely to eat a well-balanced meal and more likely to indulge in milkshakes and French fries.

Additionally, too much cortisol can cause your body to produce less testosterone. This may slow down your body’s calorie burning and result in a loss of muscle mass.

What causes high cortisol levels?

Although deadlines and emotional exhaustion are frequently linked to stress, other factors that can result in elevated cortisol levels include:

• Blood sugar swings from meals
• Chronic stress
• High-intensity workouts without rest
• Poor sleep
• Pregnancy
• Restrictive dieting or “yo-yo” dieting
• Too much caffeine
• Underlying health issues such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), thyroid imbalances, or adrenal dysfunction.
• Talk to your doctor if you think a medical ailment is causing your cortisol imbalance.

Cortisol can affect metabolism in the following ways:

• Increased blood sugar levels: Cortisol stimulates the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream. This can lead to elevated blood sugar levels and increased risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
• Increased fat storage: Cortisol promotes the storage of fat, particularly in the abdominal area. Have you had a hard time shedding belly fat, even with reduced sugar and carb intake? Because stress raises the risk of metabolic disorders and body fat percentage, it may be a contributing factor to your stomach problems.
• Decreased muscle mass and reduced metabolic rate.
• Increased hunger and cravings: Cortisol can increase hunger and desires, especially for items high in calories and sugar. This can contribute to overeating and weight gain.

Being mindful of your body is the first step towards managing stress and improving your metabolic and general health. Understanding how stressful events, times, or situations can affect your body and what you need to do to effectively manage them requires acknowledging them, knowing what stresses you out, and becoming in tune with your body.

Body scans, meditation, and appropriate breathing techniques are important methods to pay attention to your body while you’re sleeping. By putting these strategies into practice, you can improve your metabolic resilience and cope well with stressful situations.

Slowing Your Metabolism with Betatrophin

Betatrophin is another member of the stress-weight-loss sabotage team. It has been demonstrated that this stress-induced hormone slows down the metabolism of fat. This implies that even if you’re exercising and burning calories, your body may be storing more fat than it’s using, particularly if you’re experiencing ongoing stress. Stress promotes more than just weight gain. It might prevent your body from effectively losing fat.

How might cortisol lead to an increase in abdominal fat?

Cortisol may be at play if you’ve been experiencing stress and have observed fat buildup around your midsection. Increased visceral fat, the type of fat that envelops internal organs like the stomach, liver, and intestines, can result from cortisol’s promotion of fat storage.

This is how it occurs:

Muscle breakdown: Over time, high cortisol levels cause muscle tissue to break down, releasing amino acids for energy. As a result, there is less muscle mass, which lowers metabolism and facilitates fat gain.

An increase in appetite: Prolonged stress results in elevated cortisol levels. Your appetite may be increased by elevated cortisol levels, especially for foods that are high in calories, sugar, and fat. Overeating and weight gain are frequently the results of this.

Insulin resistance: High cortisol and ongoing stress can reduce insulin sensitivity, which raises blood sugar and increases fat storage.

Insufficient sleep: Stress-related sleep problems can raise cortisol levels even more, which can result in decreased motivation, less movement, and increased snacking.

Methods to lower belly fat caused by cortisol

You can take certain actions to help naturally lower belly fat caused by cortisol. The first step is to change the way you think about your diet, exercise, stress, and sleep.

• Increase your physical activity, but don’t go overboard
• Exercise can help control cortisol levels, but more isn’t always better. In fact, excessively high-intensity interval training or overtraining can cause cortisol levels to rise.

Rather than:

• Put an emphasis on regular exercise, such as yoga or walking.
• Prioritize rest days for recuperation and incorporate strength training two to three times per week.

Lower your stress levels: While it’s simple to say, “just relax,” lowering cortisol requires deliberate stress reduction. To help control cortisol levels, try yoga, deep breathing, meditation, or walking.

Make getting enough sleep a priority: Your body resets when you sleep. Sleep deprivation can alter your hunger hormones and raise cortisol levels. To improve your quality of sleep, try:

• Try to get 7 to 9 hours of restful sleep each night.
• Don’t use screens an hour before bed.
• Keep your space dark and cool.
• Avoid drinking alcohol right before bed and limit caffeine after 2:00 p.m.
• Better sleep results in lower cortisol levels and easier control of belly fat.

Engage in mindful eating: Your body requires fuel to function, and eating under stress or skipping meals can worsen cortisol levels. To assist, try these suggestions:

• Avoid highly processed snacks and too much sugar.
• Avoid skipping meals, particularly breakfast.
• Consume well-balanced meals that include fiber, protein, and good fats.
• Eat mindfully and slowly.
• Think about including fermented foods like kimchi or yogurt in your meals, or foods high in probiotics, as a healthy gut also helps control cortisol.

