Is cortisol really a thing with weightloss?

[Sundaysundaebananasplit]

I don't know how many times I've posted about this under various usernames over the past year, but I am so, so fed up.

So fed up.

I have a 16 month old baby who doesn't sleep well. I'm still breastfeeding and haven't had a period since she was conceived, which I think is relevant.
I work full time. I have two other kids. I've about 3kg to lose. That's all.

I lost most of the baby weight within 6 months and have 3kg stubbornly hanging on. I've tried different diets, failed, binged on sugar, stuffed my face, gone low carb/high fat, stuffed my face, gone low calorie, binged, on and on and on.

So last weekend, I decided to up my exercise and really be mindful about my eating. So I've been getting my 10,000 steps each day and doing some pilates in the very few windows of opportunity I have.

I've been very careful with my diet but I'm aware it's not ideal. The only thing I can stomach for breakfast is a banana, coffee and water. I can't skip breakfast as I can't concentrate I work, so it is what it is.

Lunch is a protein like chicken or fish with a cooked veg like broccoli/peas and a big salad with a bit of oil and apple cider vinegar.

Afternoon snack is normally another piece of fruit.

My evening meal will be similar to the lunch or will be a small bowl of bran flakes with some chopped nuts/sunflower seeds, depending on my exhaustion levels!

I've not been tracking on myfitnesspal but have done so much tracking in my life to know I'm in a calorie deficit. I've committed to this for the week and have gained 1 kg.

I am a habitual water guzzler, have been for years. Water is my favourite drink and I easily drink more than the recommended amounts each day.

So, in the past I remember pseudo scientific concepts such a starvation mode being a supposed reason for weight gain, which I never bought. Another was 'fat turning into muscle and weighing more' which I know is flawed on so many levels, especially if the only additional exercise you've been doing is a few extra walks 😒

So, I'm reading a lot about cortisol levels affecting weight loss. I don't get more sleep than 3 hours in a row most nights. Im planning to sleep train and reduce/stop breastfeeding in July so for now I'm just muddling through. Do you think this is why I can't lose weight? I have belly fat that I never had before, even when at this current weight in the past.

Can I just get a bit of advice or solidarity? I'm not overweight in terms of my BMI, but I'm towards the upper level and yesterday my 5 year old commented on how fat I am 🤔 I'm not fat but you can definitely 'pinch an inch' as my dad used to say!

Doesn't breastfeeding mean your body is 'storing' a (little) bit of fat in case of emergency? This was my first instinct on reading your post - if you are still bf, weightloss is going to be different. But I am very much a layperson and am also 2.5 stone overweight, so maybe don't listen to me.

Complete layperson here too but I always slept very well until a few years ago.
Years before sleep became elusive I took part in a study that was testing fitness levels and as part of that my metabolism was measured as being very high, which explained why I wasn't twice the size I was considering my diet and exercise levels at the time.
I gained a lot of weight due to illness (instigator of sleep problems) and now I am well enough to try lose it my body is also not going back to pre sleep loss shape at the same weight.
Skinnier face but flabbier belly.
So I definitely think there is something to it.

Yes, am thinking its hormones. Its just so annoying as everyone else seems to rave about how much weight they loset when breastfeeding and my experience has always been the opposite. It's so annoying!

This is so interesting. Thank you for sharing!

Lots of people have over 1.5 stone to lose after pregnancy and a lot of that will come off quite quickly with bf (if you are also eating a good diet). But lots of people don't worry too much about losing the last few pounds while still bf, in my experience.

I could have written this word for word almost! I stopped breastfeeding about 6 weeks ago and have just got my first period today. I was 60kg pre baby, put on about 20kg and just cannot get rid of the last 3 no matter what I do. I was hoping it would just melt away when my period started but it hasn’t. There’s got to be something more at play - always lost weight easily before by cutting down eating/wine and now it’s like a can’t get past a certain point!

Solidarity with you!

Firstly, forget your dad and his pinching of inches... That's so negative and damaging as a concept. Women of childbearing age have a higher level of fat naturally. We are supposed to. Secondly, your body has done amazing things and is still providing food for another.. that's pretty awesome. Thirdly, hormones and age and stress levels and every single thing affect each of us, in very different ways, so direct comparison to random others can be quite harmful. Fourthly, you're not eating nearly enough protein or fat. Eggs, cheese, veges, berries, spinach, lean meat, wholefoods, complex carbs are needed. Oily fish, dark chocolate, "rainbow food" (sorry I hate that lame phrase haha but you know...colourful natural food lol) I would commit to a real amount of nourishing calories until you can see the wood for the trees so to speak (in terms of sleep and spare time) and then up your fats and proteins even more and start some weight training. You might then weigh the same, but you will feel vastly different (and hopefully better!). For what it's worth, I really think you're being very hard on yourself. Some women can "gain" half a stone around their periods, and fluctuate a lot. Trying to be healthy and being loving to yourself is more than good enough ❤️

God that post reads so sanctimoniously, I didn't intend it to! I also have stomach fat and it's in part due to four pregnancies, but it also DEFINITELY increased when I went through some very stressful things. The years and years of lack of sleep and iron deficiency don't help. I hope you find a way to get back on an even keel.

Breastfeeding didn't help me lose weight at all. I think you need to be kinder to yourself. Concentrate on a healthy diet and lifestyle and you'll get there.

