I dropped 44LBS of menopause weight by targeting my cortisol levels using these four simple hacks
- Staci Hall, from Ontario, went from 154 pounds to 110 pounds in her 40s
- She detailed the things she did to improve her cortisol levels on TikTok
- Hall explained that lowering her cortisol levels led to consistent weight loss
A woman who dropped 44 pounds of menopause weight has revealed the four changes she made to get her cortisol levels under control that led to consistent weight loss.
Staci Hall, from Ontario, Canada, went from 154 pounds to 110 pounds in her 40s by overhauling her diet and exercise routine to support her hormones.
The content creator has more than 191,000 followers on TikTok, where she shares videos about achieving fat loss when you are middle-aged.
Hall recently went viral after detailing the things she did to improve her cortisol levels that helped her lose weight and keep it off.
Staci Hall, from Ontario, Canada, revealed the four things she did to lower her cortisol levels that led to her losing 44 pounds of menopause weight
The content creator went from 154 pounds to 110 pounds in her 40s by overhauling her diet and exercise routine to support her hormones
‘The reason why we need to get our cortisol levels under control is because if they are too high it becomes very difficult to lose weight,’ she explained.
Cortisol is the primary stress hormone produced in your body; it keeps you alert and increases sugars in your bloodstream.
However, chronically high levels of cortisol can cause increased abdominal fat and weight gain. It also raises the risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
‘I did some things to get it back down to a normal range, and low and behold, the weight started to fall off,’ Hall said.
Stop doing high-intensity interval training (HIIT)
Hall shared that she lowered her cortisol levels by giving up high-intensity interval (HIIT) training — a short burst of high-intensity exercise followed by a brief low-intensity activity, done repeatedly.
‘I know that the diet and fitness industry will often tell you that high-intensity interval training is the way to burn body fat, and that may be true if you’re male. That may be true if you’re a younger woman, or if your hormones are not at play,’ she said.
‘But for those of us with high cortisol, it is the worst thing you can do because you are stressing your body even further, which is just gonna further jack up your cortisol levels and just make the problem even worse.’
Hall, who is a fan of the Tracy Anderson Method, advised doing more moderate bodyweight exercises, weight training, and walking.
‘If you’re just doing HIIT once a week, [that’s] probably okay — but no more,’ she added.
Hall shared that she lowered her cortisol levels by giving up high-intensity interval (HIIT) training, which can further stress the body
Hall also broke the habit of drinking her morning coffee on an empty stomach
Don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach
Hall also broke the habit of drinking her morning coffee on an empty stomach.
‘I like my coffee black, and I tend to drink it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning,’ she explained.
She noted several studies that have shown that caffeine can increase cortisol levels, but instead of giving it up, she changed her routine.
I still drink my coffee, and I did throughout this whole process, but I made an effort to not drink it on an empty stomach,’ she said.
‘You might want to add some MCT oil to it, a healthy fat, or wait to have your coffee until you eat your breakfast.’
Quit intermittent fasting
Hall claimed that giving up intermittent fasting helped her lose weight, admitting that her stance is a controversial one.
‘Intermittent fasting may be great for certain people, but if your cortisol levels are super high, having that intermittent fasting protocol tends to just make the problem worse, not better,’ she explained.
Research has shown that periodic food restrictions and fixed eating windows may provide health benefits such as weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and reduced inflammation.
However, intermittent fasting can have a negative effect on women by lowering the female sex hormones progesterone and estrogen, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
‘If you’ve practicing intermittent fasting and you haven’t been getting great results, that could be why,’ Hall said. ‘If you’re doing it, and you love it, and you’re getting fantastic results, good for you.’
Hall claimed that giving up intermittent fasting helped her lose weight, admitting that her stance is a controversial one
She explained that she also had to learn how to effectively address the high levels of stress in her life in order to see results
Learn to cope with stress
Hall added that she had to learn how to effectively address the high levels of stress in her life in order to see results.
She explained that you could be stressed from your mindset, including your body image issues or your frustration over your unsuccessful weight loss efforts.
However, you can also be struggling with a super stressful job or other outside stressors that are spiking your cortisol levels.
‘You need to start doing things to address that. You can’t just leave it like a runaway train because it will haunt you,’ she said.
Hall suggested breathing exercises, meditation, or prayer, saying whatever you do, it needs to help you ‘center yourself and bring your nervous system back to calm.’
‘It’s gonna become critical for your weight loss efforts,’ she concluded.
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