Cortisol & Belly Fat: How Sleep and Stress Affect Your Love Handles

There are too many people training hard and eating well that hold belly fat in frustrating ways. They say you can’t out-train a poor diet, but that’s not all. You can’t out-train poor sleep and stress, either.

Chances are your belly fat is a cortisol issue. 

Cortisol is a stress hormone. And chronically high cortisol levels contribute directly to belly fat. That’s the science. Period. 

Now, some of modern human’s favorite ways to keep cortisol high is poor sleep and chronic stress. If you’re not able to sleep eight hours uninterrupted in a cool dark room your sleep is contributing to higher than helpful cortisol levels. If your lifestyle maintains mid-level stress without helpful coping mechanisms, you’re likely contributing to higher than helpful cortisol levels. 

For many, this frustrating belly fat is the last frontier of body change. While it’s counterintuitive, your next best plan of attack should be about improving sleep and minimizing life stress.

8/25/23 WOD

DEUCE Athletics GPP

Complete 4 rounds of the following:
3 Push Press

Complete 3 rounds for quality of:
8 DB Rollbacks + 16 Tate Presses
2 Wrist Rolls

EMOM 15
Min 1: 8 Sandbag Squats (185/135)
Min 2: :40 Max Double Unders
Min 3: Rest

 

DEUCE Garage GPP

2-2-2
Power Snatch

Complete 3 rounds for quality of:
6 Hang Snatch Pulls (Below the Knee)
100’ 1-Arm DB OH Carry – Left
100’ 1-Arm DB OH Carry – Right

Then, complete the following for time:
100 Wall Balls (20/14)

**Every break, perform a 5 burpee penalty