The Stress - Cortisol - Weight Connection: Why Stress Could Be Sabotaging Your Weight & Brain Health
"Shifting the fat around your middle has far less to do with your diet or lack of motivation in the aerobics class, and much, much more to do with the action of stress hormones in your body."- Dr Marilyn Glenville, Author of 'Fat Around The Middle: How To Lose That Bulge - For Good'
Overview
You’re doing everything ‘right’—eating healthy, exercising, cutting calories—but the weight just won’t budge. What if the real problem isn’t your willpower, but your stress hormones working against you?
In this video, I’ll reveal how stress could be sabotaging your weight management efforts and keeping you stuck in a cycle of cravings, exhaustion, and stubborn belly fat. Plus, I’ll share three simple shifts to help you break free.
If you’re tired of feeling frustrated with your weight, this is for you!
The Stress - Cortisol - Weight Connection: Why Stress Could Be Sabotaging Your Weight & Brain Health
Have you ever felt like no matter what you do, the weight just won’t budge? You’re trying everything - eating healthy, working out, cutting calories - but the number on the scale won’t change. Or worse, it keeps creeping up.
Maybe you set out with the best of intentions, determined to eat better and move more. But then life happens. A stressful day at work, a bad night’s sleep, an argument with a loved one - and suddenly, you’re reaching for coffee, alcohol, or comfort food. Before you know it, you’re back in the same cycle, feeling like you’ve failed again.
The frustration just builds because no matter how many times you start over, you never seem to make real progress. And those unwanted pounds? They just won’t budge.
The Real Culprit Isn’t Your Willpower - It’s Your Stress Levels
The fact is, your body isn’t broken, and you aren’t failing. The issue isn’t willpower but whether your body feels safe enough to release weight. And the hidden culprit behind this struggle is chronic stress.
When stress levels are high, your body holds onto extra energy reserves in the form of stored fat, especially around your middle. It also triggers cravings for sugar and carbs, disrupts your sleep, and throws your hunger hormones out of balance - keeping you trapped in a cycle of overeating and exhaustion.
But the good news is that with just a few small shifts, you can break this cycle, regain control, and finally see real progress - without deprivation or constant restarts.
I Know Because I’ve Been There
In my late 40s, I found myself at the heaviest weight I had ever been after going through prolonged periods of stress. I had fallen into habits like buying a croissant every morning on my way to work or eating an entire packet of currant buns at my desk. My BMI crept up to 25.89. I felt uncomfortable in my clothes and lacked confidence.
I now understand how stress was driving my eating habits and keeping me stuck. Once I shifted my focus from dieting to addressing stress, my body finally started to respond.
What Stress Does to Your Body
When you experience stress - whether from work, home, lack of sleep, or feeling overwhelmed - your body releases cortisol, a hormone designed to help you in short bursts.
In small doses, cortisol is helpful. But when it stays elevated for too long, it signals to your body that you’re not safe. Your body responds by:
Holding onto fat, especially around your belly
Increasing cravings for sugar and carbs
Disrupting sleep, leaving you even more exhausted
Messing with your hunger hormones, making you feel hungry even after eating
This means that as long as stress levels remain high, your body won’t let go of weight. To shift the weight, your body needs to feel safe.
3 Small but Powerful Shifts to Break the Cycle
The good news is that there are simple ways to shift out of survival mode so your body can finally let go of those unwanted pounds. Here are three to make a start:
Do a Stress Audit
When you’re constantly feeling overwhelmed, it’s easy to think of stress as this big thing that you have no control over. But when you break it down, you can start to see where it’s really coming from. Is it poor sleep? An overloaded schedule? Unnecessary pressure you’re putting on yourself?
When you identify the biggest stressors, you can take small but meaningful steps to reduce them. I’ve put together a simple Stress Load Audit you can download to help you get started. Take a moment to go through it and ask yourself: What one or two small actions can I take today to start lightening my stress load?
Be Kind to Yourself
Instead of beating yourself up or spiraling into self-judgment, practice self-compassion. The way you talk to yourself matters because your thoughts shape your reality.
The next time you find yourself reaching for food because you’re stressed, pause and ask yourself: "What’s really going on for me right now?"
When you approach the situation with curiosity, you can start to unpack what’s driving your food choices. Remember, our brains are wired to focus on the negative - even when it isn’t really there. With a little intentionality, you can start to question those thoughts and create a healthier, more balanced mindset.
Balance Your Blood Sugar to Reduce Stress
High insulin levels don’t just affect your weight - they also increase stress in your body, keeping you stuck in a cycle of cravings, energy crashes, and increased cortisol.
One simple way to break this cycle is to focus on foods with a glycemic index of 70 or less. This doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite foods - it just means making small swaps that support your body. For example:
Choose whole grain versions of pasta, bread, and rice instead of the refined white versions.
Swap white potatoes for sweet potatoes.
Include healthy fats and protein with your meals to stabilise your blood sugar.
These small changes help keep your blood sugar stable, reducing the rollercoaster of highs and lows that drive stress, hunger, and overeating.
Your Body Wants to Feel Safe
Ultimately, your body is always working to protect you. You don’t have to push harder, restrict more, or rely on willpower to see change. You just need to give your body what it truly needs.
So, I encourage you to choose one thing from today’s post - whether it’s doing a stress load audit, practicing self-compassion, or making simple dietary swaps to stabilise your blood sugar. Small shifts add up, and when your body feels safe, it will respond.
If this resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. You can break free from the stress-weight gain cycle, and I’m here to help you do it.
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