Cortisol and Weight Gain 

If you do a simple search on cortisol and weight gain, chances are that you will freak out because, according to numerous fitness specialists, this maligned hormone is responsible for all kinds of health problems such as obesity, buffalo hump, moon face, impotence, etc. You name it, and cortisol may bear the culprit.

And as autosuggestion is such a powerful mental process, you may even start to feel some of these symptoms that you would readily associate with the damage done by cortisol just because somebody said so.

It's very common in our industry to hide the forest for the trees, and most likely besides a lack of knowledge, the rumors about cortisol (which are true but to a very limited extent) were spread for two reasons: to satisfy the human need for novelty and, as always, commercial interests.

In fact, cortisol plays an important role in mobilizing energy, and make you cope efficiently with a real or perceived stressor, which can be a balls-to-the-wall 20 rep squats, an interview, arguing with your boss or what have you.

In other words, cortisol is required for the demands of your daily life, and not being able to secrete an adequate amount of this vital hormone, or blocking its secretion artificially, can have profound negative effects.

So ignore any advice about using cortisol blockers or other similar bullshit. Not only that you wouldn't be able to train properly, but chances are that you wouldn't even make it to the gym because you couldn't get out of bed.

While it's true that there is a causal relation between chronically elevated cortisol and weight gain, this generally happens only under certain circumstances (that most fitness gurus are not aware of).

As you know, during stressful periods, most people change their eating patterns, gravitating towards more pleasurable foods with an increased content of simple sugars and fats. So being under physical or mental pressure will make you crave your favorite comfort foods.

It's interesting to note that this occurs not only from a psychological need, but also from a physiological necessity, as it seems to reduce CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone) expression, which stimulated cortisol in the first place.

However, research clearly shows that even when cortisol is chronically elevated, there is a linear correlation between body mass index and calorie intake.

In other words, only overweight people tend to be hyperphagic during stress, which raises questions about the causality between cortisol and weight gain.

In fact, slimmer folks may even lose weight during prolonged stress. Their insulin baseline is lower, and they also tend to overestimate their food intake.

Or maybe they are just more prone to make a conscious effort in restricting their food choices, although this behavior may backfire at some point.

It's seems that insulin base levels (considerably higher for most obese people) ultimately determine if you eat a few cookies or inhale the whole box, which makes a big difference in term of calories.

“People usually change their eating behaviors when they perceive themselves to be stressed, or are under persistent external inter-personal, financial or other strains. Although about 20% of people do not change feeding behaviors during stressful periods, the majority do; roughly 40% or more increase and 40% or less decrease caloric intake when stressed.

In prospective studies, it appears that those who initially are at the upper range of normal, or are overweight, are generally more inclined to weight when stressed, whereas those who are of normal- or under-weight do not. It seems possible that the difference between the gainers and the losers may be a consequence of higher insulin concentrations in people with higher body mass index.” (Dallman, 2009)

In other words, being stressed will cause most of us to be less strict with our food choices, and enjoy a little treat when life seems miserable. There is no harm in that as long as you don't go overboard.

But if your life is controlling you, and not the other way around, you will eventually get in a vicious circle. (Maybe even being obese is a big contributing factor to your unhappiness.)

My point is that contrary to popular belief, cortisol and weight gain are not so tightly related, and blaming this hormone for our lack of control would be unfair.

At the end, it all boils down to calories, and when it comes to comfort food, sometimes is hard to say no. (And it's mistake to always do so.)

The only way to stop emotions from controlling your life is to be well aware of the consequences of your behavior, and make a cognitive effort to redirect it. (Not refrain it.)

But for this, my friend, you need a good plan. If you naively believe that adhering to a deprivation diet is the way to go, you are in for a big surprise.

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