Adrenal Glands & Weight Loss

Adrenal gland disorders such as Cushing's syndrome or adrenal insufficiency can cause fluctuations in your weight. Cushing's disease can cause an overproduction of the hormone cortisol and result in weight gain in the abdomen. Producing too little hormones causes the opposite effect with adrenal insufficiency. Chronic high levels of stress can result in high levels of cortisol produced and excessive weight gain that is difficult to lose without treatment for stress.

Testing

The doctor can perform blood tests to determine if you have too much or too little cortisol in your bloodstream. Visit the doctor to rule out other medical conditions that could result in excess weight gained around your abdomen.

Too much cortisol does not necessarily mean that you have Cushing's syndrome, but it may explain weight gain in the abdomen. Once a diagnosis is given for your weight gain, you can begin the process of working toward losing that weight.

Weight Loss

Healthy weight loss always must include a good diet and exercise. It really is as simple as that. Hormones produced by your adrenal glands may make the problem more difficult, but you will only be able to lose weight with a nutrition and physical activity approach.

Plan a diet that has plenty of fruits and vegetables and avoids junk foods that do not give you much nutritional value. Food is the fuel that your body uses to function in every capacity. Give it the good stuff and you will reap healthy rewards. A well balanced diet must contain three elements to be balanced. Include protein from lean sources such as fish, chicken and plant proteins. These foods should make up thirty percent of your total calories. Next, eat complex carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and whole grains for forty percent of your total daily calories. Finally, include healthy sources of fat in your diet every day such as nuts, olive oil, fish oil and canola oil. Stay away from unhealthy fats such as trans fats found in many processed foods and saturated fat found in red meat. You can include red meat in your diet, just make sure that you limit your consumption to only two or three times a week.

Your eating plan is just one factor in losing weight. This healthy diet may not decrease your cortisol levels or stop the adrenal glands from producing cortisol, but it must be a complimentary treatment to your stress relieving activities.

Stress

Exercise, as luck would have it, performs in two ways for your weight loss. The first way is it burns calories. Physical activity can also help you to relieve some of the stress that is causing your body to produce too much cortisol. Chronic stress causes the body to feel as though it is under attack and cortisol is a protective hormone that is preparing your body for that battle. The hormone stores glucose and causes the extra fat around the abdomen as a protective measure.

Reduce the amount of stress that you are under by finding activities that you enjoy every day. In our busy world, many people don't take a few minutes every day to just sit back and relax. Take some deep breaths and sit in quiet contemplation. Meditate if you find it relaxing or just put on some good music and relax. Reducing cortisol produced by the adrenal glands is only one- step on your weight loss efforts.