Limit your consumption of alcohol and caffeine: Although a glass of wine or a cup of coffee in the morning may seem like a stress reliever, too much alcohol or caffeine can actually prolong the elevation of cortisol. This keeps your body under constant stress, which makes it more difficult to control belly fat.

Caffeine: Excessive caffeine use can raise cortisol levels and disrupt sleep, particularly when taken on an empty stomach or during stressful situations. Avoid caffeine late in the day and try to limit your consumption.

Alcohol: Frequent or excessive drinking can cause blood sugar spikes, inflammation, and sleep disturbances, all of which can maintain high cortisol levels. Moderating your alcohol and caffeine intake is an easy yet effective way to start if you’re trying to lower cortisol belly fat.

Although “cortisol belly” may seem like just another catchphrase, there is a real link between long-term stress and belly fat. There are doable actions you can take to support your body and general well-being, even though it may feel frustrating or even demoralizing.

Regular exercise has been demonstrated to help lower cortisol levels, especially moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Additionally, exercise can help lower stress and anxiety, two factors that can raise cortisol levels.

Consume a diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats to help lower cortisol levels. Steer clear of processed foods, sugar, and too much caffeine.

Spend time in nature: It has been demonstrated that spending time in nature, whether it be hiking or taking a stroll in the park, lowers cortisol levels and fosters feelings of peace and relaxation.

Make connections with people: research has demonstrated that social support and connection can help lower cortisol levels and stress. Increasing social connection can be achieved through volunteering, joining a community group, and spending time with loved ones.

You can start to reestablish equilibrium and lessen the effects of cortisol over time by identifying the symptoms of cortisol imbalance and implementing deliberate adjustments.

How to end the cycle and observe progress at last

Determine the Source of Your Stress

The first step is awareness. What you don’t know you can’t heal.

Psychologists claim that most people don’t realize how much mental burden they are carrying. Does your job cause you stress? Connections? Financial strains? Providing care? Or is it the urge to “do it all” that comes from within?

Recognize the Difference Between Acute and Chronic Stress

Not all stress is created equal. Neurobiologists claim that acute stress can be adaptive. It increases adrenaline, improves focus, and helps you survive crises. However, chronic stress—the type that persists day after day is the source of issues.

Prolonged high cortisol levels brought on by chronic stress can result in insulin resistance, fat storage, particularly belly fat, and slowed metabolism.

Is this stress temporary, such as a deadline? or chronic (such as burnout, unresolved trauma, or caregiving)?

Understanding the perfection aids in deciding how to react

Make a Stress Inventory

An instrument or procedure that aids in evaluating and raising your awareness of the causes, manifestations, and effects of stress in your life is a stress inventory. It gives you a quick overview of how stress is impacting your mental, emotional, behavioral, and even spiritual health. This knowledge is crucial for developing a stress management strategy, which in turn supports objectives like weight loss, better sleep, or improved mental health.

These are just areas to look into, they are not all-inclusive lists:

Stressors aid in determining the true cause of your stress.

• Burnout or demands at work
• Financial strain
• Caregiving or family obligations
• Health problems (yours or those of your loved ones)
• Loneliness or conflict in a relationship
• traumatic previous experiences
• Lack of time or feeling overburdened
• Social comparison, such as on social media

Physical Indications: Your body is experiencing the effects of stress:

• Low energy or fatigue
• Migraines or headaches
• digestive problems (IBS, bloating)
• Issues with sleep (insomnia, fatigue upon waking)
• Tension in the muscles, particularly in the jaw, neck, and shoulders
• Hormonal fluctuations (low libido, irregular periods)

Mental and Emotional Signs: Assess the impact of stress on your thoughts and mood:

• Constant worry or anxiety
• Anger or irritability
• Mood fluctuations
• Memory problems or trouble focusing
• Feeling overburdened, depressed, or exhausted

Symptoms of Behavior: Determine whether your daily routines or habits have changed:

• Stress or emotional eating, particularly when it involves sugar or carbohydrates
• Excessive exercise or skipping workouts
• Avoidance or procrastination
• More time spent on screens or mindless scrolling
• Relationship discord or isolation, increased consumption of alcohol or caffeine

Often disregarded but crucial is spiritual or existential stress:

• Feeling cut off from your purpose or ideals
• Insufficient time for introspection or prayer
• Having doubts about the purpose of your career or life path

Check for Self-Care and Resilience: Examine your coping mechanisms:

• How frequently do you take pauses?
• Do you have time for joy or hobbies?
• Are you using breathing exercises or mindfulness?
• Do you have a solid network of support?
• Are you getting enough sleep and consuming enough water?