Gosh thanks everyone!
In my twenties, I pretty much starved myself to be slim. My thirties were spent pregnant and breastfeeding and now I'm 40 and I don't want to be unkind to my body by only eating ryvita and salad and drinking black coffee to stay slim. I want to nourish my body so I have started by trying to balance being mindful of too many calories with getting at least 5 a day of fruit and veg, oils, whole foods, full fat dairy etc. I don't drink or smoke. I do usually try to have a good deal of protein/full fat but I'm just so tired a lot of the time. Sometimes boiling an egg is just too much 😄

Thanks so much for the solidarity. I know that it sounds like I'm being harsh on myself but I don't feel like myself with extra weight. I guess I'm afraid that if I just accept it, that's me deciding to stay this weight and then it creeping up and up through the years. There's no guarantee it will change when I stop breastfeeding or start sleepiNG better. I'm a teacher so my work is quite full on. I don't get quality sleep. I'm also a mother of three kids so am obviously emotionally and physically present for all of them. I just want to free up that space inside myself that doesn't like how I look and feel. This probably makes no sense!

No, you are right and you gave very good advice. Thank you!

Appreciate the solidarity! Thank you. Hope those last 3 kg melt off for you soon!

Your bmi is healthy, I couldn’t be bothered to obsess about 3kg. Your body wants to maintain a weight where you can still feed your baby if you get ill etc. it’s natural and in my experience it comes off without doing anything after you finish bf

I am bothered about it though. 😕 I'm not obsessed with the 3kg, I'm unbelievably frustrated because half a stone makes a difference between how my clothes look and feel on me. It might seem trivial to some but it's bugging the life out of me. People talk about self care all the time and me feeling good in my body is something that would ease one kind of overload from my life. Everything else is very much necessity/kids/housework/work based and this is just something i want for myself, the only thing actually. I know it sounds daft.

Agree with all the posts so far but on the point about cortisol, as far as I am aware, it does impact weight. It’s a hormone and in my layperson understanding, is prioritised and needs to be reduced to gain functioning metabolism for weight loss.,

Sleep and rest reduces cortisol, as does stopping worrying!

there will be so many factors involved in answering your questions about the 3kg, but try to relax about it. It’s not permanent, it’s just a phase of your life. Your body is doing great things and respect that it probably knows more about what to do to keep functioning right now than your dad

Your body is doing great things and respect that it probably knows more about what to do to keep functioning right now than your dad

Haha love this!

@Sundaysundaebananasplit ahh you sound so lovely (and so busy! So no wonder you're finding it hard). I know exactly what you mean about just wanting that last little bit to go. To feel like "yourself" properly. But for me, as I approach my forties, I think it's worth looking at if you've changed? My body could ping back (relatively speaking...ha) with my first children in my early twenties. But now, I'm different. Even my feet have gone up a size (must be pregnancy related as I had four kids). Even my hair is a different texture. I feel peri menopausal some days, even though I'm young for that. I don't know what I'm saying really, other than sometimes consciously making a change is slower or different to what we expect when our bodies aren't playing ball, but you'll find solidarity here. Just wanted to share a little thing with you too, I've spent 30 years hating/hiding my feet... But this year I've bought Birkenstocks and I DONT CARE (seriously, my toes look like Stone henge in bent toe form)😁😂😂 So please use your time in your wonderful body to care about it, nurture the baby, everything it can do for you, even if it's not quite what you want, because I bet it's awesome anyway ❤️

Another one here who agrees that you’ll probably hold onto the last 3kg until you’ve stopped breastfeeding.

If it’s any consolation, I have less belly fat now than I did when mine were babies, so it does go!

This was so lovely. Thank you! Laughed out loud at your Neolithic feet 😀 and good for you for getting them out. I'm sure they're lovely! Yes I'm changing as I am in my 40s and honestly, I'm not obsessed with preserving youth or looking my age. I suppose it's been annoying me so much as I've been hitting the same wall for nearly a year. If it was a new battle, I don't think I'd mind as much. But you're right I that my body needs to be nurtured and respected. I need to stop seeing it as the enemy that won't comply!

Thanks for this! Good to know!

I never lost weight when breastfeeding but always managed to lose it fine when I stopped. If I were you, I’d be happy to maintain for now and confident that 3kg can be lost by dieting when no longer breastfeeding.

I’ve stayed slim through my menopause with exercise, I was my fattest when I was feeding my children. It is fine, it is a season of your life and it will pass, don’t worry about a few pounds when your body is doing something so wonderful.

This is such a reassuring threat to leave. I'm currently nursing DS and I'm about 3k over my pre-baby weight too despite trying lots of things.

@HeadNorth and @avocadotofu am feeling very reassured that the weight will come off. 3kg seems to be the unlucky number!

How long have you been breastfeeding for? I lost weight fairly easily in the first 5 months but as soon as I started weaning it was really hard to loose. I carried on breastfeeding until LO was 2.5 and only really lost more weight when I stopped.

I think you are doing brilliantly with you diet especially given your lack of sleep which always gives me hunger pangs. If you are desperate to loose weight now you could try switching some of your more carb heavy food to protein and fat but I wouldn't be too hard on yourself and just try to be as healthy as possible for now without depriving yourself.

You won't bf for ever so just hang on and wait until then. You're already being sensible with your food choices, so I bet it will melt off when you stop, just give it a few months.