How to Avoid Health Problems in the Future

You can still control the effects of high cortisol, even though it might seem impossible to reduce your stress levels on some days. First, deep breathing, yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and other forms of relaxation can help restore normal levels of this hormone’s production.

Making sure you eat a diet rich in high-quality foods will also help you avoid storing too many empty calories. Try to eat mostly whole, plant-based foods, even if your body is hankering after a quick fix. Naturally, choosing to eat healthily isn’t always simple, but it’s worthwhile. By keeping an eye on your diet, you can prevent the body from converting the calories you eat into fat and storing them as energy.

Lastly, exercise is a great way to control your stress hormones. Exercise will help you maintain your lean body mass, whether you go for a daily walk with your family, go for a run, or visit the gym. This is particularly crucial when cortisol levels are elevated for extended periods of time.

How to raise your cortisol levels to the appropriate levels

concentrating on the stressors under your control. concentrating on consuming fewer processed foods and sugars and more whole, authentic foods. Make sure you are getting at least 7½ hours of sleep each night, and try your hardest to get high-quality sleep.

Experts advise following a regular sleep schedule, setting up a wind-down ritual, shutting off electronics like computers early before bed, and keeping your bedroom dark and cool to promote better sleep.

People are eating more whole, real foods, which has improved their sleep, reduced anxiety, and given them more energy. They can manage those other stressors much better because they are generally happier.

Additionally beneficial is making time for your mental well-being. meditating, praying, journaling, or going for a nature walk. It’s easy to forget to take care of one’s mental health. Individuals plan to spend 30 to 40 minutes getting their nails done, but they will set aside 10 minutes to simply take a walk.

How can we tell when a level is off?

Lab tests are available to check whether cortisol levels are within normal ranges, but they are typically reserved for patients with conditions that impact cortisol levels. Most people’s cortisol levels rising “wouldn’t be something so dramatic where they would have to go seek an endocrinologist to get treated, stating that yearly checkups with a primary care physician are still a good idea.

The majority of people don’t need to closely monitor their precise cortisol levels, but they should be conscious that their actions can affect them. Some are evident psychological stressors related to relationships, work, and challenging situations. However, our cortisol levels can also be impacted by certain everyday activities.

These include consuming excessive amounts of caffeine, sugar, or processed carbohydrates, as well as not getting enough sleep. Our bodies may not be able to distinguish between stress from eating sugar and a work deadline. Our bodies will react similarly.

Is your cortisol being affected by your workout?

Social media fitness influencers have advocated staying away from intense exercise in order to maintain low cortisol levels.

If someone is having trouble sleeping, is stressed, or consumes a lot of sugar, high-intensity or endurance workouts may make their elevated cortisol levels worse. However, those who are managing their stress may react differently. Additionally, if someone wants to increase their exercise, the most effective workouts are those that sustain them.

Your cortisol levels will be adversely affected by high-intensity exercise. More power to you if that’s what motivates you to go work out. However, if you haven’t been as active, going for a walk outside could be the ideal first step.

Going for a walk, even if it’s only for ten minutes, is the best thing people can do. It’s better to go slow and low. If you’re feeling particularly stressed, that will also give you some alone time to reflect on your day.

Conclusion

High levels of long-term stress can cause insulin resistance, which impairs your body’s ability to control blood sugar, increase the desire for comfort foods, and increase abdominal fat storage. Additionally, it can result in muscle loss, which slows metabolism and makes losing weight more challenging. Reducing cortisol and promoting weight loss goals requires stress management strategies like exercise, sleep, and mindful eating.

FAQs

References

• Cortisol belly: How stress can impact your weight (and what you can do about it). (n.d.). https://www.bswhealth.com/blog/cortisol-belly-how-stress-can-impact-your-weight-and-what-you-can-do-about-it
• How too much stress can cause weight gain (and what to do about it). (n.d.). https://www.orlandohealth.com/content-hub/how-too-much-stress-can-cause-weight-gain-and-what-to-do-about-it
• Phils, P. (2023, April 18). How stress may be sabotaging your weight loss efforts – New Life Physical Therapy. New Life Physical Therapy. https://newlifept.com/how-stress-may-be-sabotaging-your-weight-loss-efforts/
• Weldon, W. (2025, April 15). Why chronic stress will sabotage your weight loss efforts. How to win the battle! Sunny Health & Fitness. https://sunnyhealthfitness.com/blogs/health-wellness/chronic-stress-weight-loss?srsltid=AfmBOoq1eB4weON58OfnEDendUZxYVBlYLYn0JZ6YWxc5t_Zr-QJxphm